Tuesday 3 June 2014

Unseaworthy

In last week's ABC Wednesday I showed a pool on the Cumbrian coast teeming with tadpole life so this week I would like to take you from that pool at Haverigg out on to the sands and the flotsam and jetsam that finds itself there.  This is the Duddon Estuary which opens out into the Irish Sea.
There is a great tidal range and the tide can go out up to two miles uncovering a vast stretch of sand.  In 2011 one of the channels moved and uncovered a wreck that had been there for over a hundred years and now can be seen at very low tide.  I'd just walked out, curious to see what the solid block on the horizon was, but as it was not an extremely low tide so this is as far as I could get.  Lets zoom in
This was the 'Ariel' built in 1887 which sprang a leak and foundered here in 1904 on Duddon Bar, drifted and eventually settled on this spot half a mile away and is now unseaworthy but still hangs on to its ship shape, despite being covered by sea life over that century underwater .  Known locally as McNally's Wreck it shows how oral history can capture the essence but not always the truth as the captain at the time of its sinking was called McNish.  Steve of the Cumbrian Sea Sports Association has a fascination with the wreck and has pictures at a very low tide which shows more of the 'Ariel' and more history he has uncovered here    
Duddon Estuary and Black Combe
Well time to turn back and head towards land before the tide comes in.
Passing by this lone jellyfish left behind from the last tide whose gelatinous form is 98% water and of course famously the painful sting of jellyfish can be treated by urine, I think on balance I might prefer the other alternative of vinegar.

An entry to ABC Wednesday, a journey through the alphabet, this week drifting by U here

10 comments:

ellen b. said...

Those jelly fish stings are horrible and when you don't have vinegar close by the other alternative is the best option...ugh!
Ugh...there's another U word!

Leslie: said...

Great photos! Thx for sharing,

Leslie
abcw team

Roger Owen Green said...

Yes, jellyfish are terrible.

ROG, ABCW

Trubes said...

I once stood on a jelly fish, it was so painful and my foot swelled to the size of a football, that I was dashed to hospital in a St Johns Ambulance, which was in attendance at Morecombe Bay This was so exciting as I was only six at the time.
Something was rubbed on it , I do hope it was vinegar!
The A&E people gave me an injection of something or other and it soon started to go down... so back to the beach.
That's interesting about the ,wreck, I didn't know it existed.

Best wishes,
Di.x

Snapperoni :: Photography said...

That looks amazing. :D Always curious to see what sits at the bottom. The jellyfish looks ridiculously huge in the photo!! Luckily I have never encountered one.

Snapperoni :: Photography said...

Btw I did click the link to see more of the wreck. Can't believe the form is still there when it's been over a century. Detailed photos were actually quite nice.

Ni de Aqui, Ni de Alla said...

Great pictures!

photowannabe said...

I will never forget being stung by a jellyfish when we were in the Carribian. It really hurts.
Great photo of the shipwreck.

Gerald (SK14) said...

a lot of interesting stuff out there so long as you watch out for the tide and get back safely

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

my daughter found a similar jelly fish with rainbow colours.