Scratcher of heads, rubber of bellies
A buffet of barnacles and limpets for a hungry sea star, with a subtle reflection in the tide pool below. It could just have well been a portrait of me as a child visiting the city pool where my grandma lived that had a high dive, I’d probably still be up there trying to convince myself to jump if not for the social pressure of knowing other people were waiting behind me.
Must’ve been quite the party, hope it was worth it!
Taken in the fading light at the end of a lovely fall day in 2017 at Heceta Head on the Oregon coast.
Pity the starfish that does not take advantage of the cover of high tide to go to the bathroom when no one is watching. This poor fellow clinging to a large boulder was left high-and-dry by the receding tide and could do naught but cross its legs and hold it in. Waiting for the inevitable return of the sea but tortured always by the sound of splashing water.
This ochre sea star (starfish) is missing one of its arms, there should be another arm in between the one pointing up and the one pointing right. I don’t know if it was suffering from sea star wasting syndrome that is killing large numbers of sea stars on the Pacific coast. Multiple species of stars are affected but the ochre stars are the most visible since they are easily seen in the intertidal zone.
I had many thoughts as the ocean covered my feet as I photographed the incoming tide washing over the starfish, anemones, and mussels attached to this large rock. My first thought was that I need to get some tall waterproof boots (which reminds me, I need to get some tall waterproof boots). But mostly I was just amazed that any creatures could survive in this spot, sometimes in air, sometimes in water, and that I could stand in this spot for a hundred years and still not fully understand the little ecosystem right in front of me.
The receding tide left these sea stars high and dry above the tide pool, arm in arm, their forbidden love exposed.
Boolie 