Wildlife Abduction: Put the Baby Down and Step Away!
AN UNFORTUNATE PREDICAMENT
A rugged young man with tousled red hair picks at the callouses on his hands. His fast-rocking foot threatens to disengage from his ankle. Searching the man sitting calmly behind the desk, his voice trembles as he asks, ”How will I know if he’s okay? Can I call later? Can you call me?” He has just delivered an injured duckling.
The man behind the desk is Mike Pratt, Rehabilitator & Director of Wildlife Services at the West Sound Wildlife Shelter, Bainbridge Island, WA. This is 1 of 2 ducklings delivered to him in less than an hour.
Wild Animals: The Next Generation
Spring sprung at our house but, with so much rain this season, who’s been outside long enough to notice? This weekend, the nice weather on Curtis Hill changed all that. Aside from pulling up 500 pounds of weeds, we found plenty of little critters growing like them all around the property.
ROBINS
Look who’s taken up residence in our Rhododendron! Four baby robins hatched so recently, only one is old enough to open his little eyes. They’re growing so fast, just ” being” exhausts them. What’s the one thing they do muster some energy for? Each time the wind blows, these little babies enthusiastically snap their big, hungry mouths open thinking their mother has landed on a nearby branch with a fat, juicy worm.
Mexican Riviera Cruise: Dolphins Party with Margarita Mariners
Bottomless Margaritas flow freely as our small boat heads back to Puerto Vallarta from Yelapa. The party only gets better when hundreds of dolphins come to play.
Heading straight for us, they surround the sides of the boat, dive under and come up to see the people on the bow. Smiling for the camera, they come straight for – and playfully duck under – the boat’s photographer whose legs dangle in the water.
Human Threat to Seal Pups from La Jolla to Newfoundland
THE BEAUTIFUL SEALS OF LA JOLLA, CA
Two weeks ago, I visited La Jolla, California to observe the harbor seals in residence at Casa Beach. Pup season runs from December through May and mother seals are continually drawn to this beautiful place to deliver their offspring.
Tourists and residents alike make the short walk to the beach from downtown La Jolla, often bringing their children to marvel at and learn more about the life of seals. According to La Jolla Friends of the Seals, 38 births have taken place on Casa Beach as of March 16th, many of which were witnessed from a respectful distance by humans in awe of the miracle of life taking place before them.
THE BEACH DEBATE
Of course, some people feel this beach should belong exclusively to humans. One man holds vigil at a table passing out pamphlets lauding the rights of people to use this space. Two men and a child frequently camp out on the beach, tossing a Frisbee too close to the seals. The child, at one point, was seen standing triumphantly on a rock lording over a mother giving birth. These accounts come from SealWatch volunteer, Colleen Cochran, in her recent article “Diary of a SealWatcher” (San Diego Reader, April 2, 2011).
Mexican Riviera Cruise: Yelapa Lagoon
Let’s take a small boat From Puerto Vallarta to the remote beach resort of Yelapa, a magical oasis for tourism, local crafts and wildlife. And yes, there are bottomless margaritas for all on this journey! The trick is not to spill them while riding the waves. (Yelapa is only accessible by boat.)
Once at the resort, bargain with locals for one-of-a-kind bead work or beautiful sarongs and drink a Mexican beer – all from your beach lounger. Of course, you might have to compete with some pretty beach-savvy Mexican dogs for that coveted seat at the shore. You’ll see what I mean… (Aside from the dogs, this video is mostly human. The next is about local wildlife if you prefer to skip ahead.)
Yelapa boasts a population of roughly 10,000 residents with its very own school and hospital. Still, the economy has much room for growth and tourism offers an opportunity for locals to persuasively peddle their wares. While this can be a bit too persuasive for comfort at times, we found a peaceful escape to quietly enjoy the beauty.
Walk with us to a lovely lagoon where Mexican dogs playfully romp along-side herons, horses, humans, egrets, cormorants and sand pipers, as soaring black vultures with white-tipped wings glide through bluebird skies.
As an important aside, while we love iguanas and find them fascinating, to see them leashed and manhandled by sweaty, suntan-lotioned people during every sunny beach hour just doesn’t seem fair. For that reason, we refused to pose with one for a photograph.
WHERE WE’VE BEEN SO FAR
- Part 1: target=”_blank”>Vacation in San Diego — We see shore birds, pigeons and fish which are pulled fresh from the water at the Empire Beach pier, and we ride a silver Mustang seeing more than a few Black Hawks as we drive through San Diego to Coronado Island and beyond, to the beach.
- Part 2: target=”_blank”>Ship Sets Sail — The sun is shining, sailboats are gliding through the bay, and the whole of the military is doing flybys to keep us in line on Lido deck. Enjoy the daytime view and stunning sunset from our veranda as the ship makes an impressive half-turn and heads for sea.
- Part 3: target=”_blank”>Wildlife of Bahia Magdelena — Bay waters teen with breaching gray whales, humpbacks, a harbor seal swimming for its life and other beautiful sea life.
- Part 4: target=”_blank”>Whales of Puerto Vallarta – We board a small boat, the only means of transport to Yelapa beach, but find ourselves detoured by 7 feeding humpback whales. All this, after the most beautiful target=”_blank”>sunrise over Puerto Vallarta.
- Part 5: target=”_blank”>Banderas Bay — After target=”_blank”>our crew’s entertaining dance, we relax in this beautiful landscape, snorkel with orange and black striped fish, and kayak the shoreline.
Mexican Riviera Cruise: Banderas Bay
This week, we share with you our entertaining crew of an excursion called “Two if by Sea.” Dancing on the bow of the boat, they show us their stuff before whisking us off to Banderas Bay for some snorkeling and kayaking. The birds and fish were gorgeous, and you might think the same of some of our crew.
If you missed the whales we saw on the way here, go back and watch. That was a sight to see!
WHERE WE’VE BEEN SO FAR
- Part 1: target=”_blank”>Vacation in San Diego — We see shore birds, pigeons and fish which are pulled fresh from the water at the Empire Beach pier, and we ride a silver Mustang seeing more than a few Black Hawks as we drive through San Diego to Coronado Island and beyond, to the beach.
- Part 2: target=”_blank”>Ship Sets Sail — The sun is shining, sailboats are gliding through the bay, and the whole of the military is doing flybys to keep us in line on Lido deck. Enjoy the daytime view and stunning sunset from our veranda as the ship makes an impressive half-turn and heads for sea.
- Part 3: target=”_blank”>Wildlife of Bahia Magdelena — Bay waters teen with breaching gray whales, humpbacks, a harbor seal swimming for its life and other beautiful sea life.
- Part 4: target=”_blank”>Whales of Puerto Vallarta – We board a small boat, the only means of transport to Yelapa beach, but find ourselves detoured by 7 feeding humpback whales.
Mexican Riviera Cruise: Whales of Puerto Vallarta
PUERTO VALLARTA TO YELAPA
Puerto Vallarta’s sunrise, on this morning, is a spectacular blend of hot pink and orange clouds hanging low over the city, their reflections dancing playfully upon the water. Enjoy them in the moment. Each color burst fizzles as quickly as fireworks in the Mexican sky giving way to the full sun of morning and a spectacular view of … Walmart?
A WHALE OF A DETOUR
Mexican Riviera Cruise: Wildlife of Bahia Magdelena
Welcome to part 3 of our Mexican Riviera Cruise video logs! Part 1 shared the start of our vacation in San Diego and in part 2, our ship sets sail. Now for part 3…
WILDLIFE AT SEA
Wake to a beautiful sunrise over Bahia Magdelena, the gateway to the Pacific ocean and natural reserve to California gray whales. Gray whales, known for their friendliness and curiosity toward humans, frequent these waters from January through March to complete their biological cycle. This makes it one of the best sites in the peninsula for gray whale watching. Our first sighting is one lively breach as if to celebrate the new day.
Whistler: The Barred Owl
Massive, magical, mythical wings beat silently through crisp winter air. I feel the atmosphere shift, even from within the house. Suddenly, a blurred flurry of motion. My eyes see what I had only sensed. A barred owl flaps past my window then glides upward with graceful lift, landing softly in our dormant Maple. Downy feathers fluff against the brisk chill, shrouding a pair of massive feet. The hard stare of two big, black eyes softens as they close, slowly. Mine are wide with wonder, consuming the majesty of this magnificent being napping before me.
Mexican Riviera Cruise: Ship Sets Sail
Welcome to part 2 of our Mexican Riviera Cruise series. In part 1, we shared the start of our vacation in San Diego.
WELCOME ABOARD!
Let’s have a little road car race to the ms. Oosterdam and order up some margaritas. The sun is shining, sailboats are gliding through the bay, and the whole of the military is doing flybys to keep us in line on Lido deck. Enjoy the daytime view and stunning sunset from our veranda as the ship makes an impressive half-turn and heads for sea.
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