Re: [Paddlewise] Animal Attack Files

Julio (& all),

Here is a real animal story.  Out canoeing on the southern portion of San Francisco Bay one morning, it was a great day for an open boat.  The tide was very high.  There were no other boats visible on the South Bay, none at all ... a dozen square miles of water to myself.  Not a breath of wind.  A flight of eight pelicans buzzed me repeatedly, at one point passing over so closely that I could feel the burst of wind from their wings.  A really glorious day.  The only ripples on the Bay were from my canoe and my paddle.

A sea lion, I think, poked his nose out of the water just for a moment, about 50 yards or so ahead of me, and scooted away leaving only his ripples to meet my tiny bow wave.  I paddled on.

A minute or two later, an enormous WHOOSH.  In my glasses I saw the reflection of a large black shape behind me.  I did the "duck and cover" drill.  In an instant the water astern of me exploded in a gigantic splash.  Moments later, nothing was left to show of that moment than some salt water in my boat.  The sea lion had leapt completely out of the water, perhaps nailing some hapless fish at the surface, and gravity had brought him back to the sea in an instant.  My pounding heartbeat was the last evidence of his visit.

It was a really fine day for an open boat.

jerry.


>Watch out for those sea piranhas out there !!!
>
>:-))
>- Julio
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