Showing posts with label marine life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marine life. Show all posts

Save this: Low tide beach walks

Monday, June 17, 2019


Low-tide Beach Walks at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park

Explore and investigate the fascinating world of marine beaches at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park during low tides and observe sea stars, crabs and others who live in Puget Sound.

Join volunteer beach naturalists for these fun, free and informative beach walks.

Dress for the weather. Waterproof footwear is recommended.

June

Wednesday June 19 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

July

*Tuesday July 2 9:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
*Wednesday July 3 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
*Thursday July 4 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
*Friday July 5 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Saturday July 6 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday July 16 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday July 17 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
*Wednesday July 31 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

August

*Thursday August 1 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
*Friday August 2 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Saturday August 3 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Sunday August 4 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

*Lowest summer tides



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Whale Trail sign dedication and Orca Month celebration at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park June 21

Saturday, June 15, 2019

The Whale Trail and Washington Environmental Council and the City of Shoreline announce the event, “Orca Celebration and Whale Trail Sign Dedication” to promote awareness and stewardship of endangered southern resident orcas.

The free, family-friendly event will take place Friday, June 21 from 1 to 3pm at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park, located in the City of Shoreline.

A new interpretive panel focused on marine mammals will be unveiled and dedicated. 

Richmond Beach is one of more than 100 sites along The Whale Trail, a network of marine mammal viewing locations that spans from California to British Columbia.

“Shoreline Parks supports The Whale Trail’s efforts to educate the public about marine mammal populations in Washington, especially the highly endangered Southern Resident orcas. 
"Richmond Beach Saltwater Park is an optimal viewing location for those found here in the central Puget Sound,” said Will Hall, Mayor of Shoreline and Orca Recovery Task Force member.

The program will open with a welcome by Ken Workman, the great, great, great grandson of Chief Seattle. Featured speakers include Shoreline Mayor Will Hall, Senator Jesse Salomon, Representative Cindy Ryu, Lynne Barre (NOAA Fisheries), Steve Bear (WDFW Police), Donna Sandstrom (The Whale Trail) and Rein Atteman (WEC). 

The dedication and orca celebration, including free refreshments, cake and kids’ activities, is one of dozens of Orca Action Month events during the month of June.

“Orca Action Month is a region wide effort to celebrate and protect one of our region’s most iconic wildlife species, but also serves as a reminder that everything that is hurting our orcas hurts us too,” said Rein Attemann, of the Washington Environmental Council. 
“Communities across Washington are suffering from unhealthy waterways, too many toxins in our Sound, and not enough salmon. The plight of our orcas reminds us that our solutions are one in the same.”

This past legislative session Washington took some big steps towards restoring a healthy Puget Sound so our waters are a healthy place for orcas, salmon, and all of us who rely on our shared waters. Continuing that momentum, Governor Inslee and Oregon’s Governor Brown declared June Orca Action Month, building on a 12-year history of yearly declarations to bring attention to the orcas and the health of the Salish Sea.

“It’s not too late to save the southern residents—yet,” adds Donna Sandstrom, Executive Director of The Whale Trail and Orca Recovery Task Force member. 
“The threats that have brought these beloved and iconic pods to the edge of extinction are all human-caused: loss of prey, noise and disturbance from vessels, and toxin accumulations. We each and all have a role to play in their recovery.” 

Furthermore, Orca Action Month proclamations have been passed by the Province of British Columbia, Shoreline, Bainbridge Island, Pierce County, Victoria BC, Vancouver BC, and Seattle. In Washington D.C., Congressman Denny Heck introduced a national resolution declaring June “National Orca Protection Month.”

The new sign at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park is funded through a grant to the Whale Trail from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which protects Southern Resident orcas through its law enforcement program.



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Lecture: Are Salmon Doomed? Hatching a Plan to Save a Northwest Icon

Monday, May 27, 2019

Nick Bond
Climatologist
Thursday, May 30, 2019 from 7-8pm at the Shoreline Library, 345 NE 175th, Shoreline 98155.

An environmental necessity, a vital economic resource, and a cultural symbol, salmon play a fundamental role in the Pacific Northwest—but they are in trouble.

With warming oceans, environmental degradation, and lowering genetic variability, wild salmon populations are dwindling.

Climatologist Nick Bond explores the past, present, and possible future conditions for salmon in our state, and sees room for optimism. 

He shares lessons on how local communities have accomplished important work to support salmon runs, but also takes a hard look at the realities climate change poses for this regional treasure.

Explore the history, science, and story of this cherished Northwest icon.

Sponsored by Humanities Washington.


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Boaters and paddlers urged to wear life jackets on cold water

Saturday, May 11, 2019

Photo courtesy Safe Boating Campaign
During Spring, the air warms, but Washington’s waterways remain cold. 

King County Sheriff’s Office Marine Rescue Dive Unit are reminding boaters and paddlers that wearing a life jacket is a safety necessity. 

While people are encouraged to always wear a life jacket no matter the water temperature or season, public safety officials stress that wearing a life jacket – not just having it on the boat – significantly increases the chances of surviving a fall into cold water.

Despite recent warmer weather, water temperatures statewide are still below 60 degrees – cold enough to cause the gasp reflex and incapacitate even strong swimmers in less than one minute.

Before the first launch of the season, boaters and paddlers are also reminded to review boating regulations and get educated, inspect their watercraft and gear, verify vessels are properly equipped and always wear a life jacket while out on the water.



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Scene on the Sound: USNS Washington Chambers

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

USNS Washington Chambers
Photo by Jan Hansen


USNS WASHINGTON CHAMBERS is the eleventh LEWIS AND CLARK - class Dry Cargo / Ammunition Ship and the first ship in the Navy named for Capt. Washington Irving Chambers, a pioneer in naval aviation history. 

Among his many accomplishments, Chambers arranged for the world's first take-off and landing of an airplane on a warship - confirming the potential of carrier-based naval aviation operations.

Awarded: December 12, 2008
Keel laid: August 25, 2009
Launched: September 11, 2010
Delivered: February 23, 2011
Builder: National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, Calif.
Propulsion system: Integrated propulsion and ship service electrical system, with generation at 6.6KV by FM/MAN B/W diesel generators
Propellers: one
Length: 689 feet (210 meters)
Beam: 106 feet (32.31 meters)
Draft: 29.5 feet (9 meters)
Displacement: approx. 41,000 tons full load
Speed: 20 knots
Dry Cargo Capacity: 1,388,000 cubic feet
Fuel Cargo Capacity: 26,000 barrels
Aircraft: two helicopters
Armament: none
Crew: approx. 125 civilians and up to 49 US Navy
Homeport: Pacific



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Scene on the Sound: Submarine

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Photo by Jan Hansen


Tuesday evening at twilight a submarine signaled in cycles of three as she quietly cruised past Shoreline. 



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Scene on the Sound: Ferry turns back after running into Canadian military operations on the Sound

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Photo by Jan Hansen

Three Kingston-Class Coastal Defense Vessels from Canada came by Monday morning to do manoeuvers in the Sound off the Shoreline coast. 

HMCS Yellowknife led the way followed by HMCS Edmonton and HMCS Nanaimo.

HMCS Yellowknife
Photo by Jan Hansen
HMCS Yellowknife is a Kingston-class coastal defense vessel that has served in the Canadian Forces since 1998. Yellowknife is the seventh ship of her class. She is the first vessel to use the designation Yellowknife in the Royal Canadian Navy. The coastal defense vessel is assigned to Maritime Forces Pacific and is homeported at CFB Esquimalt.

Ferry headed toward vessels
Photo by Jan Hansen

Looks like someone forgot to tell the Washington State Ferry system because the Walla Walla was headed straight at the three Canadians. Following maritime protocol, the Walla Walla yielded.


Photo by Jan Hansen

The Walla Walla turned south and headed for Seattle.




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Scene on the Sound: the Bell M. Shimada spends this sunny day working off the Shoreline coast

Sunday, February 24, 2019

Photo by Jan Hansen


The Bell M. Shimada returned Saturday - this time to work in the Shoreline sunshine.

Homeported in Newport, Oregon, NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada is a state-of-the-art fisheries survey vessel that studies a wide range of marine life, sea birds and ocean conditions along the U.S. West Coast.

The ship’s design allows for quieter operation and movement of the vessel through the water, giving scientists the ability to study fish and marine mammals without significantly altering their behavior.



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Scene on the Sound: Bell M. Shimada spends this gray day working off the Shoreline coast

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Bell M. Shimada works Puget Sound off Shoreline
Photo by Jan Hansen


Bell M. Shimada conducts both acoustic and trawl surveys. For acoustic surveys, the ship uses a multibeam echo sounder (MBES) that projects a fan-shaped beam of sound that bounces back to the ship. The ship’s MBES, one of only three systems of its type worldwide, acquires data from both the water column and the sea floor. Scientists can detect fish as the ship passes over them, measuring the signal reflected by the fish to estimate their size and numbers. The system can also map and characterize the sea floor.

The ship conducts trawl sampling with a standardized, three-bridle, four-seam bottom survey net equipped with a rock-hopper sweep. The trawls sample the biomass of fish in a given survey area. This helps scientists learn what species are in observed fish schools and gather other biological data.

The ship’s wet lab allows scientists to sort, weigh, measure and examine fish. The data is entered directly into the ship’s scientific computer network. Bell M. Shimada’s marine mammal and bird observation stations are equipped with sensors to aid researchers in identifying and tracking protected species.





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Scene on the Sound: Coast Guard heads out after the first storm

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Photo by Jan Hansen

The US Coast Guard Cutter Midgett leaves port in Puget Sound after the first snow storm on Sunday, February 10, 2019.



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Scene on the Sound: USNS Amelia Earhart

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

USNS Amelia Earhart in the sun
Photo by Jan Hansen


The USNS Amelia Earhart, T-AKE 6, sailed by Monday morning on her way to Masan, Korea.  The ship shone in the sun, then slipped into the bank of fog. Camouflage on the sea was demonstrated, and Amelia disappeared.

This vessel has her own coat of arms honoring the woman for whom she was named.


https://www.navysite.de/ake/ake6coa.jpg
Gold represents achievement, excellence and high ideals, Celeste Blue symbolizes the skies over the Atlantic, the Pacific and the United States, through which Amelia Earhart made her historic flights. The demi-globe recalls her goal to circumnavigate the Earth. The lozenge, a symbol traditionally associated with women, represents Earhart, her achievements in aviation and her importance to the wider acceptance of women’s abilities and roles in twentieth century culture. Argent (White) denotes purpose and integrity. The aircraft represented in base, an Electra, is the type she piloted during her final record-breaking attempt.

The compass rose refers to navigation, by sea or by air. The award to Amelia Earhart of the Distinguished Flying Cross, given at the time to only three civilian recipients, is signified by the propeller, derived from the award. Azure represents flight.


Slipping into the fog
Photo by Jan Hansen

The ship went into a fog bank but the Olympics maintained their proper place in the sun.




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Why are trees important for salmon? Let us count the ways

Thursday, January 3, 2019

Ballinger Creek
Photo by Londa Jacques
By Jim Halliday – LFP Stewardship Foundation Advisory Board Member, and 
Doug Hennick, Aquatic Ecologist, Wild Fish Conservancy and LFP Stewardship Foundation Board Member.

Aquatic life depends on an arboreal setting because all parts of trees contribute to enriching the habitat and improving water quality.

Trees, wherever they are in the watershed, help stream water quality by improving the soil so it removes pollutants (like heavy metals) from storm water.

And if they are near streams, trees help by stabilizing banks and hillsides because tree roots stabilize the soil in ways that reduce sediment from entering streams, which otherwise would smother fish eggs and keep fingerlings from finding food by making the water too muddy to see through.

Boeing Creek
Photo by Kyle McQueen
Exposed roots also make pockets of slow water, where fish can rest while being ready to dart out into the current to snatch a bug as it goes by in the fast water.

When trees and their large root balls fall into streams, they become “large woody debris” that provides more pocket water for fish to use, and surfaces for algae to grow on, which in turn feeds more insects for fish to eat.

The surfaces of logs in streams grow three times more algae than the same surface area of rocks, so fallen trees in streams greatly increase aquatic insect food, and the extra insects become extra salmon food.

Also, the terrestrial insects that accidentally drop into streams from overhanging trees are a valuable and bountiful fish food, and the leafy debris that falls into streams is food for macroinvertebrates that also feed young salmon.

The soil of forested watersheds absorb rainfall, and release it slowly ensuring year-long continued underground flow to streams to support spawning and rearing fish.

Twin Ponds feed Thornton Creek
Photo by Melissa Banker


Trees and vegetation cool streams in summer. This is important because warm water kills salmon.

And a lot of the rain and snow that falls on trees throughout a watershed evaporates before it even reaches the ground, thus minimizing the violence of storm flow in streams. That violence can kill fish in numerous ways, from flushing them downstream into places where bigger predators live, to moving the gravel so much that fish eggs wash away.

Chinook salmon in Thornton Creek
Also, just like trees help salmon live and grow, salmon help trees by bringing fertilizer to them.

Marine-derived nutrients from the carcasses of salmon stimulates the growth of conifer trees along northwest salmon streams and rivers.

The carcasses get into the forests by raptors such as eagles and ospreys carrying them to their nests, and by bears and other mammals dragging salmon into the woods for eating in peace.

This activity contributes to the increased growth of the trees and shows a positive correlation with the number of salmon returning the previous year.



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Scene on the Sound: Ships that pass

Saturday, September 15, 2018

USNS Amelia Earhart (background)
Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (foreground)Photo by Jan Hansen

USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE-6), a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for noted American aviation pioneer and women's rights advocate Amelia Earhart.

USNS Earhart is 689 feet long and was launched in 2008 as the sixth ship in the Navy's T-AKE class.

These ships deliver ammunition, provisions, spare parts, potable water and petroleum products to the Navy's carrier strike groups at sea and other naval forces worldwide, allowing them to stay at sea, on station and combat ready for extended periods of time.


Homeported at Coast Guard Island in Alameda, California, Coast Guard Cutter Waesche, the second of eight planned National Security Cutters, is 418 feet long with a top speed of 28 knots and a range of 12,000 nautical miles. 

She is equipped with a flight deck and hangars capable of housing two multi-mission helicopters, and outfitted with the most advanced command, control, and communications equipment.

--Jan Hansen



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Improved boat sewage management leads to shellfish area upgrades

Friday, August 31, 2018

No Discharge Zone in brown
The Washington State Department of Health announced Thursday that portions of commercial shellfish areas around 20 Puget Sound marinas would no longer be classified as prohibited.

Improved sewage management has allowed DOH to remove shellfish harvest restrictions on nearly 700 acres of commercial shellfish beds.

The reclassified marinas affected include the following:

  1. Clallam County (67 acres impacted) – John Wayne 
  2. Island County (5) – Sandy Hook
  3. Jefferson County (144) – Cape George, Fisherman Harbor, Pleasant Harbor, Port Hudson, Port Townsend, and Quilcene
  4. Kitsap County (228) – Blake Island, Brownsville, Kingston, Keyport, Liberty Bay, and Poulsbo
  5. Mason County (43) – Hood Canal and Jarrell Cove
  6. Pierce County (43) – Day Island
  7. Thurston County (104) – Boston Harbor and Zittels
  8. Whatcom County (27) – Birch Bay

Over the past 20 years, progress has been made to reduce the potential for sewage discharge from boats and this includes better waste-holding capacity in most boats, increased boat waste pump out stations, and the implementation of a No Discharge Zone throughout the Puget Sound.

The improvements have led to better water quality, a lowered illness risk to people who eat shellfish, and greater protection of public health.



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Seattle Times: Canadian court halts pipeline to consider impact on orcas

Orcas off RB Saltwater Park May 2017
Photo by Marion Woodfield

The Seattle Times carried a story Thursday about the Trans-Mountain pipeline being halted because the project did not consider the effect of increased tanker traffic on the resident orca population or address the concerns of the First Nations people.

Concern for critically endangered southern-resident killer whales has sunk the approval of Canada’s controversial Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. 
Approval for the expansion was revoked by a federal court in Canada, which ruled Thursday that the effects of the pipeline on orca whales were not addressed and the concerns of First Nations were not adequately considered.  
The Federal Court of Appeals is requiring the government to redo its consultation with First Nations and assess the impacts of the project on the whales.

Read the story here



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Scene on the Sound: Research vessel Kilo Moana

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Research vessel Kilo Moana
Photo by Jan Hansen


Information from NOAA

The research vessel, Kilo Moana, is a 186’ Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) vessel owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by the University of Hawaii Marine Center. Because of the unique SWATH design, the Kilo Moana is a very stable and comfortable platform from which to conduct oceanographic research.

Kilo Moana is short for “oceanographer,” but literally means "one who is looking for understanding of the deep sea" in Hawaiian. The vessel can accommodate up to 20 crew members and 28 scientists. With a full complement of scientists and crew, the Kilo Moana can remain out at sea for 50 days and travel at a maximum speed of 15 knots.

The Kilo Moana possesses an innovative and unique hull design called “SWATH,” which stands for Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull. Built like a pontoon boat/catamaran hybrid, the ship is broader than other ships, offering a smoother ride, a large working deck area, and stable operations even in rough seas.

The vessel is equipped to perform a variety of general oceanography and multidisciplinary studies. There are eight laboratory spaces on board the ship, including hydrographic, chemical, and wet labs, as well general laboratory and computer spaces.

Scientific equipment available for use on the Kilo Moano include a gravity meter, magnetometer, a piston core, and a rock saw to conduct marine geology and geophysical experiments. Instruments such as fluorometers and a Conductivity-Temperature-Depth system can be used by scientists to analyze seawater.

The R/V Kilo Moana also has many advanced technological capabilities for studying the ocean floor. These technologies include multibeam sonar seafloor mapping systems that have been integrated into the ship design. Arrays of sonar transmitters and receivers are located along the bottom of the port hull. These systems are designed to gather data in shallow and deep water areas, allowing a complete range of mapping coverage from nearshore to the deepest depths of the world’s ocean.

The ship’s deepwater multibeam echo sounder is capable of hydrographic charting and seafloor acoustic backscatter imaging in water depths up to 11,000 meters, meaning the ship can map the deepest trenches on Earth. Another type of echo sounder on the Kilo Moana operates on the same theory as the the deepwater echo sounder, but with a higher frequency to allow better resolution in waters up to 1,000 meters.

The aft portion of the Kilo Moana main deck is configured to carry, launch, and recover equipment for a variety of oceanographic operations at sea, including coring, water sampling, equipment launch and recovery, and array and trawl towing. Two cranes and a winch are available for the launch of such equipment.



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Scene on the Sound: Vessel with strange load

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Photo by Jan Hansen


The question is not the vessel, but her strange load.

Passing through this Tuesday morning is the YTB 823 Canonchet. 

She is a Natick-class large harbor tug. She was launched in 1973, served in the San Diego Naval Station until 1993, then she was transferred to Naval Region Northwest. She is 33 meters long and full can displace 352 tons.

Instead of pulling boats, it appears that they can be moved without even wetting their hulls. This gave me a new appreciation for dry docks.

The public release is still showing:

“Currently the vessel YTB 823 CANONCHET is on her next destination to RESTORATION PT and the estimated time of arrival (ETA) is around Jul 3, 13:00.”

My eyes and this photo say differently.

--Jan Hansen



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King County launches research vessel to join emergency Puget Sound orca recovery effort

Sunday, August 5, 2018

Dow Constantine, 2nd left, christens the
SoundGuardian in 2016
King County Executive Dow Constantine directed King County’s marine research vessel, SoundGuardian, to join the state, federal and tribal coalition that has come together to rescue the endangered residents of Puget Sound’s orca population.

Operating with a crew of three, SoundGuardian left its dock at the King County Environmental Laboratory in Fremont early Sunday morning, Aug. 5, and was expected to dock at Squalicum Harbor in Bellingham later that day.

Once there, the vessel will operate with others under the authority of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials who are coordinating emergency recovery actions.

“Orcas are the Salish Sea’s most iconic residents, and we all share the responsibility of protecting these beloved animals,” said Executive Dow Constantine. “We are doing whatever we can to help the orca now, and fulfill long term goals to improve the health of local waterways and the Salish Sea.”

Launched in 2016, SoundGuardian is King County’s primary marine research vessel and is used by scientists to collect samples, assist in monitoring buoy maintenance, and other work. The 48-foot, twin-hulled vessel provides workers with a swift and stable platform for a variety of open-water tasks.


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Military personnel ride transit free during Fleet Week

Saturday, July 28, 2018

USCG Mellon on the Shoreline Sea
Photo by Jan Hansen


Sound Transit, King County Metro, and the King County Water Taxi will continue their annual Seafair tradition of honoring members of the military by providing free transit service from July 31-August 5.

During Seafair Fleet Week, members and former members of the Armed Forces, including active duty, veterans and retirees, can ride free on Link light rail and Sounder trains, Sound Transit Express and Metro buses, and the Vashon and West Seattle Water taxis.

Service members not in uniform are asked to show their military identification to the transit operator upon boarding a bus or train, or to fare inspectors if requested. Valid forms of military I.D. include a Uniformed Identification Card, a Veteran Health Identification Card or a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty Form (also referred to as a DD-214).

Ships from the U.S. Navy, U.S Coast Guard, including the Mellon, and Royal Canadian Navy are expected to sail into Seattle this week, with vessels docking at piers along the waterfront for the public to tour and enjoy.

All customers riding Sound Transit and Metro trains and buses to Seafair activities should plan ahead and allow plenty of time for traffic delays and road closures. Visit Sound Transit’s alerts page or Metro’s online Service Advisories page to find out about bus reroutes or other planned service changes.

Regular fares are required for non-military riders.


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Photo: Whale of a tail

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Photo by Wayne Pridemore


Whale of a Tail


Don't swim in the sea with a whale

I did and was whacked by its tail.

When I made my rebuke

it replied "It was a fluke"

( it had studied semantics at Yale )


Jimmy Johns 2001


Photo by Wayne Pridemore at Pelican, Alaska
west of Juneau



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