Sphyrna

I was walking along the beach yesterday afternoon when I spied something ahead, washed up on the beach. It was about as big as a dolphin, but looked different. As I neared I became more convinced that it was not a dolphin. Could it be a deer, I wondered? Something resembled a leg, bent at the knee, but I couldn't be sure. I walked closer.

No, it was not a deer, that was for certain, but I didn't know what it was until I was almost on top of it. It was a hammerhead shark. I knew they and other sharks swim in our waters. I know people have seen them in the sound.

It was still mid afternoon, not shark feeding time (late afternoon, early evening) and beautiful, so I jumped into the waves for a brief swim. The water was warm but refreshing.

You can read more about the hammerhead shark (genus Sphyrna) here: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/hammerhead-shark.html

This month's newsletter is a story of Captain Joe Burrus, last Ocracoke lighthouse keeper before the beacon was electrified and automated. You can read it here.