Abalone and turkey

Dive flags in the misty breeze.

     This morning Crista and I were lucky enough to join the abalone restoration team on the Zoea for a site survey.  It was a foggy grey day but that didn't deter the intrepid divers Nate, Anne and Annie, they surveyed a spot previously planted with juvenile abalone.  Not only did they find, count and measure abalone that had been out-planted but came across some of such a size that they must be wild.  A wonderful and encouraging find, a spot so well chosen even the wild abalone agree.

Nate, Anne and Ann preparing to descend.

Crista the photographer getting her photo snapped for once.

  They did two dives and completed their survey for the site.  Crista, Jay and I chatted in the dry warm cabin bravely awaiting their return.  You couldn't pry the smiles off Annie and Anne's faces when they returned.

Anne all smiles after the first dive.

Annie found a tagged out-plant that didn't make it.

     Though the sun kept threatening to show up it only really came out a few minutes from the marina.  It is always breathtaking to watch the fog burn off the water and reveal all it has been hiding.  During our journey we were briefly joined by both a seal and a few porpoises at different times.

The weather cleared on our way back to the marina.

     Anne is also researching diet options for juvenile abalone and her "babies" just came in to the lab yesterday.  I stopped by the lab to check them out and was surprised just how tiny they are, just a few mm.

Anne's baby abalone. (It is red, the green on the bottom is algae.)

     This evening nearly everyone got together and had Thanksgiving in July.  It all came together very well, we feasted like royalty and laughed a lot.  It was a really wonderful evening with people I am really grateful to have had a chance to meet and get to know.

Umi captured the group nicely.

Anne graciously mauled the bird for us.

Chad and Umi debating some point or another.