Dealing With The Ever-Changing Winter Tides
Greetings from the island everyone. I hope that all of you are doing well and having a great 2022 new year. I mean let’s be honest, at some point, hopefully soon, the tide has to turn and the flow of good fortune will be bestowed upon all of us, Gods willing. Just gotta have faith and perseverance.
Speaking of tides, the winter tides are in full swing now in the bays, which certainly affects the island. Several weeks ago we had probably one of the five lowest tides that I have seen out on the island. Many people question the significance of low tides living on an island, their mind-set being that an island is completely surrounded by water and is always there. This is very true, however the depth of that water varies considerably, especially living on a shallow water inlet/lagoon that connects to and accesses the bay. On an extremely low tide, the water recedes enough that leaving the lagoon through the narrow inlet that allows entry into the bay, is impossible as the depth goes from several feet deep to inches.
These drops in tide coincide with the hard blowing northers along the coast, and I have definitely found, that for some reason, the colder the norther, the lower the tide will drop. Now for the first few hours of those hard blowing north winds, the tide will actually rise, sometimes as much as 2-3 feet, before the southbound flow of water makes its way into the Gulf of Mexico by way of the Big Jetties and Pass Cavallo, and drains the bays. It’s amazing at what structures, sand bars and oyster reefs become visible on a really low tide. It’s during these times to take note of underwater obstructions and where the deeper channels are located.
I’ve been seeing a few ducks flying along the shoreline, but it seems like the numbers are much lower than they normally are at this time of year. Maybe they are just migrating late this year. I’m not a duck hunter; it seems those things fly the best when the weather is the nastiest, no thank you. But I certainly do appreciate it when some of the duck hunting islanders drop a few off at the house during the winter, love me some fresh fried duck breasts with mashed potatoes and gravy.
Well that’s it from the island for now. I want to say Thank You to all of those that I meet in town, mostly strangers that recognize Corky but not me, and your kind words about the monthly Dolphin Talk Island Life articles. January 10th marked 22 years total of me being on the island, and 16 of those years have been living here full time. I truly enjoy this lifestyle and have no intentions of leaving it. Everyone take care and have a great day.
