Marine Moments

The beach today

It is easy to see the big picture and make sweeping decisions, take snap impressions, or make quick assessments on outlook. However, sometimes it is worth taking a second look. It is a cold windy morning in mid January as I take this photograph – it is easy to see the world as grey and unfriendly – as the wind sliced through my woolly hat and laughed at my attempt to ‘layer up’ to stay warm, it was easy to take a negative first impression as the outlook for the rest of the day, week, year, forever!

However as the tide withdrew from the beach some ‘little things’ were revealed to counteract the grey and cold, with warm and wonderous.

Did you know?

1. Seaweed is a water plant, which resembles land plants apart from the fact it is not connected to the earth.

This is why seaweed can dance! See how they have swirled and twirled in the waves, their dance scripted in the patterns of the sand. Even if they are not in a rockpool, they are still alive and growing.

2. Seaweeds, or marine algae, come in colours red, green and brown. What makes a seaweed its colour is dependent upon its location, pigmentation and the wavelength of available light for photosynthesis.

This is why we can see their beauty at our feet!

3. . Green seaweed is found in shallow pools or on the water’s surface, red, in deeper water, and brown at the surface of the water.

But there are so many more colours than green, red and brown – look at all the shades in between!

Reflective Moment

From a grey windswept cold beach to a canvas full of texture and colour! I am reminded to take life a little slower, make decisions with more reflection and wait…wait for the whole picture to reveal itself. The stormy day makes the seaweed dance. Colours glow under the gloomy sky and the intense texture – all skinny ‘tattery’ arms and fat blisters – creates a visual feast of wonder! Keep the picture of the glossy weeds in your minds eye as you go through your day, to remind you – to take it steady, and if others around you only see grey, perhaps do them a seaweed dance to cheer them up!

The voice of the sea

Before facing the rest of your day and energising others with dances, or yourself by remembering the colour behind the grey; take a moment to relax and sigh with the waves. Float as lightly as a feather as you drift back and forth on the restful rhythm of the sea.