Goin' Fishin'

We spent one of our final days in Georgia fishing with Drew's dad and sisters. As always, it was simply wonderful to be on the water, surrounded by the salty breeze, sunshine, and shorebirds. 

The water is great, but the marina itself isn't a half bad place to be either, with its ancient oak trees and bench swings.

We started our fishing trip off with an initially unsuccessful pogie hunt.
We caught a few big shrimp and lots of water, but no fishies.

Eventually, with Lisa's sharp eyes and by following the pelicans, we found a few of the spotted little guys (and gals).

Along the way, Katie befriended a dolphin. It even let her touch it.

I did my fair share of just sitting. on a boat. in Georgia. and loving it.

Apparently, according to Drew, this is the face I get when I'm explaining something.
In this case, it was where I found this tiny, little not-so-alive crab.  

Everyone else did a great deal of casting and waiting and reeling, often bringing sharks onboard. 

Aside from the pogies, we caught only one fish all day. Drew baited it; I reeled it in. 

Unlike the fish, the sting rays were in great abundance, and we kept catching them over.and.over.and.over.

When we'd had enough of catching cartilaginous fishes instead of the more desired bony ones
(and when we caught sight of an approaching thunderstorm), we headed home.
Our trip back to the marina was quick, which meant it was a little bumpy and very damp
(less damp, though, with the help of Chris' air-filled shirt). :) 

What a fun day. Boating after spending a whole term teaching the details and a love for Marine Biology to a group of middle schoolers was a little bit of a weird experience for me. To try to teach students a healthy respect and appreciation for top predators like sharks and then to drag one up onboard, duped by a piece of old shrimp, felt a little off. Still, even if something felt amiss in the ideal functioning of the marine world, the up-close-and-personal encounters with ocean critters were, as always, really fun. And the time spent with family on familiar Georgia waters was priceless. I already can't wait for next summer.