In the heart of the Ace Basin, where the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto Rivers empty into the ocean is where you will find the St. Helena Sound. This is classic low country shoreline, where migrating shore birds gather on fragile sandbars, and where the shrimp trawlers ply the waters, attended by expectant gulls, pelicans, and dolphin. These images were taken yesterday morning as we set off from a Harbor River landing before dawn.
Last Saturday morning has got to have been one of 2021’s photographic highlights. We had scheduled an early morning trip out on the water off Wadmalaw Island to photograph shore birds and shrimp trawler activity. This was nothing new, but rarely do conditions come together to offer the best weather, light winds, gentle tides, and great subject activity, the subjects being the birds and shrimp trawlers. It was hard to pick a few images to showcase here, because we came back with hundreds of keepers. The thrill of a successful morning more than makes up for the many early rises and time spent drifting on the water in less than perfect conditions, having spent hard earned cash for pitiful results. This is the challenge of photography. The outcome is never a given, but this was a treat. Thanks to photographer, naturalist, and boat captain extraordinaire Eric Horan. You can find information about his lowcountry tours here: https://horanphoto.com/lowcountry-photo-tours-adventures
There is so much to do and see in and around Cape Town that it is hard to narrow your choices. I chose to spend yesterday following the coast of False Bay and stopping off at the various beaches and fishing villages along the way. Long before GPS was invented, the sailors of old returning from long sea voyages to the east confused this picturesque bay with the more famous Table Bay a bit further along the coast, thus giving False Bay its name.
False Bay is an huge C-shaped curve in the coastline to the southeast of Table Mountain. At its widest point it is a staggering 20 miles across the bay! The bay is littered with small villages and numerous long sandy beaches, some of which have managed to escape any form of urban development. One of my favorite spots and a place I have visited numerous times over the years is the fishing village of Kalk Bay. As they have since the early 1900’s, the brightly colored boats ply the clear waters daily, bringing in fresh fish that is sold at the harbor upon their return. Seals await the scraps and compete with the seagulls for the choice portions.
The picturesque railway line that connects all the little towns along the coast is an important commuter link with the city of Cape Town.
Having spent much time exploring Beaufort, (pronounced Bewfort), South Carolina, I am currently discovering Beaufort (pronounced Bowfort), North Carolina. This quaint town has long been on my bucket list of places to visit and here I am for a few days. The waterfront area is quaint and reminiscent for me of the Georgetown, South Carolina waterfront. There are inlets and marinas aplenty, with boats possibly outnumbering cars in this area. Here are a few images from this afternoon’s preliminary excursion, and I am about to head out to find the Milky Way. It should be a lot more prominent here, since the skies are dark and don’t suffer from the same negative impact of light pollution that we experience in Charleston, SC.
