Walking the beach waiting for the wind and we are inspecting the ground. She who must be obeyed is digging up some sort of shellfish which are destined to be a fried tasty snack. I am looking for anything that might be a worthy photo subject. And I find this:
She who must be obeyed looks stern.
Is it alive?
I certainly hope so. No good to photograph if it is all dead and floppy.
Don’t kill it nah? You have to return it to the sea.
Just like you will with those things you have in your plastic bag.
That’s different.
OK, I’ll return to it the beach washed up and destined for death like I found it.
No you won’t. (Becoming flustered)
I know from bitter experience that there is no point arguing the point with my wife when it comes to these things. She comes over all vegan when it comes to not killing things; unless they are destined for her stomach in which case bring on the extermination.
So the thing (I have no idea what it is called), was put in a plastic cup with some sea water (“don’t use fresh water” was an unnecessary reminder) and transported home. Then I went down to the beach to gather more water and sand and set up a little aquarium for Albert (by this time he had reach pet status). Banged off a couple of shots of him (or her, Alberta), and then settled him/her down for the night. Today, I took him/her it all the way back to the club and then (with witnesses, because she who must be obeyed was at work and I didn’t want any doubts) I threw the spiny little bugger back into the shore break where it would doubtless get washed up onto the sand again and die. But that’s not my fault so my karma is clear.
Panasonic GX1 with Yashica 55mm macro and Voigtlander 25mm. Shot through water which is not good for image quality, especially Gulf of Thailand water.
Comments 🔗
2012-08-03| Spanky saysNice shots of your gender ambiguous whatever.
2012-08-03| Robin Parmar saysbeautiful. not a sea anemone?
2012-08-04| Spike saysCould be, except it has hard spines rather than flowing tentacles. I was also thinking sea urchin.
2012-08-04| Jean saysA white sea urchin (Salmacis Sp.) https://www.google.com/search?q=salmacis%20sp&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=th&tbm=isch
2012-08-04| Spike saysThanks!
2012-08-04| Jerry saysI do not know what they them things are but I know that the pictures are abhorringly clear. You done good, boy….
2012-08-04| Spike saysThank you Jerry, Albert did not die in vain then,
2012-08-04| Pete saysA very nice sea urchin too - they’re cute until you step on one of the little buggers!
I have several fossilised ones, taken from a wadi just outside Muscat before they bulldozed the lot to make a new hyperspace by-pass. 30-odd million years old; could be Albert’s distant family. Available for photo sessions if you want to give them a try.