Friday, January 1, 2016

First Beach Walk of 2016 and the Counting of the Year Jar

2016 started cloudy and about 45 F here in Slower Maryland, with 5-10 kt NW breeze. Not bad for January. We bundled for our colds, and took Skye II to the beach after lunch, around 2 PM.
Georgia found the first shark's tooth of the year, this "back of the jaw" Snaggletooth.
I quickly responded with mine, this slightly worse for wear small Snaggletooth upper. Not a really good day for teeth, we only found 9 (and I take credit for 7), and none really remarkable.
People sometimes ask why we never run out of sharks teeth. This picture show why; the cliffs are constantly sliding and eroding, and dumping more teeth into the surf.
Skye gets some personal attention. There were several other groups out on the beach, and she got her fair share and then some of pets.
Just bobbing around waiting for something to happen.
 The Counting of the Year Jar - 2015

Overall, one of our worst years in quite a while, mostly because we were busy doing other things, but it also seems less teeth in the surf. Either that or my eyes are getting worse. . .

Anyway, according to the monthly (and sometimes combined monthly) counts we go 1084 shark's teeth, including the "Top Shelf" teeth shown in front of the jar, plus 31 Black Drum's teeth (the round bits).
A little closer look at the Top Shelf specimens. A row of more or less complete Eagle Ray plates on the left, next a row of Cow Shark teeth, with a broken Crocodile tooth at the top. To the right on top the years best specimens of various sharks, including Makos, and Snaggletooths. The "sticks" at the top are fragments of Sting Ray barbs, and I've already mentioned the Black Drums' teeth.

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