Being in a kayak is not only a watersport, but a very personal experience. At the helm of a boat, the spartina grass passes by quickly, creating a green blur in the periphery of my eyesight. The oyster reefs go from sedentary havens peeking out of the water to mounds of pluff mud as the boat speeds by, guests eager to see Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. From the seat of my kayak, the spartina explodes with life, insects taking flight and periwinkles slowly making their way up the bright green reeds. The oyster reefs are a sprawling city of fiddler, blue and stone crabs, grass shrimp breaching the water’s surface, and Atlantic oysters as they spit water during the receding tide. From the seat of my kayak, the marsh comes to life.
As I paddle through the salt marsh estuaries of Beaufort, I am able to feel a close connection with everything surrounding me. It is a serene place to be, to shut my eyes and listen, and to observe. The sounds of the marsh include the chatter of red-winged blackbirds, the snap of pistol shrimp, the splash of bait fish moving in schools at the surface of the water, and the rush of saltwater around my boat. My nose is greeted with wind that carries the scent of sea salt, with hints of that characteristic sulfuric smell that comes from anaerobic bacteria in the pluff mud. From the seat of my kayak, I am really able to get close to shorebirds like the whimbrel and see the patterns of their plumage. Even secretive birds like the clapper rail make themselves known as my kayak quietly passes by. In the presence of my boat, bonnethead sharks feel confident enough to forage for crabs on the bank while I look on in awe. Glancing over the side of my kayak during low tide, I can catch glimpses into the mysterious lives of animals like the red beard sponge, sea whips, and shellfish such as banded tulips. The animals, insects, grass, mud, water, scents, and noises all work together like one great machine to create the character of the salt marsh.
From the seat of my kayak, I become a functioning part of this brilliant, fragile, and complex ecosystem. From the seat of my kayak, I realize I have always been a part of it.
Post by Eric Ng (Naturalist)