Last Sunday, I was paddling around in Humboldt Bay (Eureka, CA) and helping
a friend with her first ever kayak trip. It was a great day with little
wind, calm waters and a friendly tide. Around noon, about thirty yards in
front of me, the water seemed to swell into a large boil of water..with a
humpback whale nearing the surface. I've lived in this area all of my life
until recently...and I've never seen a whale in Humboldt Bay. I fear he is
lost and confused. I'm going back out again tomorrow morning and if I find
him again, I'll see if anyone is planning a rescue of some kind. He keep
running into shallow water and it's only a matter of time before he becomes
beached. He's such a large, magnificent creature that I hate to see him
die. Luckily, we have one of the West Coast's best Marine Biology
departments at the local university...and I'm sure they're involved. I'll
check tomorrow. BUT...what a magnificent "plus" to an already great outing.
I love whales.
Kayaking gets me "up close and personal" to so many forms of life that I
would otherwise miss.

Today, I picked up my Kekotat jacket (the company is nearby Arcata, CA) and
even though I had to spend more than my budge allowed, it's a great jacket
and will serve me well for the upcoming winter kayaking. If I can crawl out
of bed early enough, I'll test the jacket then...before it gets warmer.

Barry