Sea urchins are some of the coolest creatures living in the sea. They have long spikes that help them navigate under water, but we usually see them spike-less.
The Pixabay site has some new, awesome sea urchin photos which I will share here.
Remember that these are free images, which have been added to the public domain, and you can find more like them at Pixabay.com.
Guessing at the type of seashell in this seashell photography.
This pretty picture of a seashell with orange inside came from a contributor at the Pixabay site. I’ve noticed over the years that more and more wonderful seashell photography has been added to the free to use, public domain site.
I will be honest and say that I don’t know what this shell is. Users of Pixbay don’t usually list where the shell was found, and users live all over the world. The one who uploaded this shell picture is from the Czech Republic.
This shell is a gastropod with a short spire (top swirl). The only info I have are the tag words posted with the picture, which are “seashell”, “sea”, and “the clams”. A clam shell is a bi-valve – comes in two parts – so I would say this is not a clam. At least it’s not any kind of clam I have seen.
If I had to guess, I’d say it’s a whelk or a conch, which does not really narrow it down much! It looks to me like the tail of the shell might be broken. See how the dark orange on the inner lip abruptly ends? If it once had a longer tail the shell would take on a different appearance. And how long was the tail? We can only guess.
We also don’t know the true size of this shell. It could be quite large, or the photo could be a macro image of a very tiny shell. If that is the case, it could be a Florida rock snail, which only grows to around 3 inches long. All this information is used to identify mollusks, and we don’t have access to it. I’m not even sure if the photo below (by the same user at Pixabay) is of this same shell, but I assume it is.
Do you have any guesses as to what type of shell it is? Maybe you know it’s name. If so, please share.
Along with the towels, chairs, cooler (no glass please) and umbrellas, pack the camera when planning a day at the beach….. Can you tell I wrote this post back when all I had was a camera to use and not an iPhone?
Time for an update to this blog post!
I do think that getting photos at the beach is a good idea and it’s much easier these days when everyone has a camera phone with them. How far we’ve come!
Aside from photographing the kids or your sweetie, the beach can offer up unexpected beauty. It may treat you to a showy golden sunset, a rainbow, or a space shuttle launch (I see those from my local beach). Some natural occurrences like this are gone in a flash, so be ready for the unexpected.
You never know what might wash up on shore either. Empty seashells are okay to collect, but leave the living ones where you find them. That would be a great time for a photo!
There could be dolphin, sharks, or who knows what swimming by. On “my beach” we have ghost crabs and sea turtle nests. Lots of wildlife visit the seashore, and although they will probably stay away when people are around, you never know.
Someone may catch a big fish! That is what happened when we were hanging out at the beach near Ponce Inlet. As he carried the big bluefish back toward his car, I asked if I could get a photo.
Beaches are usually busy places. The Florida beach near where I live has lots of buildings and some iconic places like The Breakers Restaurant. This pink building has lasted through hurricanes and all the new “upgrades” done in the area. It remains a casual eatery where great burgers and fish sandwiches are served to patrons who have beach front seating.
Along the ocean beaches we find some amazing plant life that we don’t see inland. These plants and trees have special growing needs and have adapted well to a sand and salt environment.
I plan to write about the flora I’ve photographed over the years on my beach visits. Most of it I can’t name, but I’d love to know what’s out there.
The mangroves grow along the river beaches and create their own islands. Their strange roots are visible at low tide where oyster beds usually form.
The sightings listed on this page are only a few of the many possibilities of what can be found along the beach. I’d love to hear what you find or enjoy seeing on your beach-going adventures.
