My brother and I sat in the Santa Rosa area of Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida, beach chairs perched on the bright white sand facing the Gulf of Mexico. In May, the water had taken on a bright, aquamarine hue, waves breaking against the shore in a froth of white.

We had come to relax and swim, the culmination of my brother’s visit before he returned to California where he lived. He read a book on his phone, while I had a paper version propped open on my lap. However, as always, I kept a pair of binoculars in my bag next to me, ready to jot down the species that we saw.

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