Finding Food on the Seashore and Deserted Island

Tropical Islands are rarely desert islands, They will usually offer plenty to eat, both in the water and in the island. Seashore plants will differ according to the climate and they will be available when weather or tide prevent you gathering food from the sea. In the water you can find seaweeds of different varieties, which are a very valuable food source. For the Survivor, when on a deserted island, protein, fat and carbs are all extremely important for the energy that is needed to keep surviving until you are rescued or you self rescue.



 Seaweed can usually be found where the water has rocks and is more shallow so that the sun can reach them. Seaweed can also be dried and stored for months. It's good to have foods that can be stored for long periods of time, especially for the survivor, you never know how long you will be at a certain area or if you will be waiting to be rescued or if your going to self rescue.

 Mollusks & Bivalves... such as oysters, clams, scallops, and mussels should close tightly when trapped. When hunting for fish, mollusk, bivalves, lobster, sea urchins or other sea life, it is best to do it at low tide, when rock pools can be inspected and buried mollusk and other creatures can be dug from the sandy shores. Only eat mollusk that are alive and remember that if a mollusk is above the high tide water level (above low tide is fine), but if above the high tide level or if the water or fluid that comes out of the mollusk appear to have a green or yellow tint in color DO NOT HARVEST OR EAT these! They will make you extremely sick and may be toxic and can cause death. Survival code is that you NEVER risk eating or messing around with something that your are not exactly sure what it might be. If you are unsure, it is best to just leave it alone and look for something else to eat that you know is OK. Remember Fresh water fish are always OK to eat, But Salt water or ocean life has a lot of different varieties of fish that are extremely poisonous. Stick with what you know, It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Gastropods ... There are a few different varieties of gastropods such winkles and whelks that have an operculum (kind of like a trap door) that closes the entrance to the shell. It should close tightly if the shell is shaken. Some Gastropods, such as Limpets and Abalones have no operculum but are tightly anchored to the rocks, It is best to use a knife to pry underneath the edge of shell to harvest them from the rocks. If they are difficult to pry off of the rock then they are good to eat, but if they come of way to easy then they are more than likely sick or dead (just make sure that there is no green or yellowish color water or fluid before eating them). If there are any limpet found still anchored after high tide, then they are still good to eat. The Tide will usually wash away sick or dead creatures.

  
Cooking Shell Fish... You can cook shell fish in many different ways, with Bivalves such as clams, scallops, oysters and mussels, you can Boil them for 5-10 minutes, or you can place your bivalves (mussels, oysters, clams, etc..) on the coals of your fire for about 5-10 minutes and when the shells open they are ready to eat!!




SEA SNAKE

Fishing... Fish and sea snakes require more catching. Some fish are dangerous and all sea snakes are venomous. Distinguish snakes from eels by their scales and their broad flattened tails. On the coasts the best time to fish from the shore is about 2 hours after high tides. If you fish when the tides are still coming in you are going to be constantly retreating. Saltwater is known to rot clothing, shoes, and boots, so when fishing do it in shorts, or in your underwear or a bathing suit. (or if you are on a deserted island, go naked, it's not like anyone is going to see you and it will cool you off).

 Sea fishing requires a larger hook than freshwater fishing, if you don't have a hook, as a survivor you improvise by using things that are around you for instance you can use trash that washes up on shore from the ocean to make a hook or you can make a four prong spear. (which I will go over in another post).
  

Sea Eel

A wide variety of bait can be used when fishing in the ocean. You can use limpets, conch, snails, or even lug worms that can be dug up on sandy and muddy beaches. At low tide look for the coiled worm casts that shows you where their L-shaped burrows are.
  
Make use of the tide to help you catch fish by building large arrow shaped fish traps from stakes or rocks. Point them away from the shore. Fish will be caught when the tide recedes. This is what is called "Lazy man Fishing" or better yet "Low calorie Fishing". Using this method, not only will you have dinner being caught with out you having to expel calories that your body needs, babysit a pole or spear fish, but you can forage for food, water, and work on your shelter, which ever needs to be done priority wise. Work Smarter, Not harder.

Different types of Echinoderms






SEA CUCUMBER

Echinoderms... Another useful source of food, the echinoderms include starfish (not worth bothering with as food), sea urchins and sea cucumbers. Sea cucumbers creep about on the seabed or burrow in the sand. They look like wary black cucumbers, up to 8 inches long. Sea cucumbers should be Roasted over a fire until done or boiled for five minutes before eating. Sea Cucumbers are very tough and chewy after they are cooked.



SEA URCHIN

Sea urchins, or sea eggs as they are sometimes called, are usually prickly balls which cling on to rocks, just below the low water mark but they have burrowing relations, the cake and heart urchins and the sea  potato which can be found beneath the sand. Split open and eat the egg like 'yolk' inside. You can eat it raw, but it is safer to boil. AVOID any if their spines do not move when touched or if they smell bad when opened.




DIFFERENT KINDS OF CRUSTACEANS

Crustaceans... These include crabs, crayfish, shrimp, prawns, crab, and lobsters, all of which make their homes in rock pools. Lobsters are usually found beyond the tidal zone but sometimes can be found in deep pools or crevices. Look Under stones and seaweeds... Though you will have to be quick to catch them!!! A net would help. Improvised one from clothing and a piece of wire or a sapling. Sand crabs are abundant in the tropics. Active at nigh, they can be chased back to their burrow at the top of the beach dug out. Some even climb trees and can be knocked down.
   Freshwater crabs, crayfish, and shrimp are also found in many parts of the world. They are smaller than sand crabs and usually found in shallow water.

 All Crustaceans spoil quickly and they may contain harmful parasites. They must be eaten as soon as possible, so keep them alive in water until you are ready to cook them. They are cooked alive, either by plunging into boiling water, so that they die almost immediately, or by putting them in cold water and heating it up, which is claimed to lull them in to unconsciousness so that they feel no pain. Boil for 20 minutes. If you don't have some kind of container that you can boil them in, you can always put them on the hot coals of your fire for about 15 minutes or so. You will know when they are done.

Crabs have poisonous sections which must be removed. You do this by twisting off the claws and legs, then, with the crab on its back, place your thumbs under the flap at the tail and push upwards. Pull the flap up and away from the body and lift it off. This prevents the stomach contents from touching the flesh. Next press on the mouth and stomach come away in one piece. The lungs (known as "Dead men's Fingers"), which are harmful to eat, can them be pulled out and discarded.

 Lobster is easier to prepare. Cut along the back towards the head and split open. The stomach lies just behind the mouth and is removed with the head and intestinal cord.

Seabirds... Most ocean coast are alive with seabirds, Fish for them. Leave baited hooks among offal on flat rocks, even throw baited hooks into the air to be taken on the wind.  Try wrapping bait around stones. The sudden change in weight can make birds crash.
      Ground nesting birds can provide a rich source of eggs. Look for the ones that are easy to collect before risking raiding nests on cliffs. You can also try to catch the birds themselves at night when roosting, but do not risk climbing.
 

The White Tern lays their eggs directly on the tree branches

 Some birds, Like the White Tern, lay there eggs on branches in trees, These birds are easy to spot because they are white with a long, sharp, black beak. You can tell when you are close to one with an egg because the bird will flap its wings, and you can see the birds little spotted eggs just resting on a tree branch.
  







Thanks for reading, Be sure to read Surviving On A Deserted Island and Seashores And The Survivor
For related post on this article. Don't Forget to check out The Ruff Survival YouTube Channel.





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Surviving on a deserted Island

 SURVIVING ON A DESERTED ISLAND

 

 

Islands offer a special challenge to the survivor, especially small islands and those lacking resources. The feeling of loneliness is emphasized on an island and the sense of isolation acute. The problems are mental as well as physical. To help overcome them explore the island thoroughly and establish a daily routine.

  
Climb the highest point to make a sketch of the island and get a mental picture of the terrain. Explore every creek, cranny, bay and beach of the coastline. Then take you reconnaissances inland until the island is familiar.

 
The island may have been inhabited in the past. Remains of building offer a basis for shelter. Fence post and wire will be useful to repair your boat or build a raft. Vegetables may still be found growing and rats seem to follow man everywhere, sometimes they are the only permanent wildlife to be found.

 Shelter... Shelter will make life seem better and even a scrape in the ground will give some protection. If you find caves ensure that they are not tidal before you decide to use one. Remember that even caves that seem safe may be flooded or cut of by spring tides, which are higher than normal.

   On a barren rocky outcrop shelter may simply mean finding a place out of the wind. Water may depend on you collecting rainfall and distillation. Food will be whatever clings to the rocks, birds and bird eggs if you are lucky, and what you can haul from the sea.

Resources... On any small island resources will be limited. Take care not to over exploit any one of them. Water is often a problem, lack of it is the reason many islands are uninhabited. Lush vegetation will draw attention to spring and streams. Digging above the high water mark may produce water. Catch and store rainwater.

  
To desalinate sea water by distillation you need a lot of fuel, which may be scarce. Driftwood may be available and some seaweeds will burn when dried, but you need wood to get the fire going. Seal blubber also makes good fuel. Have a fire only when you really need one. Search beaches after every tide, not just food wood, but for plastic bottles or containers, netting, and other trash. Everything has a use for the survivor.

  
Once familiar with your island, venture out at night, more creatures can be seen and foraging may be more rewarding.

Coconuts... The coconut palm is found right through the tropics and subtropics and can provide many valuable resources. The fronds can be used for shelter, the husks for ropes and as tender for fire, growing points taste just like cabbages, the milk for hydration, the meat for calories, and the shell for cups and containers.

 

Removing The Coconut Husks... To remove the fibrous husk around the coconut force it over a sharpened stake, hit it on a sharp rock or split it with a hand axe. Extract the milk by piercing one of the dark 'eyes' of the nut itself before smashing the nut open to get the meat.

  

Coconut milk is a safe, refreshing, and very nutritional drink. A large nut may hold about 1 liter of water. Drinking the very young green or old dark brown nuts will give you diarrhea, so take that into consideration before drinking to many of those, Use them as an emergency back up, when you have no water at all to drink.  If you happen to get the coconut that still has what I like to call the "cotton candy" part of the coconut, where the center is a spongy edible delight, enjoy it, you don't find them often and it is the very best part of the coconut, full of rich nutrients and vitamins.

Extract coconut oil by exposing chopped white meat to heat, sun, or fire, Then collect the oil as it runs off, or by boiling and skimming the oil as it rises to the surface. Rub it on to  protect from sunburn, and chafing from saltwater, to repel insects, as a salve for sores and blisters or mixed with wood ash as a substitute for soap.

Climbing Palms... If coconuts don't fall on your head and you cant knock them down, or if you need to reach some high bananas, don't try to climb the tree trunk like a rope. Instead, tie a strong bandage of cloth into a strap and slip it around your ankles. Adjust it to hold your feet close to the trunk and then you can press the soles of your feet inward and grip with them while shimmying up the tree.

                  ATTRACTING RESCUE

• LAY OUT SIGNALS TO ATTRACT SEARCHERS BY ARRANGING ROCKS, SEAWEED AND ANYTHING THAT GIVES CONTRAST AND MOVEMENT WITH ITS SURROUNDINGS.

• SAND IS EXCELLENT FOR POLISHING METAL TO MAKE MIRRORS TO SIGNAL WITH.

• IF YOU CAN SEE A SHIP YOU CAN TRY AD MAKE CONTCT ON A VHF RADIO (IF YOU HAVE ONE)

• A BIG  'X' IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE MOST URGENT SYMBOL OR LETTER FOR AN INTERNATIONAL RESCUE SIGNAL

• 3 LINES IS ALSO KNOWN AS AN INTERNATIONAL RESCUE SIGNAL

• WRITE   SOS  AS BIG AS YOU CAN WITH DEADBRE, SEAWEED OR ANYTHING THAT IS A DIFFERENT COLOR THAN WHAT THE BACKGROUND IS.

• FIND SOMETHING BRIGHTLY COLORED THAT DOESNT GO WITH THE SURROUNDINGS, PUT IT ON A LONG BRANCH OR STICK, STICK IT IN THE GROUND AND MAKE IT LIKE A FLAG SO THAT RESCUE PERSONAIL KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND

• MAKE A HUGE FIRE, USE TRASH AROUND THE ISLAND THAT HAS WASHED UP FROM SEA, LIKE FLIPFLOPS, STIROPHOME, RUBBER, ANYTHING THAT WILL PUT OF ALOT OF DARK OR BLACK SMOKE.

• NEVER GIVE UP, KEEP TRYING, KEEP YOUR EYES AND EARS OPEN TO EVERYTHING AROUND YOU.

• MAKE 3 CONTROLLABLE FIRES THAT YOU CAN HAVE READY TO LIGHT AT THE FIRST SIGN OF POSSIBLE RESCUE

And always remember... These methods can be used no matter where you may find yourself when trying to achieve self rescue or become found.

Thanks for reading, please check out my other post that are related to this one, I have the links below.
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Eric from Ruff Survival

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 http://ruffsurvival.blogspot.com/2013/03/seashores-and-survivor.html
http://ruffsurvival.blogspot.com/2013/03/getting-water-from-plants.html