Thursday, May 31, 2007

cuttlefish and other glories



Just off the headland, yesterday, I saw a little shark eating up a big cuttlefish.

A giant cuttlefish, it was.

The sea, while pretending to ignore me, is in fact putting on quite some show.
There is no use in me feigning false ignorance, otherwise I get shown a predator eating its prey. Or bump into something that is about-to-be-prey, which is almost as bad.
The Dolphins curl over and around like horizontal commas,the sharks are always an imperative exclamation.
Still, it isnt punctuation that comes to mind when a large shape emerges: the fins look the same enough.


So, the sea-lion enclosure is the safest place to be. Trouble for some, is that the water in here cools down quite rapidly during the night, as opposed to the sea temperature, which stays warm.

Oh, but I love it, the cold of winter water.

It rinses the gills and provides clarity of thought. And here, safe, one can dream undisturbed by predators and prey alike.

The sea has stopped sulking, I gather.
Whether or not this is a plot with which to cure one of wanderlust I can't be sure, but
the whales appeared today, four Southern Right Whales.
They gave themselves away not only with their spouting, but the sun reflecting off their bodies, briefly, as they jumped about.
Some cuttlefish bodies have been presented to me on the tideline, just to remind me who is the uber-being around here. They are rather large, and don't think for a minute I am ignorant as to what the teethmarks mean.

I just pretend that I'm not scared.


(cuttlefish 32cm long)

7 comments:

Jellyhead said...

Sharks frighten me. Those bite marks frighten me. Yet still at the beach I swim, swim out deep past the break of waves. The small risk is outweighed by the great joy of swimming.

Shruti said...

somewhat horible..

little things said...

OH I want to live in your beautiful part of the world!

Arcturus said...

Beautiful post. You really are an amazing writer. The dolphin horizonal comma description and shark imperative exclamation point -- brilliant.

Why do the sea lions need an enclosure?

I wish it were cold here. I hate hot weather. I just do. I prefer the colder time of year.

How is the grading going?

meggie said...

Eek! Always a reminder there are predators everywhere.
I, too love the ocean. Though,the last time I went swimming, it dashed me down, twisted my ankle & grazed my knees!
As though snarling, "Dont take me for granted."

fifi said...

Jelly:
Sharks do frighten, but yes, the swimming always outweighs the fright. I am more afraid of my bodily reaction than the shark itself.
Little: It is very nice here, yes. But I'm sure so is Texas.
Arc: It is sctually a container for swimming humans, theye are at every beach up the coast, a rock pool at least 50 meteres long, filled by the tide with a sandy bottom. the only sea lion in this pool is me, cos I look like one. Quite often creatures get washed in and trapped, and you end up doing laps and watching them at the same time. Mainlky big schools of fish but also sea-dragons, stingrays, shovel nose sharks, wobbegongs, and the odd larger shark which I am convinced are put there by fisherman who accidentally catch thwn and hide in their cars to watch when a swimmer finds themselves tootling along next to it.


I have graded all the essays, and now have to judge all the practical work and the exhibitions.


Meggie, sorry to hear about your grazes, the sea can be spiteful sometimes.

Princess Banter said...

Oh my word... I don't think I could pretend that well!