The British Library, London

Before you strain your neck to see what the tall structure standing in front of you is, the gate told it all.

London Underground

  Experience London is incomplete without hopping on and off the underground transit system. Planning a travel would mean following the lines on the map and working on the shortest path with minimum jumps. Its such interesting that, a transport system would add so much of character to a city.

I sneaked this shot from my phone, as there was a photography prohibited sign.

The University Tour

Years ago when my first UK trip materialized the first thing I went about was not preparation for work, but planning the Oxford and Cambridge Tour!

I could not do Cambridge the first time and thus there happened a second time when the magnificent Cambridge was finally covered.

The next thing had to be Stanford tour. I have been planning it for almost 6 months now and that too living just 20mins away! How we take those obviously near places for granted......

Tide pooling

A visit to the Point Reyes National Seashore was planned, but Tide pooling was not. The guide at the visitor center handed over us a map and suggested activities for the next 2 days explaining the weather conditions.He pretty much asked us to keep away from water at all times due to high tides and as only one of the days had low tides in the noon, and thus a possibility to go Tide pooling.

What is Tide pooling?

Exploring the zone where the ocean meets land — The intertidal zone.  During high tides and rough weather this area is covered with sea water and when the water recedes during low tide, the intertidal zone presents us with the fascinating organisms that it hosts; Those which have specifically adapted to the unique conditions in the particular zone. Those creatures with amazing survival skills that allow them to stay alive when (twice each day) the tide leaves them exposed. The best times for tide pooling are the extreme low tides of the full and new moon days.

Rocky coastlines and depressions in the rock which hold seawater after the ocean recedes allows animals to survive until the rising tide floods in again. We already saw visitors and naturalists going along the shoreline peeping into depressions. They said,"watch and walk carefully". Yes, we have to ensure both we humans and those creatures are safe.

The pools which form a microcosm of life, hosts incredible diverse flora and fauna. Its a real fun activity. We did not find a variety of flora and fauna, but still the experience was exhilarating. As we walked down a warning sign read, 'While its important to check a tide chart at the same time keep an eye on the ocean, as a sneaker wave can pop up anytime'.

And here is what I could capture....

This spotting was a prized one for me. In the clear waters of the north Pacific.....

The sad part is that, the exposed creatures are at times destroyed due to harsh sunlight and predators animals and birds.

After the first experience, I am now on a constant lookout for shores and low tide days to see much more of the marine life....