Starting with the largest predators, there are sharks of scary proportions feeding just off the beach. The photo shows a large sandbar shark (in the same family as the great white) recently caught by my son at Stump Pass on cut fish bait. Such impressive predators almost never bother humans; however it is probably wise not to swim after sundown! They are a major predator on fish.
Birds are common intermediate-sized predators that both feed and rest on the beach. The willet shown here feeds often on mole crabs as do numerous other shorebirds such as red knots and sanderlings.
A smaller nocturnal predator and scavenger that is very common on the beach at night is the ghost crab. It lives in holes during the day and emerges at night to search for food. Although it may feed mostly on beach-washed carcasses, it can also be highly predatory and for example feed on hatchling sea turtles.
Some of the most ferocious predators are tiny, such as the tiger beetle, shown here mating on the beach. They have massive jaws for their size and are like a tiny tiger among the small denizens of the beach. Their larvae also are predatory although they live in holes in the sand.
So when you next go to the beach, look around and observe some of the dramas of life and death that are unfolding around you. Our beach playground is wild animal habitat which contains some of the most predatory creatures in nature.
Bill Dunson
wdunson@comcast.net
http://lemonbayconservancy.org/news-blog/nature-notes-by-bill-dunson/