… Nor any drop to drink
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Water is essential to life, of course, and to our planet. About 71 percent of the earth’s surface is water-covered, and the oceans hold about 97 percent of all earth’s water. We can’t drink the salty sea water, as the Ancient Mariner well knew, but we couldn’t exist without it. It regulates our climate and is home to thousands of marine species.
But it is also beautiful and awe-inspiring. Who hasn’t stood by the water’s edge and marvelled at the sound of the waves crashing on the shore? Who hasn’t watched that constant movement and been mesmerised by it?
Anne has suggested that for this week’s Lens Artists challenge we share images of water, and I’m choosing to focus on the sea. I am still full of the wonders of our time on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica during the first part of this month, so that will feature heavily in my gallery. But I’m also throwing in a few favourites from the archives.
xx
On our way to Drake Bay near the Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica we flew in a light aircraft over the Pacific Ocean, just offshore, and I was transfixed by the colours of the sea below
(my featured image was taken here too, obviously)
This is the beach by the ranger station in Corcovado National Park, where we landed on our visit to the park
The following day we spotted humpback whales near Caño Island, just off the coast near Corcovado
A dog walker on Nosara Beach, on the Nicoya Peninsula in the north west of Costa Rica, seen from our lodge’s restaurant
Like Nosara Beach, Guinos just to the south is popular with surfers, riding the Pacific waves
Leaving Costa Rica for now, but still in the Pacific, these waves are off Hanga Roa on Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
And now for some Atlantic waves, off Sal, one of the Cape Verde islands
Finishing with some seas closer to home, this is Porthmeor Beach in St Ives, Cornwall, in the rain
Watching passing ships at Tynemouth, north east England, on a bright January day
And to finish, here are some young paddlers enjoying the sea on a rather warmer day at Tynemouth
36 Comments
Annie Berger
Just getting to your post over a month later but glad I kept it in my inbox, Sarah, as I also loved your water shots from all over the world. We’re here in Hawaii now on the island of Kauai and hope to see humpback whales in the next couple of days just like you captured in Costa Rica! Also appreciated your photos from Rapa Nui as well as those far closer to your home turf!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks for coming back to this one Annie – glad you enjoyed the photos 😀 And I hope you get to see the whales on your trip too!
Wind Kisses
pristine views. I love the ocean. My favorite photo was of the dog walker on the shore line. Reflective. I also loved the birds just beyond them. Donn a
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Donna 🙂 That woman crossed the river with her dogs every morning during our stay at that hotel and we would watch her from our breakfast table. It’s the only way to access the beach at Nosara and only passable at low tide so I guess she has to take her opportunities to walk them there when she can!
Leya
Love your beautiful capthures of the majestic sea, Sarah! And the little ones in their suits – so sweet!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much Ann-Christine 🙂 And yes, those little boys looked so cute in their matching shorts, I couldn’t resist a photo!
Leya
❤
Alli Templeton
Wow! I’m now craving the sea… 😀
Sarah Wilkie
I think we all ned a dose of sea air, sea sights and sea sounds from time to time! Thank you Alli 🙂
Alli Templeton
Very true, Sarah. 🙂
100 Country Trek
Amazing photos .. so impressive.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much 😊
JohnRH
Grrrreat photos! We were in Costa Rica last summer. Loved it.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks John – we loved it too!
Amy
Love this set of water photos. Wonderful to see the whale and dogs. Water waves are beautifully captured, Sarah.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Amy, I’m glad you liked them 🙂
I. J. Khanewala
That beach in Cornwall looks nice even in the rain.
Intrigued by the shadows in that first photo. What are they due to?
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, St Ives is beautiful. The light is very special there and has attracted many artists over the years. I hoped to show something of that in my photo 🙂 As to those ‘shadows’, I’m not actually sure if they are the actual shadows of small clouds (although I didn’t notice that many clouds that day) or patterns created by the waves perhaps. They intrigued me too, which is why I photographed them – that and the beautiful colours!
Tracey
If not for the title, I would not know what I was looking at in the first photo. Spectacular!!
Sarah Wilkie
I know, it’s kind of abstract but maybe that’s why I liked it! The colours were so beautiful 🙂 Thank you for visiting!
pattimoed
Hi, Sarah. I love your gallery this week–the waves, the whale, the twins in their identical bathing suits….so beautiful.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much Patti ☺ I loved yours too!
Teresa
Love the whale in action!
Sarah Wilkie
It was the highlight of my day! See my comment to the eternal traveller below 🙂
the eternal traveller
Spotting a whale is such an exciting event.
Sarah Wilkie
I was thrilled! This was actually meant to be a snorkelling trip and we were told it was too early in the season to see whales here but there were three in this group, two females and a calf, and it was easily the highlight of the outing for me 😀
Anne Sandler
Amazing ocean images Sarah! Lovely lakes and mountains; they are perfect for this challenge.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anne 🙂 But I’m a bit confused, as I don’t have any lakes and mountains this week – did you mean this comment for someone else perhaps?
Anne Sandler
Can I plead being sick?? It’s been a week of swollen glands in my neck. :Painful. I really don’t know where I saw the mountains! Maybe as I was looking at the challenge responses I got confused. However, your post is beautiful and I love it! I’m getting better and not confused this time!
Sarah Wilkie
You can indeed plead that, and I’m sorry to hear you’ve not been feeling well 🙁 But glad you’re getting better now! You did so well to host such an interesting challenge under those circumstances, and I know from my Friendly Friday experience how easy it is to get confused when the responses come in!
Tina Schell
Beautiful choices Sarah – loved the crashing waves which you captured perfectly!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Tina 🙂
maristravels
An interesting and eclectic selection. And how lovely to end with that perfect shot of the paddlers at the end with our muddy coloured water a real contrast to your opening shot.
Sarah Wilkie
I’d prefer to think of it as sand-coloured rather than muddy 😆 But I do see what you mean!
margaret21
What enticing images, Sarah! No wonder so many of us need to include contact with water, whether sea, lake or river in our travel plans.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Margaret 🙂 And yes, being near water seems to lift the spirits, just what we want from our travels. Although I also love deserts – go figure!