Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Diving Pelicans

Update from older blog.
Anyway I bought a new Toshiba Laptop with Windows 8 installed and here we go. I live on a sailboat year around. Weather that is windy or cold. Rain, fog and plenty of sun shine.
The water is often filled with large schools of fish. People argue about what kind of fish these are but the sea lions and birds enjoy them. The sea lions can become very vocal and often actually rock my boat with their diving and splashing. The pelicans fly up and down the fingers between the docks searching for fish. They often follow the sea lions and the gulls follow the pelicans hoping to steal a catch from the pelican or seal when they surface.

The fishing goes on in the morning and sometimes after the sun has set. How the pelican can see the fish below the surface with so little light is amazing. But these birds have been doing this for a long time and are very good at it.
They often dive very close to the boats and perhaps someone should suggest they wear helmets.

Or have sirens to warn anyone in the water.

I paddle my surf ski in the afternoon and have never been dive bombed by a pelican but I have had runs in with sea lions. One dove right next to me a swapped by ski and got me nice and wet.
The water quality falls off after the rain and makes it difficult to see the schools of fish until they start jumping out of the water to try and escape the sea lions.
After the pelican resurfaces he or she must position the catch in the bill before swallowing.