At the Ocean

I was at the Terreanea resort again today. Because of a call time change I had over an hour to kill. So I went to the cliff overlookingth ocean and watched. I'm not a beach guy or much of an ocean guy though I love the water. Pools, rivers, and small lakes are cool. Overall, it's too cold for me here. But I watched the wildlife and saw things I never seen before.

There were brown pelicans skimming over the surface of the calm ocean less than a foot off the water. They were in a row or a V if there were a bunch of them. I wondered how they chose which one was leading. Then I would see the lead one plunge into the water for a fish. The second bird was now the lead. They all drafted off one another as they glided barely flapping their wings. It was cool to watch. I marvel that their tiny brains innately know the physics of flight, how to keep aloft; which dip of a tail feather turns you which way, and how not crash into things...

I also noticed something in the water, way out in the ocean. Is it a beam? A log? A sheet of plywood? It was a rigid black spot bobbing out there that didnt' get smaller. I watched it get closer, but couldn't tell much from the profile, not even size. Then a couple boats passed by. They were 30-40' long, and closer to me than the thing. So whatever it was must have been pretty damn big. I would have liked to see it wash up onto the beach, but I had to go to work. 2 hours later, after work, i went looking for it. The black shape was gone. Part of a pirate ship? A cargo container that fell off a ship? hm... The mysteries of the sea...