鸟瞰Mockhorn岛野生动植物管理区沼泽地内的潮汐通道，弗吉尼亚 Aerial view of tidal channels in marshland of the Mockhorn Island State Wildlife Management Area, Virginia (© Shane Gross/Minden Pictures)

鸟瞰Mockhorn岛野生动植物管理区沼泽地内的潮汐通道，弗吉尼亚 Aerial view of tidal channels in marshland of the Mockhorn Island State Wildlife Management Area, Virginia (© Shane Gross/Minden Pictures)

When does the tide come in?

From the air, this tract of Mockhorn Island on the Atlantic coast of Virginia's Eastern Shore could pass for gentle farmland. But what you're really looking at is rugged tidal marshland, visible when the tide is out—the rest of the time, much of this area is underwater. Mockhorn is itself part of Virginia's coastal island chain called the Barrier Islands, which run down the east coast of the state from the Maryland-Delaware border for about 70 miles, stretching to the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. The green vegetation you see is grass, although not the kind you'll find in a suburban lawn. Instead, it's saltmarsh cordgrass, a type of perennial deciduous species that grows in wetlands and salt marshes like this one.

The only way to access the tidal channels of Mockhorn Island is by boat, and plenty of kayakers, hunters, and sport fishers are willing to brave the fickle, windy weather to enjoy the island's labyrinth of sloughs, bays, and inlets. The area's also a great destination for bird watchers, as many bird species fly directly overhead while migrating. Historically, the rugged terrain and remote location of the Barrier Islands made them a great place for those running from the authorities—it's said that pirates, including Blackbeard himself, spent time in hiding in the backwaters of this rugged coast.

潮水什么时候来？

从空中看，这片位于弗吉尼亚东岸大西洋海岸的莫克霍恩岛可以算是一片温和的农田。但你真正看到的是崎岖不平的潮汐沼泽地，其余时间退潮时可见，这一地区大部分都在水下。莫克霍恩岛本身是弗吉尼亚州海岸岛链的一部分，称为障壁群岛，从马里兰州与特拉华州的边界沿该州东海岸延伸约70英里，一直延伸到切萨皮克湾的河口。你看到的绿色植被是草，虽然不是你在郊区草坪上看到的那种。取而代之的是盐沼灯心草，一种多年生落叶植物，生长在湿地和盐沼中。

进入莫克霍恩岛潮汐通道的唯一途径是乘船，许多皮划艇手、猎人和运动渔民都愿意冒着变化无常、刮风的天气，享受岛上迷宫般的泥沼、海湾和水湾。该地区也是鸟类观察者的好去处，因为许多鸟类在迁徙时直接从头顶飞过。从历史上看，障壁岛崎岖的地形和偏远的地理位置使它成为那些逃避当局的人的好去处。据说海盗，包括黑胡子本人，都在这个崎岖的海岸的穷乡僻壤中躲藏了一段时间。