Predation drama on the beach

This was the one interesting bit of wildlife activity I saw this weekend, near the Blowing Rocks Nature Conservancy site in Jupiter, Florida. I'm squeamish enough that I had to close my eyes for some of it, but not so squeamish as to chase the gulls away from the crab. To do that, of course, isn't merely saving the crab's life, it's a choice to put the gull's life at risk -- and on what grounds? To force the gull to find dinner that doesn't offend the sensibilities of some random and uninvolved human? So you let it go, but sometimes your eyes close involuntarily, and your camera misses the thick of the action.







Here is where I instinctively looked away briefly. Maybe someday I won't have to. Maybe someday I'll be able to sympathize with the doomed prey while still watching its demise. Or maybe not. I'll miss a lot of good shots, but I'm okay with that for now.



Having defeated the crab, the gull spent several minutes protecting its dinner from others. Much squawking occurred.





Eventually, the gull swallowed the crab and the crowd dispersed, and the minor drama came to an end.