This afternoon Noelle and I paddled out with a private tour from the Institute of Journalism and Natural Resources (IJNR). It was an absolutely gorgeous day out on the west side, and the temperature was hot enough to convince a few hardy souls to go swimming! While in a bed of bull kelp we saw a young harbor seal pup hauled out on top of a few stipes. The pup was totally relaxed, often yawning and lying turned away from us. This summer's pups have been making quite a few appearances during the past three weeks, often popping up in the kelp beds, riding along on their mother's backs or mewing from offshore rocks.
Today's sunny tour was a great opportunity for Noelle and I to show and interpret the wildlife of this region for our large group.