By Lauri deGaris Recently, I walked along the south end of Amelia Island’s beach with a dear friend. As we approached the 52-acre, undeveloped Riverstone parcel, I stood in awe of a great grove of …

By Pat Foster-Turley Anyone who knows me by now knows that I love animals, especially members of the order Carnivora, i.e., cats, dogs, otters, and, now, foxes. The ARK in Hilliard  is now …

By Pat Foster-Turley Deer in Fort Clinch State Park often hang out along the road, drinking from puddles and eating acorns. Here on Amelia Island, deer cannot be legally hunted, and for the deer, …

The photo shows injuries on the head, mouth, and left lip consistent with a vessel strike. It was taken by Forever Hooked Charters of South Carolina. By Lauri deGaris The first North Atlantic right …

By Lauri deGaris Last January, many Amelia Island residents, and visitors too, were thrilled to watch a whale from the beach for several weeks. On January 7, 2023, a whale was reported in the St. …

By Lauri deGaris Whale blessings keep right on coming … right whale calves nos. 7, 8 and 9 have been born. Swerve #1810 gave birth to the first calf in 2024 on January 3, 4.5 miles off Altamaha …

Editor's note: In celebration of right whale calving season on our shores, we are posting whale stories by Lauri deGaris every other Monday through the season. By Lauri deGaris The Algonquin "People …

By Pat Foster-Turley Manatees, or “sea cows” are large mammals that subsist on sea grasses and other vegetation.[/caption] Bucko and I finally made it to Crystal River, long heralded as a great …

Halo and her calf. By Lauri deGaris Right whale calf number No. 6 was born off Cumberland Island on Dec. 28, 2023. Halo is a 19-year-old mother of three known calves. Her last calf was born in 2020. …

By Pat Foster-Turley The old Stuckey’s building on Highway 301 is now surrounded by old cars.[/caption] Whenever Bucko and I feel like getting away from the hubbub that Amelia Island has become we …

By Lauri deGaris Newborn right whale calves No. 4 and No. 5 emerged from the long dark night of the winter solstice on December 22—a holiday miracle for our relations under the waves! …

This article is part of a series of 10 appearing every other Monday in the Observer during right whale calving season. Part one, the story of Pelorus Jack, was published Dec. 11 . By Lauri …

By Pat Foster-Turley 12 Days of Christmas on Amelia Island On the first day of Christmas Amelia gave to me, An eagle in a pine tree 🎄 On the second day of Christmas Amelia gave to me, Two …

By Lauri deGaris December 21, 2023, marks the astronomical beginning of winter. Mother Earth’s north pole will be tilted farthest away from the sun. We will enter the longest night of the year …

By Pat Foster-Turley A hungry squirrel consumes a mushroom. For years there has been controversy about what to do with the “extra golf course land” adjacent to the Fernandina City Golf Course. My …

By Lauri deGaris Right Whale #3360 – Horton – has given birth to her third calf off the coast of St. Catherines Island, Georgia, just south of the Savannah River. Horton is at least 21 years old. …

By Pat Foster-Turley The Cumberland ferry at the Plum Orchard dock. It seemed simple. Buy advance tickets to both the ferry and the December Christmas Tour of Plum Orchard on Cumberland Island. Board …

By Lauri deGaris The full moon of November presided over the birth of this season’s first North Atlantic right whale calf. Catalog #1612 - Juno, a 38-year-old North Atlantic right whale gave birth …

By Pat Foster-Turley I must admit I have very interesting friends here on Amelia Island. Take Sandra Baker-Hinton for instance. Sandra is a gifted artist who specializes in nature scenes, landscapes, …

Editor's note: During our right whale calving season, this is one of a series of 10 articles that explore the connectivity of our marine and alluvial environments. By Lauri deGaris The Grand Banks …