West Seattle, Washington
11 Monday
Some of the folks out looking for the reported orcas at noontime today saw this instead – one of the submarines visible from Alki (and vicinity) from time to time. Thanks to David Hutchinson for sharing his photo! The nearest sub base is Naval Base Kitsap, with operations in Bangor (where the subs are based) and Bremerton.
Second day in a row, the orcas are out there somewhere! Just like yesterday, a Bainbridge-Seattle state ferry spotted them – and Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail shared the news with us; they were headed southbound. So if you’re near the west-facing West Seattle shore, be on the lookout. We’ll add any updates we get.
(No orcas in this pic but they’re out there somewhere – shot around 1 pm, light on the Olympics)
11:48 AM: We’re getting reports of orcas in the area – they were first spotted from the Bainbridge ferry about an hour ago; Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail called to say they appeared to be heading this way; and now we’ve just gotten a phone call from someone who saw them from a ferry “between Alki and Blake Island.” We’re out looking – let us know if you spot ’em!
11:55 AM: Just talked to Donna south of Alki Point – the whales are much closer to the Bainbridge side right now, so you’ll need really good binoculars/camera at this point – updates to come if that changes.
1:24 PM: They’re now visible from Lincoln Park, according to wildlife watcher/photographer/writer Trileigh Tucker. Donna also has checked back to say they’re between here and Vashon. Please share photos if you get ’em! Thank you!
(See ’em in the distance? From @sudsymaggie via Twitter)
The Port of Seattle says three “Super Post-Panamax cranes” have arrived in Elliott Bay, and will be delivered to Terminal 18 tomorrow morning. According to port spokesperson Peter McGraw, “These cranes reach 24 containers wide, and will allow port facilities to handle the largest container vessels made.” The arrival is apparently a bit earlier than expected; this Seattle Times (WSB partner) story from August said they’d arrive in January. ADDED 5:38 PM: A closer photo, from Danny McMillin:
Thanks to Danny and Maggie for sharing photos!
If you follow Seal Sitters‘ updates on their “Blubberblog” site, you know that seal-pup season in West Seattle is still going strong, and volunteers are still getting calls to come out and guard pups on the beach. We in fact got a call earlier today (and referred them immediately to the SS hotline at 206-905-7235). Not sure if this is the same pup, but photos just came in, with this note:
I am just here visiting family in west Seattle. While out walking along the beach today i found a little white seal pup stranded on the rocks off of Alki Beach. He has apparently been seen stuck in this spot before. I called Seal (Sitters) and they came right away and set up a perimeter to help keep him safe.
Thanks for sharing the photos!
It wasn’t a “polar bear swim” that sent an international group of visitors into the water off Alki Beach – it was a warmup, so to speak, for something more hardcore than even your average polar bear usually faces. In a story broadcast tonight, our friends at KING 5 covered a visit by swimmers getting ready for next summer’s “Meeting of the Sun,” a 50-plus-mile relay swim across the Bering Strait between Russia and the U.S. (here’s a map on the event’s official website). Check out extended video coverage we found on that site – albeit, in Russian:
Our water is tropical compared to what a group of 30 swimmers is expected to face next July/August – average temperature, freezing!
The mid-afternoon high tide was receding when the wind started to pick up late today, but still good for some sea spray at Constellation Park south of Alki Point. The tide peaked around 3, but an hour later, it was still high enough to swamp a walkway at Jack Block Park:
Fran and Samuella shared the photo; that’s Samuella in the foreground – she says, “It was surreal, but also very, very beautiful.” (Tide-watchers please note, there’s a tide-tracking widget on the semi-new WSB West Seattle Weather page.) Though the wind’s had some powerful gusts this past hour, our area is not currently covered by any advisories or alerts, according to the National Weather Service. Tomorrow’s forecast? Partly sunny!
ORIGINAL 3:43 PM REPORT: Thanks to Debra Salazar Herbst for sharing the sight she spotted off Alki a little earlier this afternoon. Certainly our area has its share of boatbuilders, including at least one yacht company on the Duwamish River, so perhaps this is heading in for the final phase of its transformation. Closer look:
Let us know if you know where it’s headed!
5:40 PM UPDATE: Consensus seems to be Delta Marine, the aforementioned yachtbuilder on the Duwamish. Via e-mail, Tom A reports finding the path of the tug, the Triumph, on marinetraffic.com, starting early this morning at Dakota Creek Industries in Anacortes. That information led us to an online discussion about this vessel – see it here; apparently it arrived in Anacortes from Chile last month. (The discussion also includes this gallery of previous photos of the project, and the photographer has traced it to a Chilean company with under-construction “megayacht” renderings that fit the description.
Been to the beach lately? Off Beach Drive, or Lincoln Park, in particular, there is much to see and hear – if you look closely. Thanks to another much-appreciated wildlife photographer (and sharer), Trileigh Tucker, for that photo of hooded mergansers. She writes:
We’ve just begun the exciting season when the sea ducks begin their dating-and-mating process! The males are going all out to impress the ladies, splashing and head-bobbing in ways that the females apparently find pretty endearing. Keep an eye out for mergansers, scoters, buffleheads, and others in waters near the West Seattle shore!
Trileigh is also writing about this topic on her Natural Presence website.
Octopus’s Junkyard from Laura James on Vimeo.
A sea-life doubleheader tonight! Also just received this from diver/underwater photographer extraordinaire Laura James – not an “Octopus’s Garden,” as the soundtrack goes, but rather, an “Octopus’s Junkyard” off Alki. (Thanks to Laura for continuing to share the submerged sights for us landlubbers!)
Every year right about this time, we get the question – What are those boats with the big nets out there? Reply: Purse seiners fishing for salmon. They have been working off West Seattle’s west-facing shore, as Beach Drive Blog reports. (Our files yield photos from 2009.) The times when this type of fishing is allowed are reported here.
(Photo added 2:55 pm, thanks to Trileigh Tucker for sharing!)
Thanks to Chris for sharing news of an orca sighting in the Brace Point area south of Fauntleroy less than an hour ago. They are probably out of the area by now – Chris said they were northbound, and checking the Orca Network Facebook page, they seem to be continuing to head in that direction. So this is just a heads-up, keep an eye on the water today, and let us know if you see any!
2:55 PM: Thanks to the commenters who continue to share info. They’re out there somewhere!
6:52 PM: Added Trileigh’s photo a bit earlier – and here’s a gallery of close-up shots featured on the KING website.
there and back again… from Laura James on Vimeo.
Weary from a long Viadoom Evening #4 commute? Before we get to more of tonight’s news, how about a glimpse into another world – underwater, near Alki? Diver/photographer Laura James has shared more videos. The one above includes a look at other divers using “scooters” (propulsion devices, no wheels and not “ridden”); this one is more sealife-centric, including a tranquil-looking jelly:
light and jelly at the Junkyard from Laura James on Vimeo.
The first one was closer to the Salty’s/Seacrest side of Alki, while the second one, Laura says, was shot off Alki Point.
(Click for full-size PDF of sign graphic)
So you’re on a ferry, looking out the window, or standing on the open deck, and suddenly – hey! What’s that over there? The question might be easier to answer now that West Seattle-based The Whale Trail has informational signs onboard Washington State Ferries. There are two signs on each ferry and one in each terminal. They show/describe orcas, gray whales, Dall’s porpoises, harbor seals, and California sea lions, and include QR codes you can use to get to The Whale Trail’s website from your mobile device. According to Whale Trail founder Donna Sandstrom, the Seattle Aquarium donated the graphic-design services, and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife printed the signs. (Read the official news release here.)
After more than 10 hours of work since first light – and that’s not counting the work done yesterday, after its early-morning sinking – the landing craft Justin has finally been brought up from about 25 feet of water off the 5400 block of Beach Drive. We first reported this about half an hour ago in our earlier updated-throughout-the-day coverage, but now that it’s up, we’re starting a new story. (Added – Colby Chester‘s overview of the scene as it came up:)
A U.S. Coast Guard chopper has been circling the area for the past 20 minutes or so, too. More to come – we’re watching to see what’ll be done with it, now that it’s out.
6:11 PM UPDATE: A Coast Guard news release supplies that answer:
It will remain suspended, allowing water to drain, and placed on a barge that will arrive at approximately 6 p.m.
A team of environmental specialists has completed a shoreline assessment and search for oil at Lowman Beach and Lincoln parks. There is no evidence of oil on the shore, on driftwood or on the absorbent boom near the shore. The team will continue their search for any sign of oil on the shoreline and overflights to monitor the evaporation and breakup of light weathered diesel ribbons that remain.
Wildlife has been reported in the impact area, however no impact to wildlife has been reported. Please call 1-800-22-BIRDS to report impacted wildlife.
We caught up with the aforementioned environmental-specialists team at midday, as they finished checking Lincoln and Lowman Beach parks – that’s part of our earlier coverage. Meantime, the “6 pm barge” isn’t here yet – we’re waiting and watching.
8:01 PM: The barge came into view at dusk. Beach Drive Blog has night photos of the ongoing operation. (Added – a Department of Ecology photo:)
Spending the day on an open sliver of land to watch the progress, we met many interesting people. But one in particular framed the situation in a unique perspective – a woman who identified herself as the girlfriend of the Justin’s namesake owner. She said she hadn’t had much time to talk to him since it happened; she sat on the rocks on the same bit of shore where we were all day, waiting, wondering, worrying. As for why the converted landing craft sank – the official investigation will take time.
10:25 PM: Another update from the Coast Guard, which says, now that the Justin is out of the water: “Prior to repairs being done, Coast Guard and Wash. Dept. of Ecology investigators will examine the vessel in an attempt to determine what caused it to sink. Shoreline assessments of the beaches near Lowman Beach and Lincoln parks will resume at sunrise. A helicopter will also be used at sunrise to assess the evaporation and breakup of the light weathered diesel ribbons that remain.”
11:19 PM: Excellent night shots in the latest Beach Drive Blog update. They report the salvage barge is taking the Justin to Tacoma for repairs work (its owners, Waterfront Construction, however, are based in Seattle).
(EDITOR’S NOTE: WSB has been on scene continuously since 1st light; this coverage runs through the raising of the craft around 5:30; now we have a new followup under way here.)
(Photo courtesy <Colby Chesterstrong>)
9:12 AM: Three cranes are now in place off Beach Drive at the scene where a landing craft turned workboat, the Justin (file photo here), sank on Friday morning, spilling some of its fuel oil and bringing out the U.S. Coast Guard, Seattle Fire Department, state Ecology Department, and salvage crews. (Here’s our original Friday report chronicling the situation throughout Friday morning/afternoon; here’s our Friday night update.) Crews resumed work at first light as promised; our crew at the scene says that so far, there’s been a lot of positioning, in hopes the sunken vessel can be brought up as soon as possible. We’ll be covering it as the operation continues.
10:21 AM UPDATE: The salvage operation continues to proceed slowly. According to a source at the scene who didn’t want to be identified, the Justin is in about 25 feet of water, where riggings are being attached to it for a careful lift-out, but divers and underwater photography shows the water is clear – no sign of any ongoing major leak. That’s also good news along West Seattle beaches. We just talked with an interagency team that has been walking the beaches of Lincoln and Lowman Beach Parks, including U.S. Coast Guard and state Ecology Dept. reps.
They told us everything “is looking good” – no signs of oil damage to the beaches (though some of the diesel sheen was reported ashore north of Lowman yesterday) and no oiled or otherwise-harmed wildlife. A protective stretch of absorbent material is in place to protect the shore along Lowman:
The latest Coast Guard news release notes, “A Coast Guard overflight was launched at first light today and while there is still an oil sheen in the water that was released yesterday, it is very broken up and not recoverable. This oil will continue to weather, dissipate and evaporate through natural wave and wind action.” We photographed the USCG chopper:
And here’s a look at activity offshore:
12:39 PM UPDATE: To answer the most popular question from passers-by – No, it’s not out yet. The crane maneuvering continues, off and on; so does the skimming of water right alongside the barge, where the Justin went down.
2:16 PM UPDATE: It’s a painstaking process. The crane pulleys move a little here, a little there. The drama is going on beneath the surface, we’re told. Among the ever-changing cast of characters at what’s become the semi-official viewpoint on shore for this operation is someone who knows the sunken craft’s owner and quotes him as saying, as of a half-hour or so, they were working on “flipping” it. A little earlier, we caught the photo you see above, as what appeared to be soiled absorbent material was hauled out of the water – NOT indicative of a wider spill, we should note, but perhaps from the sunken craft itself.
2:33 PM: Beach Drive Blog, which is headquartered within view of the site, says they’re seeing a bit of the craft – check their updated coverage here.
3:09 PM: Progress continues. That’s our latest view.
4:19 PM UPDATE: And they’re still working on it! We’ve leaned a little more about the sunken vessel. It’s named after its operator, who is out on the barge as part of the operation. If you’re watching from shore parallel to the scene, most of what’s happening is between the big barge in the background and the crane superstructure that says “American Construction.” Intermittently, you can hear the screeching and grinding of the pulleys and other equipment involved.
5:32 PM: Finally it’s significantly visible – the wheelhouse and beyond- from where we have spent the past 10-plus hours:
It’s the red structure, with a life ring on the left.
6:21 PM: In case you have this one bookmarked – we’ve started a new story to track what happens next: find it here.
An evening update from the U.S. Coast Guard regarding the sunken 75-foot workboat that left a sheen on the water off Beach Drive, with some of the oil reaching the shore, as reported in our daylong as-it-unfolded coverage:
Oil containment boom and oil skimming equipment are working well to contain and recover the diesel fuel and oil spilled by the sunken vessel Justin, which sank Friday morning off of the west side of West Seattle.
Shoreline clean-up and containment crews are using absorbent pads to mitigate a very small part of the spill that reached the beach near Lowman Beach Park in West Seattle. Shore-side response crews have deployed boom along the shoreline in the waters just of the beach near the incident site in an effort to prevent further shore impact.
Two miles of impacted shoreline have been surveyed. A majority of the shoreline impact is very light which makes clean-up efforts ineffective and may actually cause more harm than good. However, shoreline clean-up crews have identified areas on the beach with pockets of oil and clean up operations are underway in these areas.
An Incident Command Post has been established at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound that includes representative from the Washington Department of Ecology, U.S. Coast Guard, and representatives from the responsible party.
The Incident Commanders have set the following objectives:
*Secure the source of the spill
*Stabilize the sunken vessel
*Remove as much oil as possible from the water
*Stabilize the barge
*Salvage the sunken vessel
*Monitor shoreline impact and deploy mitigation equipment as necessary.The spilled product that remains on the surface of the water is expected to dissipate. Salvage operations will continue throughout the evening with divers focusing on plugging fuel vents securing the spill source. A 150-ton crane barge is being mobilized to be used to lift the vessel from the bottom early tomorrow during daylight.
A 500 yard safety zone is still in effect around the spill site. Mariners are reminded to stay clear of the Safety Zone until it is cancelled. The public is reminded to avoid contact with any of the spilled fuel or oil in the water or any fuel or oil that may reach the beach. If anyone discovers diesel fuel or oil on the beach, they should report it to the Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound at 206-217-6001/2
We’ll be checking back through the evening and will add any new developments; Beach Drive Blog has been updating all day too.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Salvage and cleanup operations continue as of late Friday afternoon. We will update this story until launching a new one this evening.)
8:37 AM: Here’s what’s going on along the 5400 block of Beach Drive that has brought out the Coast Guard and the Fire Department, among others: There was a report of a boat sinking; by the time authorities arrived, it had sunk. It’s a 35-40-foot boat that’s been working on a private project along the shore.
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
No one is believed to have been on board. But they’re trying to evaluate what to do next. We’ve got a crew at the scene.
9:09 AM: Yes, this is what the helicopters were looking at – keep in mind that it happened before the TV morning-news daypart had ended. The boat apparently had been toting rocks related to a bulkhead-building project on shore, in tandem with a floating crane (which was not involved in the sinking). The construction crew involved with the project told WSB that the boat sunk within five minutes of starting to list. Again, no one was on board – but the boat was laden with rocks. And as commenters are pointing out, there is a fuel slick now to deal with. We’ll be tracking that part of it with authorities. Thanks, by the way, to everyone who texted/called/e-mailed/etc. about this.
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
9:40 AM: We’ve just gone back to check on the scene again – there’s now a containment boom out. Beach Drive Blog had covered the construction project to which this is apparently related.
10 AM UPDATE: New information from the U.S. Coast Guard: Salvage divers were summoned to the scene. The vessel that went down is described as 73 feet long. It had 300 gallons of diesel and 30 to 50 gallons of motor oil; the Coast Guard says crews were working to “plug the fuel vents” before it went down. (A neighbor tells WSB that it was listing for quite some time before it went down.) The sheen is described as 150 by 50 feet.
10:21 AM UPDATE: New photo – in addition to the boom, absorbent pads are being put in the water to help clean up the oil. The Department of Ecology is involved in this too, and says “the boat owner did not make proper notifications.” The Coast Guard says that’s Waterfront Construction, which it has labeled the “responsible party.”
12:15 PM UPDATE: Neighbor Lura (thank you!) caught the actual sinking of the vessel before it went under, which Beach Drive Blog says is the Justin, went under – we’ve tried to sharpen it up a bit; look close alongside the barge:
Also for BDB, Rob Porter reports via Twitter that water’s being pumped off the barge.
1 PM UPDATE: The Coast Guard has put together its official summary of what’s happening. New information includes news of a contractor brought in to clean up the spill.
1:23 PM UPDATE: Mike sent photos, saying some of it has washed up south of the sinking:
He’s in the 5900 block of Beach Drive, several blocks south.
4:05 PM UPDATE: Thanks to Colby Chester for a bird’s-eye view of what the slick looked like a few hours ago:
The Coast Guard has published another update, acknowledging that some of the sheen has reached the shore, and saying it appeared to be breaking up. We were down at the scene a little while ago and they were doing flyovers to gauge its size. There’s a 500-yard “safety zone” around the spill and, says the Coast Guard update, “An estimated 1,600 feet of hard boom and 300 feet of soft boom have been deployed to contain and absorb oil from the water.” They expect to continue cleanup till nightfall, and to resume it in the morning as needed; salvage operations for the sunken vessel will continue into the night. The state Ecology Department also has an update, with sheen aerials, here.
4:36 PM UPDATE: We also have heard from a spokesperson for the owners of the vessel, which they describe as 75 feet, and confirm is the Justin:
Waterfront Construction, the owner of the 75’ vessel “Justin” that sank in the Puget Sound early this morning, has contracted with NRC Environmental Services to contain the surface sheen released from the vessel.
NRC Environmental Services has multiple spill response vessels and skimmers on scene and has deployed containment boom. Additional boom is on scene and ready to be deployed as needed. Marine and shoreline emergency response trailers as well as vacuum trucks are standing by for additional support, should they be required. In the first few hours, divers were brought in to plug fuel vents to stop the release of the fuel on board. Salvage experts from Ballard Diving & Salvage have been contracted by Waterfront Construction to perform underwater inspections of the vessel and create a salvage plan to raise the ex-military Landing Craft from the Puget Sound waters as quickly and safely as possible.
“Waterfront Construction appreciates the unified response that has been assisting with this unfortunate event and is doing everything in its power to clean the waters as quickly as possible”, states Keith Landry, Project Manager of Waterfront Construction.
In a followup exchange, the spokesperson told us it’s too soon to tell how soon they will try to bring up the Justin, as they are still working on the plan.
(Photo courtesy Robin Lindsey)
For the first time in a long time, Seal Sitters first responder/photographer/writer Robin Lindsey had a short break the other day – no pups reported on shore. Otherwise, she told WSB on Saturday, “we have just been having a crazy season thus far with multiple pups in West Seattle on many days. … Since the first week of August, Seal Sitters has already surpassed the number of pups we watched over last year from early August til the end of the year. We have protected 35 pups thus far – and October often proves to be our busiest month. This does not include the number of responses in Seattle and beaches north. It appears we will have a record-breaking year.” In Robin’s photo, that’s Blanco, who spent several days resting on West Seattle beaches. And since the weeks ahead may bring more pups to do exactly that, she has a reminder and a request:
This is the time of year when many pups are fighting to survive. We have some chubby pups with good blubber layer, but others have become quite thin and consequently are more prone to parasites and viruses. This is why it is so critical to let them have the space on shore to rest. Seal Sitters appreciates everyone’s help and support, but most importantly, the pups desperately need the space – and it truly could save a life.
One of the lives Seal Sitters has saved this season is that of a pup they nicknamed Sandy, whom Robin says “is thriving at PAWS Wildlife Center” and is expected to be released back into the wild later this month. Read about her on the Seal Sitters’ Blubberblog, where you can catch up with sighting reports and other news (just checked, and we’re thinking this is 2011 pup #36). And if you see a seal or other marine mammal on shore – call Seal Sitters (206-905-7325).
We were just about to publish one more thing … a reminder about Monday night’s Viaduct closure-and-post-closure meeting here in West Seattle … when suddenly this arrived, from diver/photographer Laura James, with only the video link and the description: “A bit of fun at Alki Beach today.” Seems like the perfect way to end a Sunday night, barring breaking news. Thanks, Laura!
P.S. Just realized that some of the species seen in the video are listed in the text below the clip on its Vimeo home page – here.
(Photos by Stuart Isett for Vigor; click to see larger image)
Unless you’re a crew member, you won’t get to see a view like that on board a state ferry. Well, unless you happen to be out on sea trials this week with the new state ferry Kennewick, built at Vigor (formerly Todd) Shipyards on Harbor Island. Kennewick was moved to Everett a few months ago for the final phase of work before it is delivered to Washington State Ferries, and that’s where it is ported for these trials, though as you can see in the background of this photo, it’s also sailing in waters near here:
(Click to see larger image)
According to Vigor’s communications director Steve Hirsh, “Our engineers said today’s first run was ‘very successful.’ We’re still looking at delivering Kennewick to Washington State Ferries by the end of October – ahead of schedule and under budget.” Kennewick is the third 64-car Kwa-di Tabil-class ferry; the first two are on the Port Townsend-Whidbey Island run, but Kennewick will be assigned to Point Defiance (Tacoma)-Tahlequah (South Vashon). replace one of them, the Chetzemoka, which will move to Point Defiance-Tahlequah. (Thanks to LB for pointing out this article about WSF’s change in the plan that is still outlined on its own website.)
(Photo by Brad Long)
The recently relaunched Joy D. Smith Wildlife Raft played host to a seal pup for a while this morning. But such refuges are few and far between, and many more of them wind up on our beaches this time of year, as we have reported previously. If you keep an eye on Seal Sitters’ Blubberblog updates, you’ll learn exactly how hectic that can be – four pups on West Seattle beaches in just one day earlier this week, for example. During a morning walk on Harbor Avenue this past Monday, we spotted two areas cordoned off for pup protection, almost adjacent to each other. And volunteers asked us to remind you that observing the city’s law against dogs on beaches – leashes or not – is vital this time of year; even if you think your canine companion would never hurt a flea, they can be unpredictable, and even if they’re not too close, they might frighten the pup back into the water, where it will either have trouble finding its mom (who left the pup on the beach so she could find food) or will burn up more of its still-scarce energy stores swimming when it needed to rest … check this yawn:
(Photo by ALAN BERNER/SEATTLE TIMES; republished with permission)
That photo accompanied a story earlier this week by our partners at the Seattle Times. If you see a seal or other marine mammal on a beach – again – don’t get close; report it to Seal Sitters, at 206-905-7325 (905-SEAL).
Almost two years after we first heard the Joy D. Smith Wildlife Raft‘s story from its namesake’s husband, Guy Smith, he sent this update last night (the “today” references mean Tuesday):
Bird and seal watchers may be interested to know that after a 7-month absence, the Joy D. Smith Wildlife Raft is back on its anchor by the Alki Lighthouse. After its initial launch in November 2008, the little 24-square-foot refuge has been a lot like the cat with 9 lives. Four times it broke loose and 4 times it was found and retrieved through people finding it, reading the ID tag and then calling with the location. The 4th time it broke loose was caused by the big February storm this year when the anchor line, buoy, and raft all ended up on a rocky stretch of beach about half way to Lincoln Park. Unfortunately, rough water precluded retrieval by sea and steep banks precluded retrieval by land. The frame was cut up and abandoned, but the buoy and flotation were salvaged.
After what seems like too long a delay, the raft was reframed yesterday and launched today. The anchor line was rebuilt with stainless steel cable and hopefully will better withstand the forces of Mother Nature. But we know from experience that something will break loose again; the question is not “if” but “when”. The thing about a raft is that while it’s unmistakably a raft on the water, when it breaks loose and ends up on a rocky beach, it blends in and is not easy to spot. We really appreciate the efforts of those who have spotted our wayward raft in the past and have phoned us with its location.
Today our neighbors helped with the re-launch and now we are all awaiting sea life visitors. A seagull was quick to check it out, but we’re looking for more interesting visitors; visitors like seals with pups, the rare otter during daylight but probably more at night, cormorants that always fish alone but which rest in groups, and the harlequin ducks which always appear in pairs. It’s noteworthy that other diving ducks that winter at Alki Point, like buffleheads, goldeneyes, grebes, guillemots, mergansers and surf scoters, always fish together in groups, diving together and surfacing together, but they never get on the raft.
The wildlife protectors at West Seattle-founded Seal Sitters have said they wish more people would set up rafts like this one – as they are the least-dangerous resting places for seal pups and other marine mammals.
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