We hitched up Gypsy and from San Antonio we drove south to Corpus Christi.
We settled into the Padre Palms RV Park in Corpus for a week still under overcast skies.
It was still early when we had Gypsy set up and I was ready to go to the ocean. The small building in the photo is the entrance to Padre Island National Seashore.
Padre Island National Seashore is located on North Padre Island and consists of a long beach where nature is preserved.
North Padre Island is the longest undeveloped barrier island in the world.
The seashore is 70 miles long but only about 8 miles have an actual road. The remainder is accessible by driving on the shore and for most of it it is recommended for four wheel drive only.
The hard packed sand makes it much easier walking for Walt.
Padre Island is constantly changing. During storms, beaches are eroded, vegetation is ripped up, dunes are flattened, and channels are made by the water across the island.
The beach is white sand, firmly packed, and is less than 100 feet wide.
Beaches are considered Texas public highways but pedestrians have the right-of-way.
This is a very different ocean experience for me.
I found this interesting creature washed up on the sand. None of the rangers at the visitor center knew what it was so I went on a search of my own. Since there are numerous signs on the beach stating to beware of jellyfish and Portuguese man of war because of their toxic stings I was confident it was some kind of jellyfish. (Besides since it was see through what else could it be?) It is a Cannonball jellyfish. Although Cannonballs do not commonly sting humans, it still has toxins which can cause cardiac problems in animals and humans.
The Park has several Ranger led activities that you can take part in for free.
One afternoon we took the Beach Walk with Ranger Cathy. We learned a lot about the Island in a fun way.
The Gulf Beach is on one side of the island and grassy, marshy land is on the other bordering the Laguna Madre between the island and the mainland.
The Laguna Madre is one of only six lagoons in the world that is hypersaline (saltier than the ocean). We were told that it is the location for the 2nd best windsurfing spot in the U.S.
We also learned about the Kemp's ridley sea turtle. It is the most endangered sea turtle species in the world, which nests on the beach from late April through mid-July. The eggs are collected and incubated at the Park Headquarters and then in the summer the newly hatched Kemp’s ridleys are released into the wild. The public is invited to watch the little turtles scramble into the sea. Their numbers are increasing due to these efforts.
She told us about the different sea plants that wash ashore as well as about some of the sea creatures that also wash ashore. You can collect up to 5 pounds of shells a day but it is against the law to take anything that is still living. I found a starfish and checked all the signs to make sure it was not alive. All along I was wishing one of those little tentacles would wiggle.
Another day we piled into a big, old government van for a bird tour.
It was a gray day with light, drizzly rain. While that did not deter the birds it did prevent photo opportunities. (Besides the bird tracks see those little holes in the sand. Those are where there are ghost shrimp below the sand. Fishermen like them for bait and dig them out.)
Situated along the Central Flyway, Padre Island is a globally important area for over 380 migratory, overwintering, and resident bird species.
We did see several different kinds of birds but I think the highlight of the day was seeing dolphins playing in the surf.
I was upset at a story that the guide told us about brown pelicans. The Browns dive from heights as much as 60 feet above the surface when feeding, other species paddle along the surface scooping food as they go. They make quite a splash as they enter the water. The guide said that the constant impact of hitting the water damages the Brown Pelican's retinas and they eventually go blind unable to hunt for food and starve to death. This just did not seem right to me. So, again out I went to research. This is an unfounded myth postulated by ill-informed eco tour guides. Just like if it seems to good to be true it may not be true if it seems too bad to be true it may not be true as well.
Despite the misinformation we enjoyed the tour and really enjoyed the days we spent on Padre Island.