Pile of Pinnipeds

Alison and I took the Audubon cruise to Berner's Bay this morning.  Quite fun - although a mite chilly.  A decent southeaster blew through late yesterday afternoon and evening.  The deck chairs in my yard got blown all over hell; but no damage to them or anything else that I can see.  The weather is slowly improving as the day wears-on.

Didn't see lots of exotic birds - a few Black Oystercatchers which were cool - but way out of picture range for my camera.  Also hundreds of Bonaparte Gulls which are fairly common; but I had never seen (or noticed) them in such numbers before.

As always there were Humpback Whales in the area although nobody was putting on a real show.  Also a few porpoise.  But the stars of the show were the hundred or so Stellar Sea lions hauled-out on Benjamin Island.  We're talking literally tons and tons of sea lions.

That's a lot of sea lions

It's always nice to get out on the water and the sun kinda broke out off-and-on while we were cruising back to Auke Bay.  Went right by Sentinel Island.

Lighthouse on Sentinel Island.  I'm a sucker for lighthouses.

A nice trip!