​Resilience at Assateague: Lessons from a Tidepool

One of the most unexpected lessons in resilience we experienced at Assateague Island National Seashore didn't come from the horses, the marshes, or even the ocean itself.

It came from a group of smooth dogfish sharks.

We were on the bus heading to the beach for a morning of surf fishing when my phone buzzed with a text from Ranger Heather. She had spotted a large group of smooth dogfish sharks gathered in a shallow tidepool and thought we might enjoy seeing them on our way to the beach.

So we made a quick stop.

As we walked over, there they were—more than twenty sharks swimming together in a pool of water left behind by the retreating tide. For many of us, it was our first time seeing smooth dogfish sharks up close. We stood along the edge of the pool watching them glide through the water, fascinated by how many there were and how calm they seemed.

We thought we had simply stumbled upon one of those magical Assateague moments.

We didn't realize the sharks might be in trouble.

When we arrived at the beach, Ranger Heather explained what was really happening. The sharks had likely followed fish into shallow water as the tide came in. As the water receded, they became trapped in the tidepool. Some of the sharks were beginning to struggle. Others were thrashing as the pool became smaller and shallower. Ranger Heather had already rescued several of them before we arrived.

Suddenly, what had felt like an exciting wildlife sighting became something much more serious.

As Ranger Heather shared what she had seen, our environmental educators, Remy and Raven, immediately asked if they could return to help rescue the remaining sharks.

The rest of us stayed at the beach.

We cast fishing lines into the surf, walked the shoreline, and continued our morning activities. Meanwhile, Remy and Raven headed to help the sharks that were still stranded.

Most of us didn't learn the full story until later.

We heard about the rescue after the fact. We learned how many sharks had been trapped and how many had been carefully guided back to deeper water. We saw photos and listened to the stories.

And that's when the lesson began to sink in. The sharks hadn't done anything wrong. They were simply following food, following instinct, doing what they were designed to do.

Then the tide changed. How often does that happen in our own lives? We can be moving forward, doing everything we know to do, and suddenly circumstances shift. A challenge appears. A loss arrives. A plan falls apart. We find ourselves in a place we never expected to be.

The sharks couldn't simply will themselves back to the ocean. They needed help. And because someone noticed, help arrived. Ranger Heather paid attention. Remy and Raven were willing to act. The sharks got a second chance.

As educators, we spend much of our lives helping others navigate their own tidepools. We encourage students when they struggle. We support colleagues through difficult seasons. We remind people that they are capable of more than they realize.

But nature reminded us of something important that morning. Resilience isn't just about helping others. Sometimes resilience means accepting help when you need it. The wild horses of Assateague teach resilience through endurance. The piping plovers teach resilience through courage. But a group of stranded smooth dogfish sharks taught us something equally important.

Being resilient doesn't mean doing everything yourself. Sometimes resilience is found in the people who notice your struggle. Sometimes resilience is found in those willing to step in and help. And sometimes resilience is simply holding on long enough for the tide to change.

At Assateague, a group of sharks found their way back to deeper water. And all week long, that lesson stayed with us.