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mikesidkelly.bsky.social
Mike Kelly
@mikesidkelly.bsky.social
670 followers 510 following 130 posts
Retired fish biologist. Fossils, invertebrates, tide pools, fish, weather, atmospheric optics. Humboldt nature photography. Peace Corps Mali. Washed Up column in the North Coast Journal https://www.northcoastjournal.com/category/washed-up-6095845
www.northcoastjournal.com
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Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Apr 15
My new story in the NCJ. Why purple-striped sea nettles and billionaires don't mix. www.northcoastjournal.com/life-outdoor...
Purple Jellies of Doom
Hi there. I'm a stranger from the future here to beg you to stop reading these Washed Up stories. The asshole who writes them made...
www.northcoastjournal.com
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mikesidkelly.bsky.social
Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · 11d
Very cool tailless whip-scorpion! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amblypygi
Amblypygi - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
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Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · May 1
I came here just to find the first Father Ted reference. You win!
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Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Apr 15
My new story in the NCJ. Why purple-striped sea nettles and billionaires don't mix. www.northcoastjournal.com/life-outdoor...
Purple Jellies of Doom
Hi there. I'm a stranger from the future here to beg you to stop reading these Washed Up stories. The asshole who writes them made...
www.northcoastjournal.com
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mikesidkelly.bsky.social
Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Mar 27
Cool. (If anything from Sulawesi washes up here, you'll here about it.)
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Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Feb 16
Thanks! Sometimes I'm surprised by what they let me say. And other times I'm surprised by what they won't let me say. E.g., I can chop a person in half with a sword, but I can't swat a dog with a rolled-up newspaper. Apparently censorship is based on how many angry letters they would expect.
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Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Feb 16
Prudes and children are not the target audience. This column appears in a journal for adults, and my target audience is people who don't normally read natural history writing. This one was pretty tame.
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mikesidkelly.bsky.social
Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Feb 13
Here's installment 2 of my jellyfish trilogy in the North Coast Journal. Please enjoy responsibly... www.northcoastjournal.com/life-outdoor...
Sea Nettle Babymaking
A local grocery store was overstocked, so they had a big sale. When I arrived, the place was packed with people having sex and grabbing...
www.northcoastjournal.com
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Reposted by Mike Kelly
crawlieswithcri.bsky.social
Cri 🕊🐝🐜📝🎭⚽😷 @crawlieswithcri.bsky.social · Feb 11
The world is covered in teeny jewels!

An ab fab Genus Arhyssus Scentless Plant Bug for #TrueBugTuesday

#becurious #inverts
Macro photo of a tiny true bug on a dried flower. the view is looking down at the top of the bug. they are white dotted with red dots. they also have blue and gold color on their wings and lavender eyes.
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Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Jan 19
Lots of fun (and science!) here. Get your science-based New Yorker comic fix!

bsky.app/profile/hime...
bsky.app
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Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Jan 10
My new Washed Up story in the North Coast Journal. If this one makes you hungry, eat anything other than Sugar Frosted Moon Flakes. www.northcoastjournal.com/life-outdoor...
Moon Jellies for Breakfast
We at Washed-up Foods Inc. are preparing to launch our first breakfast cereal. It's called Sugar Frosted Moon Flakes. It's made from our local moon...
www.northcoastjournal.com
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mikesidkelly.bsky.social
Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Dec 31
Here are clips of some of the bigger sets that came in during the big California surf on Dec 23. From Wedding Rock at Sue-meg State Park. #Humboldt youtu.be/gESK9Iq9QdM
Big Surf December 23, 2024 Humboldt County, California
YouTube video by M. Sid Kelly (HumboldtMike)
youtu.be
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Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Dec 31
Here are some clips of the breach at Stone Lagoon on Sunday. This was shortly after the breach began and shows the breach channel still forming. #Humboldt youtu.be/Ak-Clx8ZU7o
Stone Lagoon Breach 12 29 24
YouTube video by M. Sid Kelly (HumboldtMike)
youtu.be
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mikesidkelly.bsky.social
Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Dec 25
Merry Christmas everyone!🎅🤶🎄
A light tan sea slug with many dark brown spots across its body. The spots have white rings around them, and are biggest on the top and very small around the margin. It has two thick feathery antennae in front, and an out-of-focus rosette of gills at the back. It is crawling from upper right to lower left on a rock encrusted with some kind of brown organism(s). Most importantly, it is wearing a Photoshopped-on Santa hat.
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Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Dec 22
Heh heh... Yeah, this one screamed TAKE A PICTURE!
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Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Dec 21
It's best after a dry period and during calm seas. But it's pretty well protected from moderate surf when the tide is low enough. Need the dry period to firm up the mud at the base of the trail. I bet it's super sloppy right now. Too bad since there are some decent afternoon low tides this week.
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Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Dec 21
Would be a good one.
mikesidkelly.bsky.social
Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Dec 21
The best tide pools IMO are at Palmer's Point in Sue-meg SP, but the trail down is pretty steep and gets sketchy at the bottom - but should be fine for an 11 year old. The pools at the north end of Trinidad State Beach have better access, but not a good choice if the surf is elevated.
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Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Dec 21
Good question. At the time - 10 years ago - I was certain it was alive. I believe I saw it moving. But my memory isn't totally clear, so I can't be 100% sure now. My assumption was that the gungy coating on the crab disguised it as not being anemone food, and maybe that would be a safe place to be.
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Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Dec 21
I'm not certain, but I think this is a Pugettia decorator crab. I wouldn't expect it to be comfortable encircled by the tentacles of a giant green anemone, but that's how it seemed. In a #Humboldt tide pool - for #Crustmas.
A crab sitting on top of a green anemone surrounded by the anemone's tentacles seen from above. The crab is triangular and widest at the back, and has at least 3 prominent bumps on each side, and a blunt projection on its face. It is likely a decorator crab, but only has a covering a gungy-looking brown stuff on it. Its walking legs are evenly spread around its body. There should be 8 legs, but only 6 are visible. I assume the other pair is obscured by the crab's claws, which are cocked out in front of it and white at the tips. The anemone is mostly bright green, but the upper half of the tentacles are bluish at the ends, and the lower ones are whitish at the ends. The tentacles are arranged in circles around the central disc, which is a pale greenish blue. There are 4 or 5 rows of tentacles visible around the circumference. The background is a large rock with some red encrusting organisms on it.
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Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Dec 21
A larval herring and a recently transformed herring fry sampled in a tidal pond on #Humboldt Bay for #Fishmas. 🐟
Two fish of the same herring species, but at different stages of development. The fish are next to each other on a white measuring board which indicates that they are between 4 and 5 centimeters long. The lower fish is mostly transparent with a thin black line along its side, a thicker black line along its belly, and a few black spots scattered around its head and body. The part of the belly where the guts are appears silver and not transparent. And the very bottom of the belly is pale orange. Its fins are so transparent as to be invisible. The fish on top is up-side down relative to to the lower fish. Its body has transformed into an opaque silver. It has many very find black specks arranged in rows across its back and on its tail fin rays. It's dorsal fin also has some fine specks along the rays. It's lower body has many almost vertical lines that appear associated with the underlying muscles. Both fish have large silver eyes and black pupils.
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Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Dec 21
I don't know.
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Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Dec 21
Yes - crabs will grow new parts when they molt.
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Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Dec 21
I believe this is a yellowtail rockfish in a #Humboldt tide pool for #Fishmas. 🐟🤿
A rockfish with a bass-like appearance suspended just off the bottom. The bottom is mostly small gray gravel and one clam shell in the lower left. The background is a large rock with patches of pink, red, and brown algae on it. The fish is facing to the right. Its eye is large, and the black pupil is ringed in bright gold. The mouth is closed, but appears relatively large. The fish has prominent scales. The gill cover has some bright yellow highlights. The rest of the head is greening on top, pale gray around the mouth, and with some scattered small brown patches. The body has a pinkish background with many small brown spots below the mid-body, and brown blotches above . The fins are relatively large and unpigmented.
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mikesidkelly.bsky.social
Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Dec 21
A porcelain crab with an injured "thumb" exposed at low tide in #Humboldt for #Crustmas. 🦀
A crab with relatively very large claws. Each claw looks bigger than the crab's body. The crab is exposed on a rock at low tide. The crab is brick red, but has areas that seem covered with grayish brown hairs and/or other material. The crab's left claw is missing its "thumb" and there is a bit of white meat exposed there. In the frame, the crab is facing up and holding its large claws folded in front of its face. The legs on the crab's left side are hidden behind some dark brownish red algae. Three legs are visible on the right side. The end of each leg has several spikes or hooks - almost like little toes. Its antennae are many-segmented, bright red, and held back behind the crab. The crab's eyes are a dark purple color. The background rock is encrusted with red algae, small barnacles, and there's an oval limpet just above the right "elbow" of the crab.
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Mike Kelly @mikesidkelly.bsky.social · Dec 19
Heh heh... Coulda put that in the alt text!
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