Handcuffed To The Ocean

Which seas are considered the “7 Seas”? Historical scholars cannot agree on which ones to include or excluded. These muses of wisdom say it depends on which civilization you’re talking about. It seems the Romans had a different set than the Greeks who had a different set than the Arabians. From my limited history in grade school, I think the most romanticized sailors were the Arabians, thus in their world the 7 Seas are: Adriatic Sea, Arabian Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and the Red Sea.

Fueled by stories of Sinbad from my childhood days (OK, I still like stories and movies of Sinbad), I’ve always wanted to travel the routes he sailed. And when the Eurythmics had their hit song, “Sweet Dreams”, the lyrics were forever planted into my mind. You know the song: “Sweet Dreams are made of this,  Who am I to disagree,  I travel the world and the 7 seas,  Everybody’s looking for something.” 

Thus on my bucket list is to swim in the 7 seas.

Adriatic Sea - View from Hotel

Last October, while with my wife on her victory trip of beating breast cancer, we went to Tuscany. In the middle of the two weeks there, we scheduled a side trip to the eastern shore of Italy and visited the town of Rimini and splashed into the Adriatic Sea. For a Florida boy, the water was a little cool. While in West Palm Beach our ocean temperatures were still in the upper 70s. Here in the waters that have seen battles by the Arabians, Greeks, and Romans, I’d say warmth of the sea was just below mid-70s.

Into the water I waded. Had to get in, didn’t come all this distance just to wimp out.

In the summer time, this beach is a tourist destination. There is barely enough of the sandy beach to go around for the thousands of blankets needed by the bikini wearing sun worshipers. In October, the place is deserted. The hotel we stayed in was the only one open. Season closes October 1st. The hotels were boarded up for the winter. It looked like the town was abandoned. Thus, my wife and I didn’t have to share the beach or the water with anyone. The way I like it.

The sea was calm, and with the hard packed sand bottom, it was easy to wade out from shore, letting my body adjust to the temperature. The  Eurythmics’ song blaring in my head. Visions of Sinbad sailing in the distance.

Swimming in the Adriatic Sea

I love the oceans and the salty seas. It must have something to do with the water and our bodies being mostly composed of water and salt. I feel a true connection that cannot be broken.

The swim was relaxing. I didn’t quite swim out to the horizon and back, but I did go far enough to have a nice workout. It felt amazing to be in the same waters that eons of history have been written upon.

Now, I’m trying to decide which sea I should visit next, and how I can combine more than one on a journey.

Until next time, “Sweet dreams are made of this.”

As with most large companies, quarterly or annually, it’s best to stop and assess where your business is and where you want it to go. I work for a small periodontal company and we do the same. But instead of meeting in some boring board room with a dull paint job and a conference table strewn with electronic gadgets and smudged coffee cups, we headed to a palm tree lined beach.

Melissa, Angie, June

 We meet at 9 am at the Jupiter Island Beach Resort for breakfast. I’m sure that sometime between bacon and eggs, pancakes, and hash browns, we mentioned the business. This resort we chose is just south of the Jupiter Inlet and has a rock ledge that runs in front of the hotel extending north and south for about a mile. The reef is close in shore, 50 feet from the beach, and at low tide the depth ranges from eight to fifteen feet. The off-white colored beach is narrow, but has room for blue lounge chairs, white oversized umbrellas, and plastic tables for cold rum punches. At the water’s edge is a series of rectangular boulders, perfect for sitting and splashing the ocean with your feet. There are several sandy cuts so entry into the blue water is easy. Perfect for snorkeling.

Reef fish

June and Angie

 

 

While helping another member of the staff with her mask and snorkel, I let June hold my camera. It is an Olympus Stylus Tough, waterproof to ten feet of water. The camera is small and compact which makes it perfect for snorkeling. You can imagine my surprise when that night as I was reviewing the day’s shots and came across the ones that June and Angie shot of themselves. Obiviously, they were having a great time.

 

Some of us snorkeled the day, some laid in the sun and worked on their tans, and some did both. One thing nice about working in an all woman office, the cabana boys checked on us every ten minutes. Drinks? Lunch? Towels? Phone number? Well, they checked on everyone except me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relaxing after a tough day

 

 

After the grueling day of planning, projecting - OK, we didn’t do any of that - we decided to retire to the pool area. And of course, get in the hot tub.

 

I’m fortunate to work for a small office where the doctor likes to have all day staff meetings and do some fun activities.

 

Until next time.

Friday, May 25th., three days before Memorial Day. God bless all of our veterans.

There are many different ways to arrive on Peanut Island. I usually hop a ride on Captain Joe’s ferry, the Buccaneer. Ten bucks for a round trip ticket. 

Peanut Island - Bringing the family

          Some people motor their own boat and tie up at the docks or drop anchor in ankle deep water close to the beach. Some come by canoe or kayak and beach their vessel on the sand. Today, I saw a first. A couple came by paddle board. No, that wasn’t that unusual, but strapping a life vest onto the family dogs, sticking them into a plastic box, that is. And this is before the craziness begins. Each to their own.

Peanut Island - Sergeant Majors

Peanut Island - Barracuda

 

 

          Of course, anytime you have this many fish swimming out in the open, enjoying life, a predator will come lurking. With his mouth being close to 1/4 of his body length, and his jaws lined with teeth designed for slicing flesh, the barracuda can be very intimidating. This fish loves to engage in a staring contest. His mouth slowly opening and closing. He wants to be king.

 

          In reality, this fish is timid. His behavior of swimming close to people is one mostly out of curiosity. If you swim towards him, he dashes off in the opposite direction to hide in the hazy blue. But still, each time a six-footer comes in to inspect me, I do get a chill down by back.

Peanut Island - French Grunt

On Sunday, the 20th. of May, Kitty and I arrived at Peanut Island on the backside of high tide. But knowing it’d be slack for about an hour and have maybe another 30 minutes before the out going tide dragged the dirty water over the rock islands, we hoped for clear water. And we were right.

Peanut Island - new friends

Porkfish

 

          Kitty counted 43 species of fish in about 50 minutes. That’s almost a different specie every minute. No wonder this is a great place to snorkel. But staying around the rocks and not glancing out across the sand is depriving yourself of seeing more fish. This porkfish stayed about fifteen feet from the second most northern set of rocks and on the inlet side.

 

          This guy was bashful. He swam from rock to rock nipping at the algae and grasses. But I never saw him with any of his buddies. And every time he felt the pressure wave from me swimming towards him he darted off. To get closer, I tried the old ”float and drift on the surface and see what happens”  method. Once, he swam underneath my stretched out form. Never venturing closer than a couple of arm lengths away. Still it was a pleasure seeing him skirt from one stone to another.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glassy Sweeper

 

 

 

          There were two schools of glassy sweepers. One towards the surface and the other closer to the white sand. Both, however, stayed within the protection of the rocks and at times would slip into the shadows to hide. I like the way they swim in tight packs, circling one another. I was taught that their names were hatchetfish, and I still call them that today. Not many fish have that deep belly like they do. And like most fish, if you relax and stay still, they come to you. Within minutes these beauties were circling my finger tips. What joy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bearded Fireworm

 

 

          This creature is called a bearded fireworm. If you ever touch one, you’ll know right away why the name fireworm was given. The hairs, or bristles, extending from its backside can easily pierce your skin. Very painful. And the reminder that you touched one will stay with you for days. But some people, like my wife, can get these worms to crawl up onto her palm. I’ve never tried it and I don’t recommend it.

 

          This reef inhabitant never gets in a hurry. He crawled across the sand from rock to rock. Sometimes, raising his head and surveying what’s in front of him. Then slowly preceding in that direction. This is one creature that you can easily show your fellow snorkelers. Even if they are several yards away from you. Unlike fish, who promptly swim away and hide in the rocks, this worm doesn’t travel fast or far.

 

 

As always, another great day at Peanut Island.

Blowing Rocks Preserve is not the typical Florida beach. Small gentle ripple of waves do not lap up against soft white sugar sand. The barrier island that forms Blowing Rocks has a under lying substrate of Anastasia limestone, better known in Florida as coquina. Centuries of rain have cut holes into the sedimentary rock giving it a rough face and pocketed surface.

Blowing Rocks Preserve - crashing waves

Blowing Rocks Preserve - another wave

Blowing Rocks Preserve - Calmness

 

Blowing Rocks Preserve - Not so calm

 I was told we could go snorkeling if we wanted. The shore entry looked very difficult. Not sure if I want to face a wave of water larger than a concrete warehouse coming at me.

But the waves are mesmerizing. At times, images of Poseidon formed, some smiling, some daring me to edge closer to the water. Seeing I had a land camera, not one that was water proof, I decided to not let the Greek god tempt me to tip-toe any closer.

Blowing Rocks Preserve - Sea Grape tree canopy

 

Blowing Rocks Preserve – Old road bed

Blowing Rocks has other features to see, such as a hardwood hammock. These thick clumps of trees on sand dunes or on a rise in the middle of a swamp have given rise to many theories of why they are called “hammocks”. The one I like, true or not, is that ancient sailors found this area to be dry and the trees just far enough apart to tie their bedding (a hammock) in between the skinny trunks.

Being on the beach, a nice breeze is usually found and the sun doesn’t cook you. Upon entering the coastal hammock, life changes, the humidity soars to 100%. No puff of wind ever flows through the corridor. The air is thick and hot and you feel that you have to push yourself through a sponge.

 

During WWII, highway A1A was built on top of the coastal dune. This made for a very scenic drive. The bad part, at night, the car’s headlights silhouetted passing tankers. Thus, easy targets for the German submarines. The road was closed and moved onto the mainland and forgotten. Strolling along the base of the dune on the ocean side, parts of the old road bed can be seen. I sat on a portion of it and tried to visualize what it was like, seventy years ago, traveling the coast of Florida a stone’s toss from the ocean. How often did the travelers back then stop for a swim, or watch dolphins and rays skim along the surface? Were they always in a rush as we are today?

 

I’m glad the Nature Conservancy was able to grab this piece of land. Florida has enough steel and glass condos built on shifting sand.

 

For more information on Blowing Rocks Preserve visit: nature.org/blowingrocks.

Once that ocean salt is in your blood, no matter how hard you try, you cannot resist the call of the sea.

The beach at Sand Dune Resort

Sea Gull restaurant - Jupiter, Florida

We started the day with breakfast at the Sea Gull restaurant. This place reminds me of the Florida long gone. It is not some fast food chain or an eatery that needs to move people in and out to maximize profits, but a place where you can relax, enjoy a Florida breakfast from grits or pigs-in-a-blanket to steak and eggs, with everything in between. And best of all, the staff knows your name.

outside our room at the Sand Dune Shores Resort

 

Did I mention that I am the only male in the office? Some days that’s a good thing, and some days, not the best.

After discussing P&L statements, spreadsheets, new products, upcoming conventions, and credit courses we need to complete before the end of the year, we broke to go to the conference room. Most corporations have a long wooden table, a credenza with glasses and a silver pitcher of water, and big cushy chairs on casters. Not us. We rented a room at the Sand Dune Shores Resort on Singer Island. A mom and pop motel tucked between two sky-high hotels. Sand Dune (www.sandduneshoresresort.com) has a private pool, ocean views, and no crowds.

Gathered around the metal dinette table and knee-high coffee table we slugged through the agenda. The upcoming week the staff is sponsoring a dinner and seminar for the local dentists. Many things had to be decided, dress code, handouts, videos, Powerpoints, and blah blah blah. The discussion started to hurt my brain.

But outside, a cool front had moved in. The air temperature dropped to the mid-80′s, the surf hovered around 82 to 84, and we had a picnic basket we hadn’t opened yet. And with her great wisdom, Dr. Marino moved the meeting outside.

Dr. Marino's staff

Bait fish in the surf

On the beach we discussed the important things in life, like why can’t we just set up the hygiene chairs here in the sand.

Some of us went beach combing, or swimming, some worked on their tans (yes, that is very important in this town), and others read. I can assure you there were no trade magazines being perused.

Several times schools of bait fish swam by, a few minutes later followed by sharks. Don’t panic, this is no scene out of “Jaws”. The sharks have no interest in the bathers and prefer to swim around the people. The time to be concerned is when a fisherman shows up and starts tossing dead bait in the water. Or if you get caught up in a school of fish, it is best to swim away from them.

Our office meeting turned out to be a great day. One of sharing stories, our past, our dreams with one another. The feel of the sand between your toes, the sun warming your back, and the wet breeze flowing across the ocean makes you forget or not care, that the calling of the salt water will always be there.

Beach life

 

Maybe life can be a day at the beach.

One thousand, six hundred feet, give or take a few, of boardwalk gets you to the beach.

I have only a few hours to explore the beach today at Mac Beach (the shorten name everyone uses to refer to John D. MacArthur Beach State Park (www.macarthurbeach.org ). Thus I explore the short distance from the northern dune crossover to the southern one. The air temps in the lower 90′s, overcast sky, and a nice easterly breeze, it is a perfect day for a stroll.

Bloom of the Railroad Vine

I love the violet color of the Railroad Vine flower. This vine stretches from the base of the sandy dune to almost the wrack line and blooms all summer. The botanist say you can make a tea from the leaves to help fight rheumatism. I’ve never seen a scientist drink the stuff. But, when the wind blows it’s nice to watch the flowers flutter in the breeze. The center always catches my eyes, reminds me of a purple sea star. 

Loggerhead tracks

To me, this is an exciting time of year for beach walks. It is turtle nesting season, which runs from about April through the end of October. Each month brings us a different set of turtles, Leatherbacks, Loggerheads, Green, Hawksbill, and the rarest, Kemp’s Ridley. Gazing at the tracks, I’m reminded of the effort required for a female turtle to leave the ocean, drag its body up the beach, past the wrack line, to an area not effected by tides. Then to dig a pit, often three feet deep, lay over a hundred eggs, and finally gather the strength to crawl to the water. A reptile that is so graceful and agile in the sea, becomes a lumbering 300 pound living rock on land. This maternal ritual lasts three to four hours. Amazing animals.

I drop to the sand and place my hand gently in the imprint left by the flipper. The linage of this species stretches back 200 million years. The changes that have taken place. Too overwhelming for me.

I get up and move on.

Sargassum weed

The wrack line is covered with stretches of Sargassum weed. This brown algae floats on top of the water unless the wind and waves toss it up on a beach. The little sac balls captures my attentions. These air sacks, smaller than my little finger nail, keeps long stands of this plant afloat. I wonder how much of this stuff would be needed to keep me buoyant. Not that I really need it. It seems I have collect enough fat around my waist that I no longer sink upon exhaling my breath. Must stay away from second and third helpings, but my wife cooks so well. 

I continue to walk along the tide line thinking of the living community that once thrived in this weed. Then before I want to quit, I’ve arrived at the southern most crossover and prior obligations must be honored. My arms and legs are sandy, a heat is felt on the back of my neck, and I considerate it a good morning.