A Boat Ride to Horn Island!!!

Have you been dreaming of Horn Island? Well lucky me.....I signed up for a trip to Horn Island co-sponsored by The Walter Anderson Museum of Art and the Gulf Coast Research Lab.....A group of us (artists, photographers, Horn Island virgins, and Mary, Walter Anderson's daughter).....met at the Gulf Coast Research Lab to travel via a wonderful chugger of a boat called the Hermes........

 The group of about 15 were escorted by staff members of WAMA and a GCRL educator to help us experience Horn Island from the artistic perspective as well as the scientific.......

We all made small talk got acquainted with Captain and crew and stowed our belongings and were given journals to record anything we might see.........Let the journey begin.....

Leaving the GCRL dock

Calm seas and light breeze, a great start to the day!

The View from the Captain's chair.

What luck!! The dolphins escorted and showed off for us all the way out and on the way back!!!!

Horn Island is a barrier island approximately 8 or so miles off the Ocean Springs coastline and is about 12 miles long and about a mile wide..it is managed by the National Park Service.........In a center console fishing boat it takes about 20 to 25 minutes to get there when seas are smooth.....On the Hermes, it took about an hour an a half......but an enjoyable ride! The section we were heading for was the east island cross trail, which is a great place to get a feel for the island because you will find several different environments from beach, maritime forest, to ponds and swamp......Pine trees, goldenrod, wild rosemary and grasses are some of the primary plant life that exist there.  Alligators, a variety of birds, small rodents, rabbits,and raccoons are among the animal residents.

Getting closer!

We had to anchor offshore and take a skiff in!

We loaded up the skiff and we're off!!!

Nice calm water

See you later, Hermes!!

X marks the spot......or at least the beginning of the trail on the North shore....

Walter Anderson used to come to this island via a rowboat from the late 1940's to the mid 1960's. He would study the plants, animals and scenery and draw sketches and paint watercolors. The Walter Anderson Museum of Art preserves  his artwork for all to view and appreciate his love of the Gulf Coast flora and fauna.

Looking toward the north. Through the trees to the left you can see the Hermes.

East Island cross trail is well marked and easy to navigate on foot.

Spring and summer are nesting months for the island Ospreys

Small pond and in the distance dunes on the Gulf side of the island

Mary was one of the first to reach the gulf side of the island and along with a few of us got in a quick swim before we were called back to the boat to relocate to another part of the island.  It seems the Ospreys notified the park rangers that we were disturbing them and while we were disappointed we had to leave we understood the mommy ospreys need to for peace......On to the west end of the island, for a round of sieving, seining and beach combing!

Yabbie pumps!! for catching mantid shrimp and other small squigglies!

What? No, that is not gold...we are looking for sea creatures!!

Water was clear and the seine collected small bait fish....

On the way back from the island, the trawl net was dropped for about a 10 minute drag and we were anxious to see what might be out there.

The boards help to hold the net open as it moves through the water.

Waiting on the catch of the day!

Here we go!!! 

Menhaden, croaker, spot, shrimp, a few squid and cutlass fish.

After, looking through the catch, we made sure everything went back into the sea either to survive another day or become food for something else.........it was easy to fall asleep on the gently rocking boat listening to the seagulls and watching the dolphins splash........

Good bye Horn Island, see you the next time!