Today I paddled out for a day sea kayak trip with European visitors Oliver & Osvaldo, and boy did we luck out! The water was smooth as glass, the currents minimal, and the temperature warm. Although we sorely wanted to see some killer whales or porpoises, luck was not with us, but the gorgeous day and other fantastic wildlife sightings more than made up for it.
Most of the interesting critters we saw were land-based, surprisingly enough. Of course we saw bald eagles and harbor seals a plenty, and even a few industrious river otters too! What I thought was most unusual and interesting, however, was seeing a red fox trot along the deer trails behind us when we stopped for lunch, the black-tailed deer grazing on the cliffs above us, the brown fox trotting on the beach, the masked raccoons quietly perching on the rocks by the water and the four Great Blue Herons successfully fishing at the muddy low tide line.
It was a truly peaceful day out on the water, with the faint sounds of a boat miles away the only thing to be heard over the lapping water, chirping eagles, singing birds and snorting seals. Paddling out on a day like today made us feel like we were miles from home. Wonderful!