Jill Larsen was kayaking on the Gualala River. She wrote, "We saw this sunbathing turtle on the wonderfully full Gualala River while kayaking Memorial Day weekend.”

What Jill saw was a Western Pond Turtle, a shy resident of the river. You have to be quiet to have a sighting of one of these native turtles, otherwise your sighting will consist of ripples in the river, showing where the turtle dove.

Thanks to Jill for allowing me to share her photo with you here. We are having a foggy, cool day on the Mendonoma Coast today.