Shell Island Day 2

Since we're in no hurry we hung out behind Shell Island another day and again went to shore to explore more thoroughly.  It is so isolated since it can only be reached by boat. Part of it is now a state park but used to be a place where folks had their beach houses.  Once the state bought it, the houses and occupants could stay until they became uninhabitable or destroyed by storms. Tyndall AFB owns and manages the rest of it.   Most of the base land  is set aside for critical wildlife refuge.  To me, a great use of barrier islands.  Sand naturally moves along the coast and we screw up the ecosystems by building seawalls and buildings way too close to the dune line if not right on top of them.  I get that the natural movement wasn't always as well understood but to continue developing knowing the harm you're doing.....

A few years ago, this house had people in it.  Seems not habitable now.

Looks like storms have taken their toll.  The whole thing leans to the west.

The weather was so hazy the sunset had an eerie look to it.

This old dock was all undermined on the shore side and leaned.

A Horseshoe Crab shell.  This creature's ancestors were around with the dinosaurs 

On a walk along the shore to the western end of the island, we found a
inland pond.

We couldn't reach the end as we hit wetlands but could see where an
inlet around the corner came inland.

All along a 400 yard stretch of the shore were thousands of crabs.
It was fun watching them march in unison up from the water or our of
the reeds depending on where we were walking.

Some of them tried to take us on to defend the rest until we yelled
"Boo" and waved our arms.  Bravery only goes so far in the crab world.

My old man and the sea.  The weather in the distance tells us it may be time
to move on.

Old house pilings.  Looks like a fire took this one out.

Old dock pilings.

Birds on old trees.  Check out the one in the background in the picture below.

A majestic great heron.  He could be mistaken for a branch from a distance

You never know what you'll find on the beach.
Some poor kid lost their toy.

A tiny whelk

This is an underwater shot from our viewing bucket.  Couldn't see what made them.