Spectacular failure (9/31)

Heading out from Cap Sante Marina

     Tuesday morning found Dr. Dinnel and myself kayaking out to retrieve a shell bag that wasn't collected in the spring with the rest.  After we rounded the breakwater and started along parallel to the shore I heard a wet breath behind me and found a harbor seal checking us out.  He got less then ten feet from both Dr. Dinnel and myself which Dr. Dinnel said was unusual.  They usually don't get that close but this little guy was super curious.  At one point he dove under me and I stuck my camera in the water in an attempt to catch a photo, I didn't really think I would get anything and was pleasantly surprised when I found the photo below. 

Lucky shot!

Our futile shell bag site.

      The site for the shell bag wasn't to glamorous, the end of a drain in a marina.  We looked and looked, feeling around through thick kelp for about half an hour.  We found this years shell bag but not last years.  We eventually gave up and headed back to the marina.

Feeling watched.

     On our way back to got some more attention from the harbor seals and it soon became apparent why.  Mom and baby were hauled out on a float, a float we actually have a shell bag nailed on.  There was at least one seal in the water keeping an eye on us and mom watched while the baby nursed.  We kept a respectful distance and they seemed fine with us.

Momma nursing baby.

More momma and baby.

      As we approached the marina I wasn't quite sure what I was seeing in the water, as we got closer I realized it was a couple of guys chest deep in the water wandering around with clipboards.  We stopped and chatted with them and they were contracted through the marina to survey how well the out planted eel grass was doing.  It is thriving and that is fantastic!  This is part of the clean up of Cap Sante Marina and the oil tank farm that I discussed last week.
     After we got back to the marina and out of the kayaks we followed the GPS to where it claimed a remaining temperature sensor was supposed to be.  We spent about 20 minutes digging around in the mud but were unable to locate the sensor.  Dr. Dinnel thinks it got covered under more than the 3-4 inches of mud we were digging in.  We gave up and headed to our last task of the day, one we couldn't fail at.

Weaverling Spit, future shell addition point.

     Weaverling Spit is at the west end of the trestle and is slated to receive oyster shell to encourage recruitment of native oysters.  Dr. Dinnel and I took a sampling of the current substrate to have a basis of comparison after the shell is delivered. 
     Though we failed at two of our three tasks it was a really amazing and beautiful day.  Also as it was only of the lowest day tides of the summer everywhere we went we found other people surveying and working on ecological projects.  It was encouraging and nice to see everyone out working to help the environment.