Beach Visitors

Beach Visitors

It was all excitement on the beach this morning, my leisurely stroll upgraded by a feast for the eyes.  September is the time the large shoals of fish pass by along this coast line and today they were running.  There was action from the shoreline to the far horizon as the dawn feeding frenzy was underway.  The first clue was the silvery necklace of small fry decorating the shoreline, glittering in the early sunshine.  These poor creatures are the bottom of the food chain, born to be eaten, and a continual supply were being chased onto the incoming waves by the jacks hunting them; surfing in to their doom.  Once washed onto the beach they flapped frantically to maneuver themselves back into the water but most ended up slowly drying tantalizingly close to the ocean.  One walker was gamely trying to throw the small fish back into the water one by one but the odds of nature were overwhelmingly against her and she had to accept defeat.  The seagulls wheeling overhead then swooped down to clean up so there was no chance of escape for the struggling fry. 

Things were no quieter in the water.  The surface boiled and swirled with the action taking place below and shoals of smaller jacks occasionally took flight as the snook prowled and attacked.  These larger predators have arrived in force and groups of them swirled in the waves a mere three feet from the shoreline, breaking the surface of the water with their spine-like dorsal fins and sleek long bodies.

Further out to sea the tarpon were gathering and one, under pressure from an unknown attacker, shot up into the air to reveal its powerful shiny body.  It was at least five feet long but we will call it six as this is a fishy tale.  And beyond these the sharks were prowling, so close to the surface that the fins could be seen breaking the water.  No foolhardy bathers were risking an early morning swim today.

Word of the fish had somehow spread and fishermen and women began to arrive hauling their rods and paraphernalia down the sand and making themselves comfortable on their upturned buckets or, for the more organized, beach chairs. It looks like there will be a lot of fish suppers in Vero tonight.

One lone green turtle track and nest had appeared overnight but no one was interested in that.   Turtles are yesterday’s news as today the fish have arrived.