Well, that’s just a silly notion, isn’t it?  I’m not really suggesting that, but watching a scene very similar to this image did cause me to do a bit of re-evaluating.

Let me set the stage first.  I was blessed to spend a week in Florida at a dear friend’s home.  One of the perks of the community in which she lives is access to a private island.

On my last day there, I witnessed three pelicans diving into the ocean after fish, perfectly synchronized.

Because this diving act was such a clear example of God’s amazing creation, it led me down a wandering path, noticing all the other ways this trip spoke to me about God’s incredible power, majesty, creativity, and — as you’ll see soon — protection.

Join me as we take a nature walk through the Florida oceanside.

Synchronized Pelican Diving

While that’s exactly what this looked like, there’s much more behind this phenomenon than meets the eye.

• They were very likely hunting the same school of fish.
• They watch each other for body cues such as wing-tucking, angling down and changing glide speed.
• Their ability to copy their fellow hunters in a split second gives the appearance of synchronization.

Bottom line: They weren’t performing; they were reacting to the same fish at the same moment using the instinct that God built into them.

Ocean Sand vs. Lake Sand

The next stop on my nature walk was to ponder why ocean sand and lake sand are so different.  I assumed it was related to the grinding process, but what I found was even more incredible:

Ocean beach sand is typically finer because:

• Ocean waves travel long distances and run constantly, grinding rocks and shells into smaller, smoother grains.
• Sand in the ocean often travels far from its original source (mountains → rivers → ocean), giving it more time to wear down.
• Crushed shells and coral also contribute soft, fine particles.
• Strong, repeated wave action sorts grains by size, leaving more uniform sand.

Lake beach sand is often coarser because:

• Waves are smaller and have less energy, so there’s less grinding and sorting.
• Sand usually comes from nearby sources and hasn’t traveled far.
• In northern regions, glaciers left behind mixed, rough sediments that lakes inherited.

Who Makes Beach Shells?

My friend is always on the lookout for polished, beautiful, unique shells.  Not for her collection (which is already impressive!), but for the grandkids who will be visiting her soon.  She throws them on the beach for those precious kiddos to discover.  How sweet is that?

That caused us to wonder how these shells come to be.  Here’s the answer:

Most shells are built by the animal that lives in them.

• Animals like conchs, olives, clams, oysters, and snails secrete shell material from a tissue called the mantle.
• Shells are made mostly of calcium carbonate and are added in layers as the animal grows.
• The animal is attached to the shell and never leaves it.  Empty shells are the result of predators, natural death, or the effects of storms.
• Growth rings or flared openings (like on a mature conch) show stages of development.

Exception: Hermit crabs do not make shells — they use empty snail shells after the original animal has died.

Squall Lines and Waterspouts

Sometimes God’s hand in nature isn’t just fascinating, like our previous nature walk showcased.  One peaceful afternoon on the beach proved that!  It turned a bit more exciting than we were prepared for – especially since the forecast only called for winds up to around 18 mph.  No worries there…or so we thought.

This image wasn’t taken by us (because we were fleeing the storm!)  But it IS the storm we encountered, captured from the local weather channel’s Facebook page.

This system rolled across the ocean, headed right at our beach.  As we were getting ready to grab our towels and run, we saw an even more ominous storm farther down the horizon which produced a waterspout. 

We made it back to shore, primarily no worse for wear, but with a great story of survival to share!  This is where we saw God’s protection.

Here’s the next bit of nature trivia for you:

A squall line is a long line of connected thunderstorms that can move very quickly.

They often bring:

• Strong straight-line winds (sometimes 50–80+ mph)
• Sudden temperature drops
• Heavy rain and reduced visibility (ours was mostly wind)
• Frequent lightning (none for us, thank you very much!)
• Brief rotations that can produce tornadoes or waterspouts – see below

A waterspout is a rotating column of air that forms over water and connects a cloud to the surface.

There are two types:

1. Fair-weather waterspouts – form from the surface upward in developing clouds; usually weaker.
2. Tornadic waterspouts – actual tornadoes that move over water from strong thunderstorms. (Ours was more like this type.)

They form when warm, moist air rises and begins rotating, tightening into a visible funnel. The “water” seen is mostly spray being pulled upward.

Florida vs. Iowa Vegetation

To end our little nature-discovery walk on a less frightening note, and knowing I’d be headed out of the Florida flora (see what I did there?) and back to the frozen tundra that was Iowa, I also marveled at the wide spectrum of vegetation just in the comparison of these two states.

Separate note: The temperature difference on the day I came back was 100 degrees.  Warm, sunny, balmy 80-degree high in Florida, windchill of 20 below in Iowa. Yikes!

Florida coastal vegetation:

• Adapted to warm temperatures, high humidity, salt air, and sandy soil
• Includes palms, sea oats, mangroves (in some areas), and other salt- and wind-tolerant plants
• Many plants have thick, waxy leaves or flexible structures to handle wind and salt spray

Iowa vegetation (especially in winter):

• Adapted to freezing temperatures and seasonal extremes
• Deciduous trees drop leaves to conserve energy
• Grasses and crops die back or go dormant
• Plants survive through deep root systems, seeds, or dormancy until spring

Both environments show how plant life adapts specifically to climate, moisture, and soil conditions.

So, what’s the point of this science-infused blog post?  I actually have two points!

1. God’s creation is astounding in its variety, adaptability, and creativity.  When I spend time meditating on this, I can’t help but say, “Our God is an awesome God!”  Which leads to point #2.
2. There is great benefit (see above) when we intentionally stop and smell the roses, or watch the pelicans, or look around us at whatever our world entails. While that may come more easily on vacation, we can all cultivate a childlike wonder and curiosity over this beautiful world God has blessed us with.  Sometimes we must dig a little deeper.

Thanks for joining me on this (mostly) Florida nature walk.  I hope it inspires you to view this world around you with fresh eyes, and with a deeper appreciation for God’s incredible creation.

O Lord, how manifold are your works!

    In wisdom have you made them all;

    the earth is full of your creatures.

Here is the sea, great and wide,

    which teems with creatures innumerable,

    living things both small and great.

Psalm 104:24-25