While touring through Corpus Cristi, TX, we made a short visit to the Padre Island National Seashore at Malaquite Beach.  The water temperature today was only 55°F so we didn't do much other than wade into the water up to our knees.  It didn't take long before your toes went numb.  The park ranger mentioned the fact that in the summer the water can be as warm as 85°F.  The extreme temperature fluctuation prevents much of a coral reef from forming offshore, which explains why we weren't doing very well hunting for shells.  Padre Island is also known for bird watching and turtle migrations.  Unfortunately, the only critters we observed during our visit were bird-sized mosquitoes.

Enjoy the photographs (click thumbnails for larger view)..

2009 Padre Island National Seashore Laura digging in the sand.	2009 Padre Island National Seashore Anna flinging shells.	2009 Padre Island National Seashore Nene shell collecting.
2009 Padre Island National Seashore Molly tiptoeing into the cold water.	2009 Padre Island National Seashore We've come this far, we have to go into the water.	2009 Padre Island National Seashore The Condon family walking the beach for shells.