black mamba

These were taken on Jekyll Island, Ga. The island is one of many barrier islands that extend up the U.S. eastern coast. Jekyll Island is about 70 miles north of Jacksonville, Fl.

The scenes here represent what happens when long-time erosion at the shoreline starts dragging trees down from the higher lands onto the beaches....and ultimately into the Atlantic ocean. The stretch of beach you see here is several miles long and hundreds of trees have fallen prey to the relentless ocean.

If you think this may be heaven for drift wood seekers, you'd be wrong. The state of Ga. protects this area with a vengeance. Stiff fines are leveled against folks caught trying to make off with any of the wood. One guy was trying to make off with a small truck load...got snared and zapped with a $600 fine.

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Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

black mamba

Thank you.

black mamba

Thanks.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Interesting story and photos. It got me curious so I checked. Driftwood collection is also regulated in California (I live in Grover Beach next to Pismo Beach), but collection is allowed in designated places under certain conditions, often with a Permit. My guess is the government wants to make money off of the driftwood as well as protect the shore ecology. Fishing of fish, and shellfish such as Clams is also regulated or prohibited in certain places and to animal size.

Here is the California State Law:

Section 4306 - Plants and Driftwood

(a) No person shall willfully or negligently pick, dig up, cut, mutilate, destroy, injure, disturb, move, molest, burn, or carry away any tree or plant or portion thereof, including but not limited to leaf mold, flowers, foliage, berries, fruit, grass, turf, humus, shrubs, cones, and dead wood, except in specific units when authorization by the Department to take berries, or gather mushrooms, or gather pine cones, or collect driftwood is posted at the headquarters of the unit to which the authorization applies. Any collecting allowed by authority of this section may be done for personal use only and not for commercial purposes.
(b) No person may gather more than five pounds of such material except driftwood each day in the State Park System or State Vehicular Recreation Area and Trail System.
(c) No person may gather more than 50 pounds or one piece of driftwood each day in the State Park System or State Vehicular Recreation and Trails System.
(d) Use of tools, vehicles, and equipment for the collecting of driftwood is prohibited.
(e) Upon a finding that it will be in the best interest of the Department of Parks and Recreation, the District Superintendent may, by posting, authorize the collection of driftwood from specified units on a temporary basis, either by the general public or by commercial operators, if necessary, in quantities, for purposes, and by means other than as specified by this section.
(f) This section does not apply to activities undertaken by the Department in conjunction with its resource management activities.

bcheary Loc: Jacksonville, FL

Nice set Tom. I have been there a few times. Not a long drive from where I live.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Beautiful set as seen through your good eye, Tom!

Jack B Loc: Mount Pleasant, SC

Great seaside B&Ws.
Jack B

black mamba

Thanks. I'm not real surprised that California would establish such a protocol when addressing an issue like this. The more detailed and confusing they can make something, the more they like it.

In this case in Georgia, it's far more simple. Now the marsh side of Jekyll Island is also a no-mess-with zone. You mess with anything on the beach or go into the marsh for any reason, you might as well start singing the song
" What'ch you gona do, what'ch gona do when they come for you ".

black mamba

Thanks, Brian. Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island are both nice one-day visits, aren't they?

Tom

black mamba

Thanks, Mike. I appreciate your support.

Tom

black mamba

Thanks, Jack. I get up to Charleston about once a year. Beautiful area you live in.

Tom

bcheary Loc: Jacksonville, FL

They sure are.

The Aardvark Is Ready

Nice shots with good B&W conversions. Or did you shoot in B&W? South Carolina has a similar beach. I think it's called Botany Bay.