Cumberland Island Immersion 💦

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This past weekend, two of my siblings and I camped overnight on Cumberland Island.  It was one big adventure!  We knew we were in for an adventure when the forecast steadily called for rain on Friday, so we weren't surprised to arrive in St Marys right as it started to rain.

It was very windy and rained the entire time on our ferry trip to the island.

After disembarking at the Sea Camp Dock, we checked in at the ranger station. We weren't anxious to get soaked, so we stayed under shelter for a while, hoping the rain would slow down. We weren't the only ones, as many other visitors saw the advantage of a roof! Finally, the rain slowed to a drizzle, and we left the comfort of the ranger station to bike a 1/2 mile to our campsite.  Thankfully, the campsite provided some shelter since the trees were so thick overhead.

Setting up camp in the rain is an experience I will never forget!

We were starving after setting up the tents, so we walked to a nearby shelter for lunch, and a break from the rain.  At that point, the rain nearly stopped!  The sky got brighter, and the birds started singing.  We were relieved!  We decided to visit the Dungeness first and take it easier that day since we had a late start (initially, we intended to bike up north, which would have been intense).  Upon arrival, it started raining heavily again as two horses walked across the road. Those were the only horses we saw that day, which was extremely surprising.  I can't help but wonder where the rest were!  They likely have dense forest hideouts that provide shelter from the rain and wind.

Below the ruins of Dungeness Mansion is Racoon Keys, where I heard it was common to find sharks' teeth.  We were well rewarded and found about thirty teeth altogether.  Although most were very small, we were thrilled!

The waters around Cumberland Island are home to the largest population of sharks on the Atlantic East Coast.  Off the north tip of Cumberland is an 80-foot-deep hole where some of the largest recorded sharks have been caught.  Since sharks are an indicator species (an organism whose presence, absence, or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition), the large shark population points to how healthy Cumberland Island and its surrounding waters are.

Learn more about the health of Cumberland Island by reading my comprehensive observations document.  I believe that the horses contribute to the health of the island.

Sharks' teeth and some adorable little shells!

That evening, right after dark, we walked the beach and were surprised to see several ghost crabs.  Nighttime must be when they're the most active, as we've only seen one during the daytime.

I love how Ghost Crab's eyes stick out above their head!

A highlight of the trip was watching the sunrise over the beach Saturday morning!  Also, I'd heard that the horses are often active on the beach in the morning.  Sadly, none ever appeared there, but they were probably catching up on grazing after the rain had hindered their plans the day before.  The sunrise, however, was well worth getting up early!

When I was looking back over my photos, this verse came to mind!

There is so much hope in a sunrise!

The sunlight beautifully filtered through the oak trees.

After a relaxing morning, we packed our belongings and headed to the Stafford/Plum Orchard area.  I was rewarded by finding several bands of horses in the vast Stafford field.  Only one band was new to me.  I can't explain how much I love seeing familiar faces and knowing them by name.

L to R:  Myrtle, Berry, Rusty (band stallion)

I hadn't seen Rusty's band for a while and wondered how they were doing.  I was happy to see them!  Sadly, Rusty's older mare was nowhere to be found.  Due to her poor body condition, it's safe to say she died over winter.  Although sad, we must remember that this is the way of nature.  These horses are wildlife, just like the deer, raccoons, and bobcats that inhabit the island.  Each of those species also experiences poor body condition later in life or during seasons of drought.  Of the 79 wild horses I've seen on Cumberland Island, only four have been in deplorable body condition.  These horses' poor body condition is due to mineral deficiencies, which cause weight and muscle loss, poor digestion, lower immunity, and more.  I asked the National Park Service if I could bring the horses mineral blocks, but they refused my offer.  I continue working on it, though!

The youngest band member is this cute filly!

I was SO excited to find this new band of horses!  The band stallion is the black horse.  There are so many solid-colored horses on the island (which points to their Spanish descent), especially black ones, most of which are stallions.  I've always loved black stallions, so that's okay with me, but it's challenging to tell them apart!  I haven't thought of good names to put in the database for these four, so please suggest some in the comments below!

Most of the Cumberland Horses have long, beautiful manes.

These two were very bonded.

I loved this sorrel roan!  She was very quiet and calm.

After our stop at Stafford, we biked to Plum Orchard.  I was hoping to see Anchor's band, which includes Isla, a young mare who was heavily pregnant when I last saw her a few months ago.  More than anything, I wanted to see her foal!  Although we stayed in the area for a few hours, we never saw them.  I was very disappointed. 😢  Maybe next time!

I never get tired of seeing this beautiful canopy!

When we had three hours left before boarding the returning ferry, we left Plum Orchard and biked to the Stafford beach.  While passing the Stafford field again, we saw more horses!  I was thankful they were all horses I had seen already since I didn't have time to take identification photos.

Upon arriving at Stafford Beach, we were surprised to see large, dark clouds building in the distance.  Our weather apps said it wouldn't rain until 6 p.m., so we figured we'd be safe.  We were in for quite a surprise!

The cloud formations were dramatic!

The wind quickly started picking up, and we decided it would be best to get under shelter as fast as possible.  We were too late, and shelter was far away.  Lightning began flashing over the island, and it started to drizzle.  We could get a little in front of the storm as we sped over the sand on our bikes.  Three horses came into our view, and my brother, Isaac, got pictures of them for my database.  However, I will always regret not grabbing my camera and taking a few quick photos (I couldn't have gotten any more soaked than I did, anyway!).  With the surrounding scenery and stunning cloud formations, I'm sure it would've been a once-in-a-lifetime photo.

Thankful for these iPhone snapshots so I can remember what they looked like!

During our last few minutes on the beach, lightning flashed around us before we could get under trees.

Soon, the boardwalk to Sea Camp (the closest beach exit to the ferry dock) appeared. As we crossed the dunes, the rain was pouring down. By the time we were on the boardwalk, 100 feet away from the trees, hail began pelting us. I'm thankful for my bike helmet, or it would've been pretty uncomfortable! Seeing thousands of little ice balls bouncing on the boardwalk's planks was surreal!

A piece of hail stuck in my backpack.

Thankfully, the rain slowed down enough for us to bike to the dock, and we made it to the ferry on time!  Of course, as soon as the ferry left the dock, the clouds started breaking, and the sun came back out!  It was still windy, and the ferry's wake was slightly bigger than usual.  Several dolphins rode the waves, and I was so excited to photograph dolphins for the first time!  They're definitely my favorite sea creatures.

They always look happy!

A lovely rainbow over Cumberland Island to end the day!

Although this would've been a horrible camping trip for some people, we had a wonderful time! I enjoyed experiencing the island during different weather conditions and seeing the wildlife's behavior (especially the wild horses). This trip to Cumberland has left me with even more unanswered questions, and I'm anxious to return!

I'll be making a video about this trip, which I'll post on Patreon.  You can join Patreon for just $4 per month and access exclusive content while supporting Mustang Mission!