Learning more about the impacts our actions have on the ocean and bay, and all the creatures that live there, is one way that we can help protect and preserve these natural resources, says the photographer whose entry was chosen as the winner of the Delaware Ocean Photo Contest.

Angela Flynn just moved to Lewes in May and had not been to the beaches much because of the hot summer. But a cooler day and light breeze enticed her, and she was enjoying the late afternoon sun when she noticed some children nearby chasing a crab.

“The crab didn’t appear happy,” she said.

So she approached the children to talk about the crab and positioned herself above it, protecting it with her body.

“It was just staring up at me, she said, “like it was saying ‘are you going to hurt me or save me.’”

She took out her phone and snapped a few photos of the crab.

“The eyes in the picture, staring up at me, were just adorable,” she said.

She said she isn’t a professional photographer, but she did specifically buy the brand and model phone she has based primarily on the quality of photos it produced.

“I love taking pictures,” she said.

She downloads them from her phone onto her computer, but said she basically only shares them with friends on social media. She said she probably has about 100 or so beach-related photos in her short time living in The First State.

She said the children weren’t being malicious in chasing the crab; they were just having a fun day at the beach.

“A lot of the damage we do as adults falls into the same category,” she said. “We do things without realizing that we are hurting the environment, or the homes where these creatures live.”

She said boosting educational efforts about the impact our actions have might be helpful.

“They need more signage about the creatures along the coast, their habitats, and what we can do to protect them,” she said. “We’re all in this together and we all need to look out for each other.”

That applies to actions big and small.

“Maybe we can’t save the world,” she said, “but we can save a crab.”

Related Topics:  animals, fun, nature, nature photography, photo contest