Mud Flats and Tidal Pool

Posted by Russ Devan (New Hanover, United States) on 14 February 2008 in Landscape & Rural and Portfolio.

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina

I shot this while on a solitary walk on the beach last summer. Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is on the very northern tip of Hatteras Island and extends southward about 15-20 miles to the town of Rodanthe. The kids and I had investigated this beach earlier in the week. They saw the sign for the wildlife refuge and got excited and wanted to stop, expecting to see a lot of wildlife. My kids are the biggest bunch of animal lovers I've ever seen (which explains the dog, the cat, two gerbils, one rabbit, numerous saltwater fish and coral, and three parakeets that we have). They were pretty disappointed when they didn't see much during the afternoon that we visited. However, seeing that this beach was highly photo-rich, I decided to return just before sunset when the light was much better. Unfortunately, no one wanted to come along the second time. So, I literally had the beach to myself during this shoot. Not another soul in sight after the sun went down. There is nothing quite like walking alone on a completely deserted beach at dusk. It is absolutely beautiful and peaceful. No boardwalks, no crowds, no shops, no nothing. Simply sand, water, waves, wind....and light.

I shot this image toward the end of my walk when I found an isolated tidal pool and some mud flats a few yards from the water. Because it was nearly dark, the exposure was several seconds long. The blue tone of the tidal pool is due to the reflection of the sky above it.

Afterwards, I walked slowly back to the car in the dark, watching the ghost crabs scurrying over the sand in front of my flashlight, guided by Bodie Island Lighthouse in the distance.

Thanks for stopping by.

“If you make listening and observation your occupation you will gain much more than you can by talk.” - Sir Robert Baden-Powell, Founder of Boy Scouts

All images and text are copyrighted by Russell D. Devan. All rights reserved. The download, duplication, printing or copying of these images in any manner without the expressed written authorization of the photographer is strictly prohibited. Please contact me if you would like to use this image in any way. Please visit my portfolio at http://www.pbase.com/rddevan.

VFXY Photos | Listed on Photoblogs.org