Tag Archives: Point Arena Pier

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Brenna Dix had a great sighting on a recent weekend. She wrote, “I was sitting on the beach at the Point Arena Pier. Suddenly this River Otter swam up to the beach and  ran up the shore.

The otter looked at the people walking on the sidewalk,

and immediately ran back into the water. No one else seemed to notice. He was only in sight for a matter seconds. I have never been more happy to have my camera with me. Right place, right time!”

It's almost like the River Otter thought "YIKES! Giants!" and headed back to the ocean. It's amazing to me how close the otter got to the people, and that they didn't notice.

Thanks to Brenna for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

After Saturday night's rainstorm, and Sunday morning's showers, we are having a beautiful sunny day today. Warm weather moving in for the next couple of days.

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Paul Kozal took these photos from the bluffs overlooking the Point Arena Pier. It was the location for 4th of July fireworks in previous years. This year, fireworks displays have been called off/cancelled. But we can enjoy the bursts of color in Paul's fine photos.

I thank Paul for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Paul's photography, here is his website: http://www.paulkozal.com/

Paul also has a studio in the Cypress Center in Gualala, Studio 391. Opening today, just opposite of Paul's studio, is the Gualala Arts Center's Dolphin Gallery.

It's sunny and quite warm. Lots of visitors are here enjoying the beautiful Mendonoma Coast. I'm sticking close to home!

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After a hiatus of several years, Red Sea Urchins have once again been harvested and brought to the Point Arena Pier. Michael Alexander photographed the first ones destined for sushi chefs here and in Japan that feature uni, the gonads of Red Sea Urchins.

It's not easy to harvest them. A diver will work with a partner on a boat, and stay underwater for several hours at a time collecting them. It's hard work!

These are not to be confused with the Purple Sea Urchins that have proliferated in recent years due to the Sea Stars contracting a wasting disease - Sea Stars prey on Sea Urchins. The purples, unchecked, have eaten much of the kelp, causing some Abalones to starve. Here's what they look like, photographed by Jon Loveless.

Sea Stars have recovered this year and we hope balance will return to the inter-tidal zone.

Thanks to Michael and Jon for allowing me to share their photos with  you here. We are having another lovely, warm day on the Mendonoma coast.

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Mel Smith photographed this red Crab, which was inadvertently caught by a fisherman at the end of the Point Arena Pier.

I sent Mel’s photo to Carol Preston of NOAA. She wrote back, “It’s a Kelp Crab, Pugettia producta. It has two color morphs, red or olive green. This is a red color morph.” Mel said he has seen the green ones, but this is his first sighting of a red Kelp Crab.

Thanks to Carol for her expertise, and thanks to Mel for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

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We had such a strange weather year with hardly any rain until February. Al, the Laysan Albatross, usually arrives in November or December, often after a big storm. Since we had no big storm in those months, perhaps that is why Al did not return to the waters off the Point Arena Pier.

Laysan Albatrosses generally do not come near land. We've been fortunate to have Al [or Alice, we don't really know] visit and birders from around the country come to see him. Here is a photo of this unique bird taken by John Batchelder.

Al, the Laysan Albatross, by John Batchelder

We hope this was an anomaly and that our favorite Albatross will return in November or December. The last time Al was here, he arrived on Dec. 22, 2012 and left on March 7, 2013. Previous arrival dates were Dec. 5, 2011, Nov. 22, 2010, and Nov. 18, 2009. I have records going back to 1994.

Thanks to John for allowing me to share his photo with you here.