Archiving a few leftover photos from our Spring in Florida
Posted By RichC on April 30, 2025
While walking the Atlantic shoreline, Brenda and I often watched ships and tugs towing barges offshore pass by. We took note of the unique ones like the SS United States and more recently a specialized Express Marine hybrid barge with its companion tug. It was interesting enough to dig a little deeper.
Express Marine, Inc., a family-owned marine transportation company based in Camden, New Jersey, operates a hybrid barge system paired with an offshore tug as part of its extensive fleet. This hybrid barge, designed for both inland and offshore towing, is equipped with an integrated pinning system to enhance operational efficiency and cargo delivery rates. Capable of transporting dry bulk and liquid cargos, the barge ranges in capacity from 5,000 to 24,000 tons, supported by advanced tugs featuring flanking rudders and Z-drives for superior maneuverability. This setup allows Express Marine to provide reliable, state-of-the-art transportation solutions along the East Coast, meeting diverse customer needs with a focus on safety and modern navigation technology.
Also towards the end of our time in Florida, we started to see a few more Porcupine Fish or Puffer Fish. Thankfully they are easy to spot and not step on (we are in bare feet), but for a small fish, they do contain a poison that we would rather not have to deal with: “Almost all puffer fish contain tetrodotoxin, which makes them foul-tasting and often lethal. Tetrodotoxin is deadly, up to 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide. One puffer fish has enough toxin to kill 30 adult humans; no known antidote exists. Only one species is immune to the puffer fish’s toxin, sharks.” (LINK)
Video below break
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