Gulf Coast Update–Day 1

Gulf Coast Update–Day 1

It has been six weeks since I last visited the Gulf Coast. I have been documenting sensitive shore areas since May related to the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Disaster. Today I visited two of the seven Gulf beaches I have been collecting images and video on over the summer. One beach was polluted and the other appeared much cleaner.

First, I visited Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge. It was hit with a lot of oil and much of it sank just offshore. Monster dump trucks hauled tons of contaminated sand away and four track hoes dug into the tideline in an attempt to remove the oil that sank. Six weeks ago hundreds of blue crabs were gathered in the surf zone…behavior I’ve never seen before. Today, there were dead blue crabs in various states of decay washed up all over the beach.

There was a strong smell of crude oil on the beach and oily mousse was in the water. Sanderlings and other small birds were foraging for food in the oily mousse. There were not many birds on the shore there but some of the ones that were present exhibited strange behavior. Sanderlings allowed me to get very close to them (unusual) and many were laying down (unusual).

I cracked one of the dead crabs open and the inside was black. I’m making a guess here but I’m pretty sure it was oil. Last time I was at the Gulf I took underwater video of blue crabs. They were lethargic and not feisty like they usually are when approached. I saw none alive in the water today but many, many dead. The little shorebirds were eating the crabs, oil and all. I was saddened to think of how these toxins are spreading up the food chain. People ask me if I eat the seafood here…not any more. All you have to do is observe and do a little investigating to see that it’s just not a good idea to eat the wildlife coming out of the Gulf right now. It’s common sense.

My eyes were burning, my throat got raw, and I could taste the crude oil smell in the air blowing off of the Gulf. The waves were mixing in the oily mousse and I suppose some of the product was becoming air borne, although representatives from BP said that wasn’t possible. I could sure taste it today. As I stood there I thought how tired I was of smelling that nasty smell…then realized the birds and fish and other wildlife had been smelling or living in the toxic soup since May. I stopped my internal whining immediately.

My second stop was Gulf State Park Fishing Pier beach. A happy surprise was there was no crude oil smell, no oily mousse in the water and there were many birds along the shore. They even let me sit among them and take photographs and video. So they, too, allowed me to approach closer than usual. The air smelled only of salt and I breathed it in ravenously. I could taste only salt on my tongue at this beach. How wonderful.

This image is from the beach at the state park pier today. The next image is from the pier in July.

I was grateful that one area appears cleaner and healthier, although appearances can be deceiving. I saw no coquina shells in the surf zone or any kind of live shellfish along the shores today. This is an important food for many creatures so the outcome for wildlife is yet to be determined. Stay tuned for more.

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