A/V Geeks 16mm Films: Exploring the Beach with Betty and Billy (1955)

It is early morning on the beach. A gentle wind is blowing across the sea. The wind blows the waves up on the beach. It blows across the sand. It blows through the tall grasses that grow along the edge of the beach. Would you like to explore the beach with Betty and Billy? Right now they're having fun playing hide-and-go-seek. Can Betty find Billy in the tall, tall grass? Betty has found something else hidden in the grass. What can it be? Why, it's a nest. A bird's nest. See it, Billy? Billy knows that this is a sandpiper's nest. There are four speckled sandpiper eggs, and there's a sandpiper. Sandpipers live on the beach because they eat insects and other small animals found along the shore. Some birds that we'll see on the beach eat fish. Birds like the pelican that fishes for its meal. Let's watch this pelican. Watch him. Down he goes, and up he comes with a fish. Hear that? Are those pelicans, too? No, these birds are smaller than pelicans, and we'll find them on almost every ocean beach. They're seagulls, and they're feeding on some little fish that were washed up on the beach. Don't they seem greedy? Seagulls are swift, graceful flyers, and it's fun to watch them high in the blue sky. Look over there, says Billy. Why, it's Mr. Boone, Betty and Billy's friend. Today, Mr. Boone has promised to go with the children on an errand for their mother. It's fun to go with Mr. Boone because he knows a lot about the sea and the beach. Let's go along, too. Notice Mr. Boone's cap. He once belonged to the Coast Guard, so he knows a lot about ships, too. There's a ship now. Looks like a big one. Shall we have a closer look? Mr. Boone gives Betty his telescope. Now we can see the ship. It's sailing past the buoy that marks the shallow water. This is a ship that carries freight, explains Mr. Boone. Now Betty is interested. What else can we find out about ships? Well, says Mr. Boone, there's something that's important to ships. A lighthouse. At night, the ships at sea are guided by the big light so that they don't come too close to shore. Yes, the buoys and the lighthouse keep ships from the shallow water near the beach, but here's a boat that's not in the water at all. It's a rowboat. How did it get so far up on the beach? The oars are in the sand. Who will push the boat into the water? No one, says Mr. Boone. The water will come up to the boat. You mean when the tide comes in? That's right, Mr. Boone replies. We'll watch for the tide on our way back. Now let's do a little more exploring, shall we? What do you think Betty has found? A seashell. Have you ever looked for seashells? This one is shaped almost like a saucer. This large one has a spiral shape. There are many kinds of shells along the beach. Let's make a collection. Then Betty wants to know, where do all the different shells come from? Mr. Boone explains that every shell was once a covering for an animal that lived inside it, and each one has a name. This is called an angel wing. This is a tulip shell, and this is a sunrise shell. Of course these shells are empty. Betty and Billy would like to see an animal that's still living in its shell. They decide to look for one in the water. Have you ever gone wading and found live animals? Careful Billy, don't go into the water alone. Now let's see. Look, there's a shell in the water. It's a big one. Mr. Boone says this is a whelk. Inside the shell is the live animal, something like a large snail. In the ocean it finds tiny plants and animals to eat. Let's look for other water animals. Do you know this one? It's a starfish. If you've ever waded along a beach, you may have found one of these, a clam. Is there an animal inside the shell? Billy wants to know. Let's leave the clam here, says Mr. Boone, and see if anything happens to it before we get back. Let's not forget it on the way back, says Billy. It seems there's no end of things to see along the beach. Here's an animal called the horseshoe crab. Look at the crab's shape. Can you guess why it's called a horseshoe crab? Yes, the beach is the home of many animals. Is this an animal? No, this is seaweed, says Mr. Boone, a plant that grows in the water. Seaweed is food for many kinds of fish, and that's where we'll see some fish, says Betty, at the pier. Yes, Betty and Billy are going to the pier to buy some fish for dinner. That's the errand they're doing, with Mr. Boone's help. A fishing boat is at the pier. How lucky the fishermen have been today. They've caught many fish out in the deep water. Other fishermen have caught shrimp, another seafood. Betty and Billy pick out a fish to take home to mother for dinner. It's called a small sea bass. Billy pays for it, and then back toward home they go. Remember the clam they left on the beach? Look, the shell has opened, and we can see the clam that lives inside. Look, shouts Billy, the rowboat. It's floating. Yes, a wonderful thing has happened. The tide is coming in, and the boat is floating. Now Betty and Billy have really seen how the tide comes in over the beach. We've seen many things on the beach today, haven't we? Perhaps someday you would like to explore a beach and make your own collection of shells. Or perhaps you might like to read about the beach and the animals there. You might find stories about the pelican and how he fishes for his meal. Could you draw a picture of the pier and the fishermen? You might find out more about the tide and about the ocean. Listen to the big waves. Exploring a beach can be an exciting adventure.