Watch your step

During a walk on the beach in the national park on Prince Edward Island recently, we did not have to worry about social distancing. The beach on the north shore of the island had only four other people over several kilometres. We had a section of beach to ourselves.

The sandstone cliffs are always of interest along the coastline.

In the distance, a sea arch grows a bit every year.

The star of the day however was the Lion’s Mane, a purple starfish which is common in the waters around the island. On this day at low tide, it was common on the beach too.

This year the numbers of Lion’s Mane around the island are more than most islanders have ever seen. On the north shore, they were everywhere. Some were left stranded on the sand as the tide receded. Others floated in the waters which lapped the shore.

I stepped on one, slipped and fell on one knee from not watching where I was walking. Those stranded purple gelatinous creatures are slippery. While I didn’t hurt myself, I watched where I walked after that experience.

Thousands of the jellyfish floated in the water. In places they mingled with seaweed so it was difficult to distinguish them from the algae. Others  advanced and retreated with the gentle lap of the waves. Needless to say, we stayed out of the water. Their sting hurts. 

I watched some larger specimens are they moved up and down in the water, contracting and expanding the umbrella. The trail of hair-like tentacles from the underside of the bell shape give the jellyfish its name. A 24 second video shows its movement here. Their dance is like a slow twerk.

As we left the beach several people headed down to replace us in the sand and the jelly fish. 

Watch your step!

Now and then at the beach

The wave action causes ripples in the sand which the retreating tide exposes. 

In the distance to the left, the Confederation Bridge looms large. 

To the right, Seacow Head Lighthouse stands guard over Seven Mile Bay. 

This is Chelton Beach, a day use park in Prince Edward Island, a perfect place to spend some time. We visited the park with our grandchildren and our daughter recently.

Of course we had a picnic, after which we walked over the embankment to the beach where it was low tide. We set up on an exposed sand bar for a few hours until the advancing tide caused us to retreat to the shoreline. Meanwhile just off-shore, paddle boarders stood tall above the water. 

This beach had tidal pools but without the animals present at Canoe Cove. There aren’t starfish or clams to explore. Here the two types of jellyfish which frequent the waters around Prince Edward Island were prominent as well as varieties of seaweed.

The jellyfish, some transparent White Moon and lots of purple Lion’s Mane were of interest to the grandchildren because of their fear of being stung. 

The Lion’s Mane are called Blood Suckers by islanders and knowing that, the kids were sure to avoid them and not silently either.

They played in the sand on this beach, 

creating sand walls and digging until water filled the holes where they placed small White Moon jellyfish for observation. They certainly didn’t play with the purple ones.

I walked among the seaweed floating in the advancing tide. Fifty years ago, when I attended university, I enjoyed courses in marine biology. My childhood summers in Maddox Cove, Newfoundland, made me want to know more about nature. All these years later, the beauty of the seaweed waving in the water is just as fascinating to me as it was all those years ago.

Did I just write fifty years?