Sea Turtle Rescue

 

 

 

 

 

Roopa and Varsha wanted to see a sea turtle, well we all got to see a sea turtle and more. Not long after leaving the marina one of the ladies spotted a sea turtle. I looked over to see the turtle and noticed its left flipper caught in a net. Then the turtle dove and we lost sight of it. We circled the boat around and looked for a long time before finally spotting the turtle again. I didn't want to get too close with the boat.  I had Roopa drive into the wind and I set the bow anchor.  She put the boat in neutral and I slid over the side of the boat with my knife. I swim towards the turtle which seemed to take forever. When I got close everything seemed to go fast.  Something bumped my leg and the turtle dove.  Then I dove to get the turtle and started feeling for the back of the shell. My hand caught the net it was trapped in. I pulled the net up and realized it was a landing net for fishing. This turtle was swimming around with this landing net with a 6 foot handle. I used my knife to cut the net and the turtle swam quickly away from me.  I swam back to the boat where Roopa and Varsha helped get the net on the boat. It was quite the experience for all of us. Roopa did a great job driving and Varsha took pictures of the whole thing with her camera. They were both very calm and did a great job. We all got to see a sea turtle and will not forget this experience any time soon.

 

Omaha Shellers

Deb and her family have been shelling on the islands for over 25 years. Her kids Kevin and Megan have grown up shelling and I enjoyed hearing their shelling stories.  Deb shared her shelling tips and what she does with the shells as we walked the beach. Kevin and his girlfriend covered a lot of ground and had some great finds. We had a great day of shelling. Deb's words when she got off the boat were, "now this is what shelling should be like". It was a fun trip with experienced shellers from the great state of Nebraska.

Birthday On The Beach With The Miller Family

The Miller family have traveled with me to the out islands for a number of years. Three weeks ago Corey the father called and said, "All my daughter wants for her eighth birthday is to go out with Captain Brian". I thought it would be a great idea to get a cake and surprise her and the rest of the family. While the family was out snorkeling and swimming I brought the cooler with the cake in it and all of the provisions for an island birthday party. It turned out great! The weather and water was perfect. Great treasures were found on the beach and in the water. Graham found a large anchor (that is currently in the back of my truck) and Chloe found a shiva shell that was very large. I always enjoy the time on the water with the Miller family. Happy Birthday Quincy!

Summer Is Here!

 

 

 

~ Happy 1st Day of Summer ~

 

Captain Brian





Natural Pink Pearls

Rachel is a creative explorer of unique natural treasures of the sea. We share a common bond, "the rare pink pearl". I have learned a vast amount of knowledge about the mini shell world from Rachel. On a boat trip our conversation led to remote places, rare seashells and the pink pearl. She has not only acquired pink pearls but has made beautiful pieces of jewelry showing the special characteristics of this natural ocean gem. Here is a link to her site Natural Pink Pearls. If you would like to purchase her custom pink pearl jewelry, she's offering a 15% discount if you use the code Brian15. Thanks to Rachel I am the happy owner of two of these gems of the sea.

Photography and Shelling with Ron and Carol

Ron is an avid photographer and Carol enjoys shelling. We started our trip by exploring the flats. Carol found many sunray venus shells. Next we went to a spot where we took photos of osprey, red-bellied woodpeckers and frigate birds. The next location the surf had picked up in the Gulf which made anchoring a real task so we traveled to the sound side, anchored and explored for shells. On the return trip the sky was absolutely stunning through the lens. Thank you Ron and Carol.