beach
New Jersey
USA
New Jersey Beaches
3/06/2016
After visiting New York we headed to Long Beach Island located two hours drive south in New Jersey state. Long Beach Island is a barrier island in the Atlantic Ocean which naturally protects the mainland from storm waves. Just like its name suggests, the sandy beach stretches for a dozen miles, so finding a place to sunbathe was not an issue.
We drove all the way down to the southernmost point of the island where the road ends. A free parking lot with clean restrooms and showers was a pleasant surprise for a place like this. What do you think is that black box on four legs? There were about twenty of those on the beach.
The beach is very nice, however, there were two caveats: horseflies and crabs. The first attacked us on the surface, and the second tried to pinch us into the water (successfully).
The water was quite cold, but the waves kept us warm.
One guy brought a metal detector on the beach. While we were swimming and sunbathing, he was desperately trying to find something in the sand for at least two hours. Why not?
The southernmost part of the island forms Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. It is closed to the public from spring to fall because birds called piping plovers nest in the sand dunes. These birds are highly endangered, so this refuge is one of their last natural habitats.
Atlantic City is seen on the horizon.
Piping plovers are searching for food after the waves recede.
Low tide exposed big rocks in the water.
This old jetty was the reason why we drove to this beach. It's considered one of the best snorkelling sites in New Jersey. However because of the big waves, it was dangerous to snorkel near it, and the underwater visibility was almost zero.
There were quite a few surfers at the beach, so at some point, I even wanted to try it. However, I could not get over my fear of sharks. By the way, the shark population is growing on the US Atlantic coast which is a good indicator of a healthy ecology.
This marsh is a part of Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge at the bay side.
The water here is shallow and warm, however, the bottom is very muddy.
Dead crab's carcass.
Mussels are exposed during the low tides.
Despite its bad reputation, Atlantic City is a very nice place to spend a couple of hours at night.
Atlantic City's Bay.
Cape May was our final destination in New Jersey. It's a small town famous for its beautiful collection of old Victorian homes.
One of the best beaches in the Eastern US. The water was much warmer than at Long Beach Island.
There is enough room for everyone on the beach.
Vintage lifeguard's boat.
Dolphins as seen from the beach.
My other posts about beaches:
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