News and Events for Nantucket Island
It was looking very much like one of those days. Three plus hours into our beach charter excursion and nary a hookup. Each of us had at least one fish blow up on our respective fishing lures, but somehow all of the attacking fish had dodged our hooks. The only thing biting were the mosquitoes and green head flies. Alas, our time was up and it looked like we had to take the long ride back from Great Point with a skunk tagging along. That is not my favorite thing, let me tell ya…
When you live on the island for a while, whether year-round or summer, you have your favorite haunts. You only need to look at the line at the Juice Bar or see the full parking lot at Sanford Farm. Sure, those places are great, but there are other ice cream spots and other trails to explore. As a dog-owner, I take my girls, Tiller and Mako, for walks every day. I have my favorite regular spots: some are close to home for easy, quicker walks and some trails are further afield for a weekend or when there’s more time.
Nantucket is considered one of the most idyllic places to summer on the East Coast, but living here year-round has many challenges and can be isolating, especially in the deep winter. This, coupled with the struggle to retain mental health professionals on-island full-time, has resulted in difficulties matching locals to needed mental health resources.
Last weekend, the first Portuguese Man-o-War of the season were spotted off of Cisco and Ladies Beaches. By the time this article is printed, I expect there will have been more sightings.
Known for its vibrant blue and pink colors, Portuguese Man-o-War has a gasfilled bag on top with tentacles that can extend up to 30 feet in length. During the day, the Man-o-War tentacles coil up, and appear thicker and shorter, but when they fish for prey at night, the tentacles extend out further, difficult to avoid for a swimmer.
Be prepared! Ah, yes, the old Boy Scout motto. No better time to be prepared than when you’re out on some remote beach, far from what passes for civilization on this little island of ours. It’s important to remember the 6 P’s: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance! Here’s a couple entries from my fishing log that illustrates the importance of preparedness.
by Dr. Sarah Treanor Bois, PhDDirector of Research & Education at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation There is a children’s book of poetry called Love Poems for the Unloved by Diane Lang which highlights species in nature that are often given a bad rap. Some of the poems focus on […]
Have you noticed seals lying around on the beach? Do you know what to do if you see one? Are they ok? Should I pour water on him? Shoo him back into the ocean? Get up close and see if he’s breathing? Take a selfie with him because I can? None of the above! The answer is stay back 150 feet and call the Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket Hotline (833-667-6626). Their trained volunteers will advise you, ask for observations and then send a teammate out to check.
