Big swim today, including a real crab vs. crab smackdown, a split drysuit, and a fabulous school of tubesnouts.The sky was clear, showing a view of the Cascade mountains over Seattle (top left) and Mt. Ranier (top right).
The beautiful sunny sky and fairly clear water made for a nice day of looking around, and I had my first feeling of wide open spaces underwater, just below the sheltered north shore of Blakely Harbor, before pulling around the horn to Rockaway Beach and the swell and lower visibility. I could see 30-40 feet in either direction, and 20 feet down, and it was wild and open in every direction. Fantastic. And that's when I saw the huge school of tubesnouts, little needle-like fish in a swarm near the mixed gravel and sand with thick eelgrass. Very nice ocean here.
The water got colder and so did I, thanks to the split drysuit. There was a bit of wild water, a lot of private beach, and my first scuba divers at the little park on Rockaway Beach (left). Also a bald eagle right over my head (right). 1.46 miles of swim today, that's the rest of Blakely Harbor and most of Rockaway Beach (map below). More later.
Posts
2 comments:
Hi Mark,
This is spectacular! I read about this in the Kitsap Sun!
I grew up on Bainbridge and have swam these waters since I was a kid. I constantly defend Puget Sound waters to those who moved here from warmer areas.
Thank you for bringing attention to swimming in our area.
You should invite the public to join you when you pass Fay Bainbridge. I hope its in the Summer though! I can't afford a dry suit!
Thanks Craig. Let's aim for a Fay Bainbridge swim, not sure how long it will take to get there. Maybe wetsuit rental is an option?
Post a Comment