Limpets and gypsum pseudomorphs

A fine day means the chance to walk the Westray coast:

Westray coast - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

The blues are spectacular and the rocks are fascinating

Westray coast - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

In the cracks in the sedimentary rocks are Limpets. The safest are probably the ones which hunker down deep within the cracks. Being left on the outside could be dangerous in a storm or difficult when they get hot and bothered by the sun.

Limpets - Westray coast - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Interestingly I’ve been to this crack in the rocks before and seen the Limpets. There were far fewer then:

My book on Westray geology says there are gypsum pseudomorphs in the rocks here. I wonder if that’s what these are?

Gypsum pseudomorphs - Westray coast - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

They look like fossilised organic material, but I think they are simply mineral:

Gypsum pseudomorphs - Westray coast - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Here’s a wall of rock full of those strange shapes and a line of Limpets in perfect shelter. All they need is for October to come and a temperature of 11 degrees Celsius and they will release vast quantities of white sperm and green eggs into the water.

Limpets - Westray coast - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

It’ll be a proper Limpet orgy.

More Limpets

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