April 23, 2016
Yesterday we got to see Bark Bay at low tide. It was beautiful, but many of the pools were dry. I wanted to see what it looked like with more water; so we got up at dawn to catch the high tide. We were early for it, but that gave us the benefit of watching the area change as the tide came in. It was interesting to watch one area of sand become an island, while smaller sand islands disappeared, the scattered pools becoming one big lagoon. It looked like it would be a lovely place to swim, but not this early in the morning!
In all we probably spent an hour there, watching the tide come in while the scenery was gradually lit up by the rising sun. Beautiful! (Click to enlarge/scroll through gallery)
As we headed back to our boat, three large stingrays swam right by us. Both the Marlborough Sounds and Able Tasman areas are rife with stingrays of all kinds. They seem to enjoy swimming near the shore; and it’s easy to see them in the clear water. They’ve been a real treat this season. –Cyndi
