Florida East Coast Surf Fishing FECSF

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CU on the Beach! Wavecritter aka Stephanie Haile

Cocoa Beach Pictures

Shells Found on Florida's East Coast

Moon Snail, Coquina Clam, Calico Scallops, and Ark Shells!

This Sea Shell sign is located at the Eddy Creek oceanside gazebo area in Canaveral National Seashore, Playalinda Beach, Florida.

Moon Snails are an edible marine bivalve who stay hidden in the sand during sunlight hours. Moon Snails forage at night. They fit fully in their shell but are sizable out.

Coquina Clams are marine bivalve mollusks. The color wheel on Coquina Clams includes, pink, mauve, blue, yellow, and white. Found in the swash zone, the area where the water meets the land, Coquina Clams slightly submerge themselves in the wet sand. Coquina are small, edible saltwater clams.

Calico Scallops host lovely colors and pinkish hues. Calico Scallops live in deeper off-shore water but often are found along the shoreline. Calico Scallops are marine bivalve mollusks.

Ark Shells come from marine bivalve mollusks. They have a row of comb-like, interlocking teeth on the inner hinge and sometimes carry a hairy outer organic layer. Neat! Find Out More about Ark Shells at the Florida Museum University of Florida.

CU at the Beach! Wavecritter aka Stephanie Haile

Cocoa Beach Pictures

Sea Robin Canaveral National Seashore

Sea Robin are a member of the Rock Fish family.

Sea Robins are found in warm saltwater, are scaly bottom fish, and also called Gurnard. Sea Robins have bony heads, colorfully patterned bodies, two dorsal fins, and can grow to 28 inches in length. Sea Robin mainly exist in the eastern Atlantic Ocean including Florida's East Coast, Mediterranean Sea, and Black Sea. 

On the Water for more about the Sea Robin and a surprise recipe.

CU on the beach! Wavecritter aka Stephanie Haile

Cocoa Beach Pictures

Snapping Turtle

Snapping Turtle

We found this Common Snapping Turtle travelling around between homes and ponds in Melbourne, Florida in September 2019.

Alligator Snapping Turtle vs Common Snapping Turtle from Brave Wilderness on YouTube

The Alligator Snapping Turtle

The Alligator Snapping Turtle has ridges along its shell, a forceful beak, and is the largest freshwater turtle in North America. Alligator Snapping Turtles can live to be 50-100 years old.

National Geographic on the Alligator Snapping Turtle

The Common Snapping Turtle has a much smoother shell, a forceful beak too but the Common Snapping Turtle can "snap" out in a "frog's tongue like" way where the Alligator Snapper can open its mouth much wider and not jut it out in a snap.

The Common Snapping Turtle can live from about 30 years in the wild to about 47 in captivity.  These reptiles are omnivores and live in north, central, and south United States.

CU on the Beach! Wavecritter aka Stephanie Haile

Cocoa Beach Pictures

Advice From Nature, Your True Nature

We happened upon this very striking wooden sign hanging behind the chair in an office. Advice From The Ocean. Always thinking about fishing at the beach, we immediately thought of our Facebook group Florida East Coast Surf Fishing.

Your True Nature is an uplifting poetic site chock full of feel-good, empowering statements in the forms of large magnets, bookmarks, posters, T-shirts, notepads, wooden signs, books, stickers, greeting cards, and more. 

This is another favorite of ours from Your True Nature. Take a minute to browse all the animals, sunsets, scenery, and sayings and give yourself a smile.

CU on the Beach! Wavecritter aka Stephanie Haile

Cocoa Beach Pictures

Turkey Vultures commonly known as Buzzards

Turkey Vultures are the most numerous and recognized vulture and are often referred to as Buzzards. Vultures are raptors.

Turkey Vultures nest on the ground under some sort of cover like thick vegetation, hollowed logs or shallow caves. They can be found year round in the southern United States with migrations into northern United States and Canada.

The unfeathered heads and dark brown or black tones on its feathers mark the Turkey Vultures features. The Turkey Vulture can grow to about 2 and a half feet tall with a 5 to 6 foot wingspan.

Turkey Vultures locate carrion by smell and sight. 

We found these wonderful raptors hanging out in Canaveral National Seashore Playalinda Beach, Brevard County, Florida Parking Area 8.

Visit National Geographic for more on Turkey Vultures.

CU on the Beach! Wavecritter aka Stephanie Haile

Cocoa Beach Pictures

Aftermath of Hurricane Dorian Florida

Hurricane Dorian's affect on Florida was not mainly physical destruction. Floridians watched and waited ... then waited, and waited some more while the storm held over the Bahamas. Only a few thousand in Florida lost power at all and power was restored very quickly. The winds and surf battered the coast. We lost many Sea Turtle eggs to the waves exposure. The silver lining here is just how many more eggs were actually laid this year compared to prior years. The numbers laid were great, nature will even itself out if need be.

Florida Today

The biggest difference I noticed with Hurricane Dorian compared to other nervous Hurricanes was the people. Floridian reaction was skewed this time. People rattled the News and Weather Stations with their comments, emails, and complaints to a point I have never seen before (I'm 54 and was born in Florida). 

Channels 2, 6, and 9 are central Florida's local news channels. Hurricane Dorian was not a stable, usual, normal, run of the mill type Hurricane. The charts were everywhere, the Hurricane planes didn't even get to check the storm a few times due to plane issues (once, the windshield cracked or whatever a windshield is called in a plane), so they "guessed" at the numbers, the conditions were not favorable at first for this storm to gain Hurricane strength, in short, Hurricane Dorian wasn't supposed to meteorologic-ally exist. Dorian was danger close to Florida and tracks were iffy for a long while. Weathermen report the weather but tracks change, forecasts come and go.

Eric Burris and Tony Mainolfi from channel 2 were apparently being inundated by negative nellies and neds via comments and email. So much in fact that I had to turn it off because I couldn't watch them being so upset anymore by it all. Florida was relentless. This same scenario was happening at news 9.

I began watching channel 6 with Troy Bridges (this coverage went on for more than a week mind you, with 24 hour news and weather for about three days straight). Troy Bridges kept his cool with all the nonsense tweets, emails, comments, and calls for regular programming. Kudos for cool under immense negativity Mr. Bridges.

The other weathermen just were not prepared for such an inundation of nasty I think. Floridians do not usually fault the messengers to such a harsh degree. Yes, Floridians are known to complain about the heat, humidity, and if in Central Florida, the traffic, but not so harshly as what happened during Hurricane Dorian. Eric Burris is a joy to everyone he meets and we Floridians bombarded him with ugly. While I was not party to the spew, this is one Floridian who wishes to say "I'm sorry it happened to you".

While most Floridians did not get their homes destroyed or people killed like in the Bahamas, and most Floridians did not get flooded, lose power, property or belongings, Floridians lost their ability to watch regularly scheduled programming on a few stations. THIS they complain about?  Just give it some thought if you get time or patience.

Time for a little levity, This is what Floridians are usually known for ...

Of course, it wouldn't be Florida without the Hurricane Memes

Find More Hurricane Memes at Heavy.com

Florida East Coast Surf Fishing Made a Meme Video

The storm was a slow mover, people make light of Hurricanes "Before" they come in hopes they don't destroy and kill along the way. The destruction in the Bahamas is unfathomable, severely sad, and leaves me at a loss for words other than Prayer for the survivors to find strength, healing, and future life as they rebuild. Praying too for those in South and North Carolina. In Jesus Name, Amen.

CU on the beach! Wavecritter aka Stephanie Haile

Cocoa Beach Pictures

Hurricane Dorian Emergency Information

Links to Gain Hurricane Dorian Specifics and Emergency Information

Google Map Hurricane Dorian

Emergency Information Florida Disaster

Google Map Crisis Centers Shelter Map 

Find A Shelter Near You

Google Public Alerts Page w/Twitter Feed

Hurricane Dorian information from the National Hurricane Center

Florida Division of Emergency Management County Emergency Management contacts

Georgia Emergency Management Hurricane Dorian

Twitter Feed Hurricane Dorian Topic

Gas Buddy Dorian Live Updates Gas Availability

Stay Safe CU on the Beach =) Wavecritter aka Stephanie Haile

Cocoa Beach Pictures

Double Rainbows Now the Norm

Melbourne, Florida Aug. 2019

What's up with Double Rainbows being the rule instead of the exception? Double Rainbows are now the norm. Fascinating! 

A Double Rainbow occurs when sunlight passes through a raindrop, the bended light (refraction) reflects off the back, and bends again, twice in the raindrop. The Double comes from two different reflective angles. The longer red waves are found at the top of the rainbow and the shorter blue waves complete the bottom of the first rainbow. The second or double is reversed, instead of the name Roy. G. Biv, (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet), it gets weird, Vib G. Yor.

Melbourne, Florida Aug. 2019

MrMBB333, we watch him on YouTube, has commented on many of his videos that Double Rainbows seem to be the norm now. I agree with his recollection of when "we" were young not seeing many doubles. Kids were just outside a lot more often in the day and a double rainbow was not the norm. His Twitter status is full of Double rainbow pictures sent in from viewers. Give his site a visit, very informative and he has an awesome calendar! Your Earth Watchman, MrMBB333.

Melbourne, Florida Aug. 2019

Cafe Press has a T-shirt available with an easy explanation. "It means the raindrops are the right size for the sunlight to reflect within them twice before emerging at different angles." OMG,Science.

CU on the beach =) Stephanie Haile aka Wavecritter

Cocoa Beach Pictures

Truck Stops in Brevard County Florida: Pilot Flying J and Truck Stops of America

Just off I-95, exit 202, 1101 Friday Road, Flying J #1096 Cocoa is the 29th Florida location for Flying J Travel Centers. 

Truck stops are few and far between once truckers venture into Florida. The closest full service truck stop from Cocoa is the TA (Truck Stops of America) in Vero Beach on I-95. 

The Vero Beach TA has a full service restaurant, Country Pride open from 6 am to 11 pm, with 24/7/365 roadside and in-bay truck service. The TA has been around a long time and knows what "full-service" means. 

The only full service Pilot Flying J Truck Stop in Florida is 950 SR 206 W, St. Augustine. 

Flying J #1096 Cocoa, Florida

While this post may seem "off the grid" of Cocoa Beach Pictures, the "Useful Pot" that is the Flying J Travel Center may be a bear necessity, shower, sleep, eat it and beat it style truck stop, the service it offers to our truck drivers is indeed priceless. 

Flying J #1096 Cocoa, Florida

There are 14 fueling positions, eight diesel lanes, 89 truck parking spaces, 10 $15 a night, single-width Semi prime parking spaces, Diesel Mobile Fueling, 7 showers, 8 CAT Scales, check cashing, public laundry, Western Union, Wi-Fi, and ATM. 

The consistent review states cleanliness is the rule at this Flying J locale. Welcoming service and homey selection. Check the Pilot Flying J website here for availability and to reserve prime spaces.

Flying J #1096 Cocoa, Florida

The Flying J has its usual truck stop selection of items truckers need like straps, lights, and radios. Food choices include a full menu Wendy's, Cinnabon, pizza, hot soup, cold sandwiches, delicious coffee, beverages, and salads.

Flying J #1096 Cocoa, Florida

Find other Flying J Travel Centers and Truck Stop locations in Florida. Visit Allstays. 

ALLSTAYS

CU on the Beach =) Wavecriter aka Stephanie Haile

Cocoa Beach Pictures