As we strolled down the dune we saw it bobbing in the waves. After the rain the river came down and now it lay there bobbing up in down in the shallows where the river mouth and sea meets - as if waiting for the opportunity to come ashore.
Christopher ran down to investigate, past the lagoon, where we saw new schools of fish in a variety of sizes that had washed in after the mouth opened.
Christopher ran down to investigate, past the lagoon, where we saw new schools of fish in a variety of sizes that had washed in after the mouth opened.
Too late I saw his hand lift the Porpita out of the water as the intense blue colour drew him in. I picked up an oyster shell and asked him to put it in there before mentioning to him that the Porpita tentacles might sting. Fortunately, the sting didn't seem to penetrate the hardy skin of our hands but when I absent-mindedly brushed the hair out of my face with my hand, I felt the familiar burn across my cheek, though not as intense as a blue bottle sting.
They really are magical as they float in the water and tempt you to reach out and touch. I didn't know the correct name for it at the time so it had to go home for research as Chris thought it might be tiny jellyfish.
They really are magical as they float in the water and tempt you to reach out and touch. I didn't know the correct name for it at the time so it had to go home for research as Chris thought it might be tiny jellyfish.
Finally, we reached the sea monster floating in the waves - a gigantic tree trunk that had, judging by the amount of goose barnacles on it, been floating in the ocean for some time. What more does a boy need, a warm sunny day, inviting sea temperature AND a vivid imagination ... within seconds his clothes were stripped and he mounted the monster and rode the waves.