Oh the Jellies!

I watch as the waves roll onto the stone steps and black rocks. The scenery is beautiful at the tip of St. John's Point in County Donegal, Ireland. Mom and I have just finished walking about a mile from the car to this point. Behind me is the road I'd just walked away from and the lighthouse we'd walked out to see. The lighthouse itself was alright but nothing spectacular. A simple white tower with a little trim of red but completely inaccessible as it was surrounded by a wall and signage that made it clear that entry was not permitted. For the entire walk to St. John's Point we'd seen no one, it was just us, the grass, the waves, the lighthouse, and a few cows off in the distance. It was beautiful.

As I walked away from the lighthouse toward the water, I noticed a small concrete walkway with steps that led down to the ocean. I supposed people used this point to enter the water or possibly, tie a boat up to the shore. I neared the walkway and immediately came to a stop, perplexed I noticed little blueish-purple blobs dotting the cement all the way down to the water. Curious, I continued down the steps toward the water, careful to avoid the blobs, but it was quite impossible since there were so many of them. I studied them wondering what they were but then noticed the same little blobs were floating in the water. Only those little blobs had shape, some were pulsing in the water even. Then it hit me, Jellyfish. Thousands of Jellyfish were floating in the ocean, caught in the gentle waves that buffered them against the rocks and cement. These little creatures had no hope of surviving where they were. I wondered as I watched them swirl in the water, how had they ended up in this little cove?

I longed to help the Jellyfish but knew that it was impossible. I felt a bit sad for the little guys, my sadness was short lived though. Mom, not noticing the little blobs on the sidewalk had zipped past me to the lowest steps she could get to without being hit by the water. Her camera was focused on the water, she was fascinated by the little blobbies and was taking as many pictures as she could, trying to get the perfect image. At this point she asks what they are so I tell her Jellyfish and mention they must be caught in the current to be getting washed up on the sidewalk.

She paused in her picture taking to look up at me, then realization dawns on her as she looks back down at her feet and sees the Jellyfish dotting the cement. "Oh my God!" She cries and immediately tip toes her way back up the steps and off the cement walkway doing her very best to keep from stepping on any of the little blobs. This doesn't stop the fascination though, before long, she's back to the walkway and takes several close up photos of the walkway blobs before zooming into the ocean again to capture images of the ones in the water.

As sad as it was to see all these Jellyfish, there was a beauty to it all. The experience of life and death at the hands of nature, and the knowledge that this circle of life continues regardless of anyone's presence or knowledge of these occurrences. In this circumstance, it seemed that life just is.