This post is for the #wednesdaywalk challenge and the #makemesmile challenge collaboration. This collaboration initially took place once a month, but due to its popularity, 
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In my last Wednesday Walk post for the month of August, I'll share some of the finer details that can be found on the beach in Amanzimtoti.
The theme for all my Wednesday Walk posts during the month of August was the main beach in Amanzimtoti... Well, just next to the main beach on the southern end.
If you want to have a peek at the other photos I shared from this walk, you can find them here:
Going on a Mini treasure Hunt.
I have said this how many times, and I will say it again... The ocean, even the beach, is never the same two days in a row.
But let's take this even further...
Walking along the shoreline you discover something special... You find that even each tide feels like a "reset button" in nature.
Sometimes the rocks are dry, then high-tide comes in and the rocks are soaked and the whole scenery changes.
Then, as the tide changes again, you start finding little tidal pools on the rocks that you haven't seen before.
As I went through some photos in my portfolio, I found some photos again of my niece when she came down to us for a visit. It was also on the same beach and even the exact same spot where I had the walk I've been sharing this month.
With her being passionate about nature and studying to become a vet, these photos of her made me think of someone looking for treasure...lol.
And that is exactly what it is when you start exploring on the rocks...it becomes like a treasure hunt.
Experimenting While Having Fun With the Finer Detail on the Beach.
While on this latest walk of mine, I took some photos of a seashell or two just for the fun of it.
I wasn't planning on sharing these photos, but going through my photos and the ones from previous walks, they sparked an idea.
Zooming in on the finer detail on the beach.
The World of Seashells
Normally, my wife is the one paying more attention to the shells on the beach.
But I decided to start playing around with shells in my photos.
So this is clearly still in the experimental phase. But let's see what happens.
Let's start with two photos I took during this walk of mine.
This broken shell caught my attention on the on the dark rocks. I was amazed by its rough, coral-like ridges. Questions started popping up in my mind... How long has it been out of the water? Was it carried in by big swell? Was there still a living creature inside when it ended up on the beach?
The next one, I picked up from the sand on the beach. You see many of these shells on the beach and many times you'd walk right past them if you don't pay attention.
But I decided to pick this one up and placed it on a rock to take a photo.
I ended up taking a few photos to see what I could come up with. I liked this one the most.
As you can see, I placed it over a hollow part of the rock with a little tad of wetness underneath it from a wave that recently covered the rock.
Life in the Tidal Pools
Let's move away from the sandy beach on the one side, and the vast ocean on the other.
And the minute you pay attention, a whole new world comes alive around you. Right there, in the middle. Between the beach and the ocean.
At low tide, these little tidal pools are formed. They become like miniature aquariums, filled with darting fish, tiny snails, crabs, and much more.
These photos were taken while my niece was visiting and we went for a walk at exactly the same spot as where I took the photos seen earlier in this post.
We spotted this (quite large) pool with crystal clear water. At first glance it didn't look like there was much going on in the crystal clear water...
On the one side of the pool, I found this little guy on the rocks, but at closer inspection it became clear that he was no longer with us... It was just like his shell lying there.
My nice needed no invitation to get into the water. That's when she made me think of someone looking for treasure...lol.
She was so focused and zoomed in, I think a bomb could have dropped next to her and she wouldn't even realize it...lol!
The next minute she called out to me. I went closer and saw how she ever so gently lifted this little crab from the water. She held it out to me for some photos and the little guy was well behaved like a real model, posing for the photos.
We then spotted a pitch-black fish, I would say about 5-to-6 cm long. He was darting around the pool, but every time, just as I got close enough for a photo, he would speed away into hiding under the rocks.
I also found a bigger crab. But he was hiding in the darkness between two rocks. I took some photos, but it was too dark and he was camouflaged so well that you can't see him in the photo if you don't know where to look and what to look for.
Reflecting on this Experience.
Thinking back about the seashells on the beach, the tidal pools always being filled with water by the huge ocean out there.
Some of what I have seen, was once living creatures while some were still alive and thriving. But on the one hand, standing there, made me feel small. I am only a tiny little spec in this creation of God. Yet, when I looked down and I saw this miniature creatures at my feet, I realised my responsibility...our responsibility to take care of this planet and life as it is found in nature. Yes, some were small, very small, others a little bigger. You saw the little crab on my niece's hand. The bigger one that was hiding away, I think would fit on the palm of my hand.
It reminded me of photos I have seen of sea turtles dying from plastic waste coming from humans. Birds getting strangled by plastic rings coming from bottles.
It reminded me how important it is to pause, look closer, and appreciate the quiet hidden world in plain sight and take note.
Let's all slow down and start noticing these details. I promise, you won't be disappointed!
Thank you for reading my post! I do appreciate it!
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