Port Aransas Critters

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This is my electronic diary of what I find or see when walking the beaches at Port Aransas. I try to identify everything so I’m learning something along the way. I will add new things as I find them.

Moon jellyfish washed up on the sand was about 14" across
Moon jellyfish
man-of-war-closeup
I was surprised to find out these are the very venomous Portaguese Man-of-Wars. Their trailing tenacles can be up to 30 feet long.

man-of-war-all

man-of-war-sm

Lizard on hood of car at community center that was showing some red hues
Lizard on hood of car at community center that was showing some red hues
Lizard at birding center in front of a fire bush
Lizard at birding center in front of a fire bush
I can't believe how hard it is to get a picture of a dolphin. They don't stick around long.
I can’t believe how hard it is to get a picture of a dolphin. They don’t stick around long.
Almost got it
Almost got it
Finally!
Finally!
Turtles aren't easy to photograph either. Green turtles eating algae off jetty.
Turtles aren’t easy to photograph either. Green turtles eating algae off jetty.

green-turtle-park

3 LARGE alligators at the birding center
3 LARGE alligators at the birding center

aligator

aligator3

A dead green turtle washed in while I was near the jetties. I asked a lady who had her phone to call ARK so they could come get it. They are involved in the Sea Turtle Stranding Network and would do a necropsy on it.

turtle-dead

jmow
Another Portuguese man of war

Another jelly, but I haven't identified this one yet

Another jelly, but I haven’t identified this one yet

ray
This was caught by a young man as I was walking by. I believe it’s a common skate.

Sometimes I am embarrassingly slow to think of other options — it finally dawned on me that if still photos of critters are hard to get, then video might be the answer.

This video is only 14 seconds on a cloudy day, but it’s a really cool 14 seconds. Go full screen and watch the bow (front) of the ship.

More dolphins, but this time they were feeding at the sea wall.