Category Archives: Ocean

Exploring the Mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle

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There’s something undeniably captivating about the Bermuda Triangle. Nestled between Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico, this stretch of ocean—roughly 500,000 square miles—has become legendary for strange disappearances. Planes vanish from radar, ships go missing without a trace, and eerie stories continue to circulate even decades later.

The area rose to fame in the mid-20th century, especially after the 1945 incident known as Flight 19, when five U.S. Navy bombers disappeared during a routine training mission. A rescue plane sent to find them also vanished. Since then, over 50 ships and 20 airplanes have reportedly disappeared in the region under mysterious circumstances.

Over the years, the Bermuda Triangle has sparked all kinds of theories. Some people believe magnetic anomalies interfere with compasses and navigation. Others point to sudden weather changes, rogue waves, or even methane gas eruptions from the seafloor that could reduce water density and sink ships. And then there are the more out-there ideas—like alien abductions, Atlantis, or a hidden time portal (because why not?).

Scientists, of course, offer more grounded explanations. The region lies in one of the world’s most heavily traveled shipping lanes and is prone to hurricanes, fast-moving storms, and complex ocean currents. Many “mysteries” turn out to be cases of human error, mechanical failure, or natural causes when studied closely.

Still, even with the science, there’s something about the Bermuda Triangle that continues to stir our imaginations. Maybe it’s the thrill of the unknown—or just our fascination with unsolved puzzles in nature.

So what do you think—is it all just coincidence and bad weather? Or is there still something mysterious lurking in those deep blue waters?

Drop your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear where you stand on the Bermuda Triangle! 🌊✈️🛳️

Thanks for stopping by and diving into this mystery with me. Wishing you a wonder-filled day! 🌊✨

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Photo by Emiliano Arano on Pexels.com

Shop Update – New Laughing Gulls Photo Available

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Check out this delightful photo of two laughing gulls! Capturing them against the coastal rocks in the Bahamas was such a joy. You can almost feel the warmth of the sun and the refreshing ocean breeze in this photo. These beautiful birds truly brought a smile to my face, and I hope they do the same for you!

This charming snapshot is available in my Etsy Shop in 5×7 or 8×10 inch sizes to add a touch of nature’s joy to your space.

Thanks for your support!!

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Shop Update – New Plover Photo Available

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Immersing myself in the serene beauty of the beach is one of life’s simple pleasures, and there’s nothing quite like watching the graceful dance of shoreline birds. This is a moment in time I captured of a plover on the Florida West Coast, foraging for food upon the pristine sandy shores.

What’s truly remarkable is the individuality and vibrancy that each bird exudes—a testament to the fascinating diversity of nature’s creations.

This beautiful print is available in my Etsy Shop in 5×7 or 8×10 inch sizes to add a touch of coastal charm to your surroundings.

Thanks for your support!!

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Thoughtful Thursday Orcas spotted in Florida Keys

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Photo by Felix Rottmann on Pexels.com

I just heard about this on the news and it took me by complete surprise so I had to share it with you. As most of you know I’m a native Floridian and have spent much of my life in and near the ocean. But I’ve never seen or even heard of Orcas in our waters. But this past weekend, Orcas were been spotted in South Florida.

Florida waters are normally warm and this year the oceans are extremely warm. But Orcas usually prefer cooler waters so it’s surprising to see them here. Typically you’d find them in the Arctic, Pacific Northwest and the Northern Atlantic oceans. Although they do travel in all of the oceans around the globe, including South Florida seeing them this far south is definitely a rarity.

Apparently, last Saturday a group of fisherman were fishing 20 miles off the coast of Key Largo, located in the Upper Keys, when a group of orcas came up to their boat. It’s one thing to see one of these large whales in captivity, but it’s a bit unnerving to have a group of them get this close to you in open waters when your in a boat.

Marine biologists are stumped as to why they came to South Florida. But the group hung around the boat for a few minutes and then went off into the ocean. One of them even had a fish in his mouth. Luckily the fisherman were all fine.

Orcas are family oriented and live in groups or pods of up to 40 members. They can live anywhere from 50-80 years in the wild. An adult male can grow up to 26 feet in length and weigh up to 13,200 pounds. A baby orca, or calf is born weighing around 350 pounds. They’re very smart and are considered to be one of the most intelligent marine mammals.

We may never know why they were here, but I like to see it as a blessing 😊

Hope you enjoyed this post today, thanks for stopping by!!

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Amazing Life Journal Pages

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I love the ocean and enjoy spending lots of time on the beach. I lounge on the shore completely immersing my mind, body and soul in the ebb and flow of the waves. It’s a reset for me.

This was a fun little journal spread I made using lots of different things and techniques like collaged papers, stickers, stamped images, stencils, distressing, painting and coloring with markers. I added my quote “This life is Amazing, treasure it!”

I hope you’re able to find and see the amazing things in your life✨

Have a beautiful weekend. Thanks for stopping by!!!

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New Notecards

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More exciting news, now available in my Etsy Shop, set of 3 Beach notecards with envelopes. These are also blank inside making them perfect to send warm wishes to someone special. Whether they’re well wishes, birthday or uplifting words of encouragement, these notecards are ideal. Professionally printed from my original photographs on heavy cardstock. Each card measures 4.25×5.5 inches and is blank inside for your inspiring sentiments.

Thanks for stopping by!!

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Save Our Oceans and Turtles Journal Pages (Part 2)

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The other week I posted Page 1 of this journal spread. For my focal point on the second page I used a tag that I made a while ago and stashed away for later use. I love this tag because it was embossed with a stamp that reads “My heart is at home by the Sea” which really resonates with me.

I made the little turtles using the same stamp as in the tag, colored them, cut them out and glued them into the journal. I wanted a little texture for the turtle shells so I used Inkssentials Glossy Accents.

I had a lot of fun creating this journal layout and hope you will too!

Supplies

  • 9″ x 12″ Journal
  • Torn pieces of tissue paper or pages from a book
  • Gesso
  • Mod Podge or Gel Matte Medium
  • Acrylic Paint: Aqua and Royal Blue
  • Fiber Paste
  • Wave Stencil
  • Palette Knife
  • Assorted ocean themed stamps
  • Staz On Black Ink
  • Inkssentials Glossy Accents
  • Assorted ephemera and embellishments
  • Ranger Distress Ink – Black Soot
  • Glue
  • Scissors

Instructions

  1. Paint your pages with gesso. Let dry.
  2. Tear small pieces of paper and glue them to the journal pages with Mod Podge or Gel Matte Medium. Let dry.
  3. Paint your background in your favorite acrylic paint. Allow the torn pieces of paper to show through the paint a little. Let dry.
  4. Mix fiber paste with a darker contrasting acrylic paint and apply using a palette knife and wave stencil. Let dry.
  5. Stamp sea life images to the pages with the Staz On Ink and add ephemera you have that will go with the ocean theme. You can also stamp or draw images, color them with paint, cut them out and glue them to the pages like I did with the little turtles. I also added a little Glossy Accents for more texture.
  6. Distress the edges with Ranger Black Soot.
  7. Add your quote.
  8. Add any shading and highlights where needed. Add a little sparkly glitter and that’s it!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Save Our Oceans and Turtles Journal Pages (Part 1)

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Sometimes I save pieces of ephemera from things I buy or places I’ve visited. I recently bought a Simply Southern t-shirt which are super comfortable and it had a sticker on it “Save our oceans and turtles.” I kept it not knowing what to do with it but when I was creating another piece of art, I came across yet another piece of ephemera I saved, the canvas seashell tag. So I set the two pieces aside and decided I had to make them work and this is what I came up with.

Stay tuned and I’ll post the second page shortly.

Thanks for stopping by!

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Underwater Watercolor Journal Page

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I gave myself a challenge to create a journal page in 90 minutes or less and this is what I ended up with. I started with a quick pencil sketch in my Strathmore 9″ x 12″ Visual Journal. Next I used watercolor pencils to paint the page and let it dry. I added detailing and shading with colored pencils, Sakura Micron Pen 005 and a white Posca Pen. For a little texture, I filled in the bubbles with Inkssentials Glossy Accents. And of course, lets not forget the bling with Stickles.

Give yourself a challenge and see what you can come up with. You’ll be surprised!

Have a fantastic week!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Thoughtful Thursday – Earth Day

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Photo taken by Maria Vidaurre, Marco Island, FL

Earth Day started April 22, 1970, as a way to bring awareness to environmental issues and changing the public’s outlook. We are all interconnected on this planet. Every action causes an equal reaction whether it be good or bad.

Everyone chooses their battles to fight. Some battle to reduce air pollution while others battle for the forests. My battle is for the oceans because they are one of the biggest sources of life on this planet. It’s heartbreaking to see the islands of plastic that have formed as a result of dumping garbage into the oceans. Some of the plastic breaks down, pollutes the waters and eventually settles on the ocean floors. Marine animals mistake plastics for food causing them to get sick or even die.

As humans we consume tons of fish, crabs, lobsters and shrimp from the oceans every year. With the amount of plastics, garbage and toxins that have been dumped into the oceans the marine life has become toxic for humans to eat. Yet it still is a very large food source for us, so what does that say about the state of our health?

This is just one small part of a much larger problem in the oceans and I could go on and on about the issues at hand, but I think you get the gist of it. Everyday we wake up we need to be mindful of the role we play on this planet and be proactive in taking care of Mother Earth so we will have a beautiful tomorrow.

What are some of the things you do to help make a better tomorrow?

Thanks for stopping by!

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” ~Unknown

All photos above in the slide presentation were taken by Maria Vidaurre, Bahamas.