sea life

The Oystercatchers of Gwaii Haanas
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The Oystercatchers of Gwaii Haanas

Hail Brave Hearts

The great wild is calling,  An adventures awaits.  Dutifully we don our apparel for yet another great holiday in Canada.  It’s summertime, and the sun shines gloriously on long days of warmth and outdoor activity. Canoes and kayaks entice us into the waters of lakes and rivers.  The iconic Canadian transportation system, lures us into the paths of our history.  Build your canoes, build your kayaks, follow in the steps of legendary people who navigated the waters this way.

The great wild calls us to develop the skills of history makers who charted the seas, mapped the coastlines and stamped the approval of the ownership of this land.  This is ours.

The great lands of the Haida, tucked away in the northern islands, north of Vancouver Island.  Isolated and rare, a gem of discovery.  This land is our land, protected by a great nation of peoples, the Haida people of Haida Gwaii and the Gwaii Haanas National Park.  It belongs to them and their stories fill the islands.

We arrive by plane, for the trip of a lifetime, into the land of the Haidas.  Remote and alive, the area fills with eagles.  The ocean is calm and the days are warm.  We’ve packed for a week long kayak adventure into Gwaii Haanas.  This area is a paradise of wilderness ocean adventure.

Seagulls meet us, reminding us that God is here.  In the call of the birds, we clearly hear Gods name.  Seals bask on the rocks and a river otter swims past.  An Oyster Catcher stops us.  His antics catch our attention as he jumps around on the rock in a aa unusual dance.  His five chicks huddle close together in the nest and his mate slumber close by.  He is a father and proudly shows off the nest.  A thirteen year old bird, whose making a noise that sounds like Barack.  We name him Barack then, pleased that he’s shown us his fine family

Black Oystercatcher Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Our luck with the weather holds for this trip.  There are seven of us on this  July excursion, with a guided kayaking and camping company.  The Pacific is mainly calm and peaceful towards us as humpback whales surface and feed in our sights.  One comes close to us.  It’s a pleasure.  The wildlife sightings are superb, with black bear, dolphins, orcas and sea lion to add to our list.  The bird life is unusual to us as well.  Ancient Murrelet,  seagulls, falcons, puffins, rhinoceros beaked birds and red footed pigeon guillemot to add to  our list.  It’s a list of some rare bird and animals  in an area filled with ocean life.

Then, there’s, the people.  We visit the Haida of the ancient totem poles.  to see for ourselves the carvings of great masters and to hear their stories.  A far flung people, out in islands in a remote Pacific location.  An area of impressive beauty molding a nation of seafaring people, who live from the sea.  The builders of ocean going canoes paddling the great seas.  A people of unique culture, surviving in an area of wildlife wealth.  The ocean provides.

This was a dream holiday in our great land.  So much to be proud of, so much to enjoy.  The land and the people, the ocean and the wildlife.  A place of unusual prosperity.

parks.canada.ca › pn-np › bcGwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine …

The sun shines brightly on Haida Gwaii and the warm summer breeze encourages outdoor adventure.  This was a wonderful, unique  holiday in Canada’s superb wilderness backyard.  We congratulate ourselves for this choice of adventure.    We’ll be back

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

August 27, 2023

My Master
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My Master

Hail Brave Hearts

 

The world is changing, washing itself away.  The oceans are rising, eating into the shoreline, seeping into the forest and meadows, changing the land.  The water table is rising, salt water is creeping into the soil, changing the habitat.  Some ecosystems are failing, forested areas now becoming ghosts of the land. The ecological integrity of these areas is in such peril that the trees succumb to salt water infiltration and die.  The Earth is the master, retaking it’s land.

The global warming, with ice sheets breaking off from Arctic ice flows, crashing powerfully into the oceans.  The water table has risen significantly in the past several decades.  New species of sharks have been discovered.  The  oceans are changing and providing for more water for more ocean life.  Seeping itself inland, the salt water is claiming it’s territory.  Once thriving forested areas, home to many land dwelling creatures, succumb to the tide of destructive salt that washes it’s way into the soil and ruins the land for the native species that dwell there.  The new legacy of our world is water.

Water, the life source of our planet.  Without this we all will surely die.  Now, this very life source is lurking too close and consuming areas that were inhabited by beautiful land dwelling creatures.  The rising water table is salt water, which is good for the ocean dwellers, but no so for us.  But how do we stop the tides?  In so many ways, water is better than sand.  In every way.  Water is a life sustaining force that protects the natural elements that depend upon it.  Water is essential.

The tides of the oceans swell and claim more coastal land.  The lakes and rivers rise and claim more shoreline for themselves.  Island nations are vanishing to the rising sea levels.  It’s a disaster to those who live in these lands.  So much is changing and so rapidly.  Environmental studies are showing an increasing loss of land, in a world where there has always been so much ocean to cross.  All of the experts, striving to control the loss of land, in a world without end.

https://apnews.com/article/7a8b498f60034a8eb960900e08f7b4b8  Ghost Forest along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States.

More conversations in regards to the receding glaciers, indicate  other theories for the fast vanishing ice.  Exhaust.  Vehicle traffic too close to the glaciers might be causing them to retreat.  Some glaciers in more remote areas are still intact, without noticeable change in their size or density.  Increasing numbers of boats in the Arctic regions, warming the oceans through exhaust.  There was a report last year, that with fewer boats travelling these waters due to the pandemic, there wasn’t any calving off of ice  and the northern ice shelves remained intact. The icebergs in some areas remained intact as well.  The water is these locations stayed cold.

Rising water temperatures is dangerous to many forms of sea life.  Sensitive creatures such as coral need  consistent water temperatures to survive.  With the loss of corals comes the loss of sea life which depends up on it.  Rising water temperatures in lakes is dangerous to cold loving animals and plants.  Heat from industry and travel, warming the water, spoiling the pristine in nature, supporting some life forms and killing off others.  The Earth is the master.  What mankind can’t resolve for itself, the Earth will decide.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

November 22, 2020

Something New
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Something New

Hail Braveheats!

Fabulous and new, I reach out to you.  Look outside and see.  A breath of wonder awaits all of you, as the world turns into it’s new reality.  A fresh, new form of creation is there, a surprising change of life.  A mutation of some sort, but still, a whole new entity is formed.

Praises again to the almighty planet, a world of energy and change.  When you know it all, think again, a life form springs into your world.  Interesting and challenging, the world spins something new.  A delightful curiosity for the brave at heart, to test the strength of that fine aptitude.  Explore and adventure, question and pursue, what in the world is the Earth up to?   Too much of something, that needs to be reduced, a predator of excess set on the loose.

It’s marvelous how we can know it all, then up springs something,  to teach us to learn again.

It’s strange and marvelous at the same time.  Wonder and curiosity springs to mind.  Delve into the unknown, look and see, the world is still changing and amazing to me.  A life form, so unusual, protect it, keep it safe.  How does it harm you, in it’s own special place?  The adventure of living on a planet so great.  The thrill of discovery tempts us to our fate.  Lovely to look at, interesting and rare.  Creatures so unusual, they delights us, entice us, tempt us and amuse us.  How do they do that?  Why is it like that? Where does it come from?  How does it survive?  Questions needing answers, evolutionary interest.  So many differences, so many species!  It’s astounding the number of life forms.

A new something emerges, that we’ve never seen before.  Something unusual waiting to be explored.  Surfaces and landmasses, oceans and lakes, the curious will uncover what the earth makes.  Fill up the land, fill up the sky, fill up the waters, with living and creation.   The earth has it’s mission and creation it is.  Fun, funny, wonderful things, that capture our attention.

Saving a species, an ecosystem, a world, becomes the mantra of a human aptitude.  Environmentalist, biologist, botanist, and the like, all gravitate to earth sciences, to fill their delight.  Bugs and pond study, amphibians and birds, all in one small space, in a jam packed world.  The wonder of inter connecting, of small pond dwelling, the masses of species sharing a tiny space. Predator and prey, living together.

Come out of your houses, enjoy the view.  It’s an awe inspiring world that’s been created for you.  Come see the wonder of the great planet Earth.  A gem in the galaxy waiting to be discovered.  Feast your lives on the palette of something so rare.  Color and spectacles, blooms and fresh air.

Dust and star dust, life and creation.  A world like no other.  This great planet Earth, with it’s life and creation, is as unusual in the universe as it’s  inhabitants are on this planet.  Care and be cared for, we are all at stake here.  We have to save all of us, in this painfully small, speck of celestially dust called Earth.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

March 26, 2017

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The Mariana Trench

Hail Almighty Planet

The Earth sings to us from it’s ocean depths.  Songs of creation, of discovery, of challenge, of adventure, of conquest, of unimaginable, tantalizing delights.  The unknown, the unexplored, the difficult.  A challenge only for the most qualified, most skilled,  most ingenious and the brave.

Here is a delight, to capture the imagination of the mind of man.  A chance for a record, for a first, for a brilliant endevour.  Here, in the darkest depths of the ocean lies the undiscovered secrets of the Mariana Trench.

http://www.deepseachallenge.com/the-expedition/mariana-trench/

Oh fabulous planet, so exciting and unusual.  The exploration of the surface is still unfolding.  Thousands of years of human history and still, the planet offers more.  Again the great Earth inspires us to explore, again the great Earth temps us and tantalizes us.  Come, great human, into the depths of the dark waters.  Come great human, come to the ocean and explore.

This is a world for the curious.  Choose your adventure and pursue it. So much to see in the world around us, so much to do on the surface.  We stretch our bodies and thrill our minds.  We focus on adventure and pursue the great mysteries.  We strive to discover the secrets of the planet.  Oh, mysterious world, full of caves and space, mountains, and forest, oceans deep and endless sky.  The thrill of this lifetime is a world within our reach.  Yet still, the great planet surprises us.  Lifeforms in unusual places, defying the odds of possibility.  Cold and dark, deep and difficult, yet the light shines on something and it takes our breath away.

Something new for us, when we think we know it all.  Something still out there, still unexplored, still calling our name.

Mariana Trench | The Deepest & Most Unexplored Place On The Planet

The brilliant great planet, shows us another mystery.  We’ve conquered the seas, boats are part of our lives, we know the surface of the oceans, and much of what is inside.  Here, in the Pacific Ocean, is a new mystery.  A great crack in the ocean floor, deeper than the highest mountain.  It’s cold, dark depths await the mighty adventurer.  Oceanographers smile, with eager curiosity.  Space travel and Polar explorations are accomplished.  We go further into space, colder in the harshness of the polar icecaps,   higher to the tops of the worlds mountains, but what lies beneath the surface of the Earth is still a curious and an unexplored place.

Down beneath the surface of the Earth, down into the depths of the ocean floor.  Still, great human, a chance for discovery.  A skill testing area to ignite that flame of curiosity.  Still, oh great ones, the Earth presents itself with uniqueness and unusual areas.  New lifeforms, new beginnings, new creatures, new worlds.

The Earth, that awesome spinning globe, that speck of dust in a universe so vast.  To be here, in this life sustaining place, where mystery upon mystery upon mystery unfolds.  Oh lucky human, to be alive is such a wonderful world.  The great planet sustains us and keeps us, so very well.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

October 28, 2016

 

Happy BioDiversity
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Happy BioDiversity

Hail, you almighty ones

Welcome to this day.  The world sings in praises of a great marine mammal.  Hail, to you, for the acknowledgement.

Wonderful world for the brilliance of diversity, of bio diversity, of the protection of ecologically sensitive species and areas.  Wonderful world for its rare and special places, for species adapted to unusual survival, to survival skills of unique and unusual specifications.  To the awesome great planet for its creativity and power.

Lucky you, you awesome human, to inherit such a wonderful world.

Your duty surrounds you, nurture and care.  Be it the small, tiny grain of wheat, that nourishes you, the flour of sustenance, the bread of sustainability.  Your crops from fertile soil, your harvest,  your life support, your energy.

Relax into the cool, tranquil waters that sooth  your body and your mind.  Relax into the sweet sunshine, where daydreams emerge and freedom promises it’s escape.  Relax into the heavenly sounds and aromas of the great planet, fill your ears, your eyes and your minds with wonder.  Awesome planet, it’s ours for the saving.

There are many blessed days, many blessed times and moments.  The wonder of creation captures us and holds us spellbound in it’s splendor.  The unusual, the rare, that special exclusive place, worry free and divine.

Rest your weary souls, your weary minds, your hearts and your bodies, in this captivating world of the great divine.  Listen to the heartbeat of the planet as it beats its rhythm of joy to you.  Joy of living, joy of purpose, joy of creativity and knowledge.  Hear us, calls the mighty planet, as it sings it’s songs of joy to you.  Almighty human, tread with care, these are my offspring too.

https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-whale-day/  Happy Whale Day

The mightiness of adoration, as the world turns and challenges us.  Another species, rare and fine, protect us.  Find joy and comfort, peace and harmony, share the goodwill.  Your mind and spirit relax in the oasis of comfort.  A lounge chair by the water.

Water and lakes, pools and oceans, sleep and relax in your dreamy time.

Tiny crustaceans come out to play.  Shells sparkle in the sunshine, the winter’s cold rushes away and the sun warms you and keeps you well.

It’s a national day.  A day for reflection and action, a day to notice and to fight.  This great planet belongs to us, not to plunder, but to enjoy, not to pillage, but to sing about.

Fabulous earth sounds echo in our ears.  Winds of winter with warm escapes.  Oceans of wonder with species galore.  Hail to the almighty planet, wherever in the world you come from.

The richness of biodiversity greets us at our doorsteps.  Creatures of magnitude, great and small, all playing their necessary part in the ever evolving world of change.  Speak to us, oh great masters of the universe, speak to us, as the Earth creates again.  The evolution of millenia.  The tides roll in, the snow falls, change and change again.

Reach out your hand and touch it.  Don’t let it pass you by.  Hold onto that dream, of relief from the storm, of days of paradise, where the world is peaceful.  Hold on to those species as unique and special as those places are.  The great divine, the fabulous world , the magical planet, for you, for me and for eternity.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

February 13, 2016

 

Still for the Curious
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Still for the Curious

Hail Bravehearts

To the adventure of your lives.
The discovery of the world is an all consuming past time, full of wonder and daring. Awesome planet, to fill our world with beauty and adventure. The discovery of the variety and diversity of the planet is a constant life long pursuit. The great Earth, steeped in mystery and shrouded in a millenium of dust. Dust, hiding the treasures of the Earth, of the history of species, covering the past and hiding our roots.
Dig deep, for there is life under that dust. There is life in the air, in the water and in the great seas. Behold the wonders of the sea, for here is a food source that millions thrive upon, nations enjoy and the abundance of the sea is a world of adventure of it’s own.
Deep into the dark recesses of the earth, down into the mysterious ocean depths. Into sea channels and caverns to marvel at the fabulous array of sea life, the brilliant colours and the gardens of coral. The sea, filled with so much life and so much beauty. It captures us, it holds our interest, ever curious, always calling, the ever changing, tantalizing sea.

http://marinebio.org/oceans/creatures/ creatures of the sea.

The beach is a world of it’s own. The waves crash upon the shore, leaving behind the seas life, caught in its path. The tides cast their treasure onto the sand. Shells, coral, pretty stones and seaweed. The crashing waves, pulverizing the rocks, the shells, the corals, creating sand, pinks, yellows, beige. The soft, warm sand, massaging your toes. Warm sand to lies upon, to play in, to warm your body and to rest.
Don your wet suites, snorkel, mask and fins and tumble into the deep ocean blue. To the ocean floor where the brilliant life survives and thrives in the cool waters. Fish and coral, unusual creatures, shells and mollusks and seaweed. Life thrives in these depths and again, the earth offers a world of discovery to explore. The age old question, what lies beyond?
For ancient man has lived upon the sea, sought the sea for a food source and challenged himself to explore it. Still we search the oceans for life and living, for the numerous species that the oceans hold. Still the seas captures us, holds us and nourishes us.
Come, calls the sea, live and thrive by the great oceans and play in the water. Come, oh bravehearts and explore.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
November 12, 2014