From on high

I'm always learning new things about the coast, the beach, the surf, the waves. Mostly though, it's with my feet planted firmly on the ground, or floating in or on the sea. I know the ways different waves form up and crash from the water. I know how the sand looks on the ocean floor bottom from sticking my face through the surface, diving down to touch it, or being scraped along when I wipe out. I know the rocks from headlands or from avoiding them at different tides, the shoreline from how sand sticks to my feet, from beach-combing, sun-baking, digging holes, building castles, I know the littoral zone from wading on long walks, paddling with children, passing through on my way to the surf. I know the effect of coastlines swell lines from sitting on headlands, walking up cliffs and watching from on high, but always with my feet planted firmly on the ground.

Drones have shifted some of that, but most of the drone images I have seen have been of people surfing waves, not of coastlines or places themselves. So when I saw this image on Facebook I was blown away as it's a whole new perspective on the coast, the water, the shoreline, the treeline, and waves.

That the image was taken by my cousin, Michael Olive, made it even more special.

You can see more of Mike's images here.