Australia | Marine Life | Poetry

The Rockpools of Marengo Reef

GiaB prompt #14: being in nature

Peering in Ahoy, a bird’s eye view akin a sea-hawk on patrol or maybe a curiosity collector, oh, such treasures to behold! I’m Alice through the looking glass see, a microworld beyond delicate seaweed gardens a fascination in form and frond, clusters of soft corals a playground to seek and hide, a nursery of crustaceans stuccoed and holding tight, a tiny sea star but a shadow buried, almost out of sight. And so I wait expectantly for ever a sign of life my camera poised my breath on hold the patience of a pro. And lo’ it comes a silver dart gone within a blink the flick of a fishling I saw it, I did! but not quick enough to click. My seascape in miniature a grotto in sandstone relief I’ll be back to see you the rockpools of Marengo Reef

© Carolyn Hastings 2021

I love exploring the rockpools at Marengo Beach on the south-west coast of Victoria, Australia. At low tide, hundreds of rockpools are exposed in the tessellated sandstone shelf. Just a short distance from shore, lie two sandstone islands, Little Henty Reef and Henty Reef which together form the Marengo Reefs Marine Sanctuary. They are home to an abundant variety of marine life including Australian fur seals. You can see Henty Reef in the background of this photo taken from the rock shelf at Hayley Point.

Being up close and personal with nature affords much wonder and delight but also demands a good solid dose of respect. Out there on the rocky shelf, you are just metres away from being swept away by a rogue wave and just one step away from a twisted ankle. The risk, however, is worth it because each rockpool holds its own unique microcosm of life and just as the tide replenishes the rockpools so too do the rockpools replenish my affinity with nature.

Thank you to Chloe Paulina Hawes for tagging me into the prompt. Chloe is new to Medium. Please check out her most excellent poem, Crow.

Thank you as always to Victor Sarkin and the editorial team at Genius in a Bottle for the inspiring theme: Being in Nature. You can find the guidelines for the prompt here —

I humbly invite my fellow nature enthusiasts to contribute to the prompt — Galit Birk, PhD | Annelise Lords | Megan Nicole Morgan | Jonathan James Anderegg | Thalia Dunn 🙏

Thank you, dear readers, for being here and for reading my poem. I hope my little dabble into free verse brought you a hint of wonder and mystery that being immersed in nature does so well. 🙏 💕