Blowin’ In: The Sea
By Susan Mangan
“I have been beach combing, through
that flotsam world
between high-tide line and dune,
driftwood, ocean-gnawed, chalk-brittle starfish.
It is good to stand in the acrid scent of kelp, world’s edge.”
– “Old Mariner” by John F. Deane
One summer my family took a road trip to New England. My mother had never seen the ocean. During the Korean War, my father was stationed in New York. On leave, he went to Coney Island and walked along the boardwalk. He always had a love for water: fishing trips to Lake Superior, camping in tents along the pebbly shores of forgotten lakes. My dad wanted to show my mom the rocks in Maine and eat lobster rolls as the sun set by the sea.
On our first stop in Maine, we stayed at a hotel with a supposed ocean view. The sea waters did flow into a small inlet behind our rooms. Drawn by the sound of seabirds and the smell of brine, we left our old tennis shoes on to protect our feet from the sharp stones and stepped into the cold water.
The tides did not rise and fall in the small secluded space; the water lay stagnant, choked by seaweed. Despite the putrid smell that would linger with us for days, I was drawn to the allure of the sea. Its waters flowed to a mysterious chord that did not belong to the land.
When my family finally arrived at Perkin’s Cove, Maine, our daydreams became a reality. We stayed in a beautiful old inn with a white wrap-around porch. The nights were cold, forty-five degrees at best.
Despite the chill, I would open the window above my bed as the breeze from the ocean blew directly overhead. I was lulled by the even rhythm of the tide. At the break of day, I rose to the cry of gulls, while the waves continued on their steadfast course.
The sea holds mysteries that have engaged the curiosity of humans throughout the ages. Myths about the lure of the Siren’s song and the dangers these provocative creatures held on sailors still exist today.
Titanic and Fitzgerald Legends
Warnings became etched into tales about unexplainable patches in the sea where ships have entered, never to be seen again. Tragic shipwrecks, like the Titanic in the cold waters of the Atlantic and the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior, a lake whose power rivals that of the ocean, evoke powerful feelings of sadness and wonder.
These stories have become the fabric of myth and legend. Somehow the facts have blended with fiction and fantastical tales of prophecy have emerged.
The unknown harbors unease and fear, but also intrigue and allure. This philosophy coats the dichotomy of the sea. The sea is at once calming, yet terrifying: an old grandfather who soothes as well as scorns.
Far below surface waters, creatures swim and float, slither, and dive. Marine mammals like dolphins and porpoises frolic alongside small vessels delighting humans with their seeming smiles and playful behaviors.
During a particularly mild summer, one of our Irish cousins was kayaking in the waters along Keem Bay and a mischievous seal popped its silky head above the water looking at her with knowing eyes. While startled, the cousin did not feel threatened.
On the contrary, she was merely surprised at her good fortune. This was indeed a rare opportunity to connect, albeit briefly, with a creature from the sea.
Selkies
Tales of supernatural sea creatures abound. The selkie myth, stories of seal maidens who are drawn to men and shed their skin for love, is ubiquitous in Irish and Scottish lore. Bodies of water, from the smallest tide pool or lagoon to the bottomless oceans are thought to be protected by water fairies: sprites and nymphs.
Mermaids and mermen are long believed to swim below the ocean depths. Their loyalties, however, are crossed, as some protect innocent sailing vessels from peril, while others protect the sanctity of the sea by destroying human life through sudden storms.
Myths and fairytales aside, the facts of the sea are also cloaked in magic. Skate and shark embryos float protectively encased in egg sacs called the Mermaid’s Purse. Deep sea Lantern Fish live 3,000 feet below the ocean surface. Their mouths are grilled with long teeth and their bodies produce light.
Varieties of seaweed, artistic constructs born from nature, wash up upon the ocean shores. Dillisk, Dulse, Carrageen Moss, and Bladderwrack are harvested to nourish the body. Their names belong to fairytales and stories of pirate adventure. Fact and fiction blend seamlessly in matters pertaining to the sea.
During a recent family trip to Ireland, we visited The Achill Experience Aquarium and Visitor’s Centre in Keel, Achill Island. The resident aquarist, Tom Honeyman, regaled us with facts that resounded like fiction.
