Today I did a paddle at Monterey from MBK out to the yellow buoy beyond the Aquarium and back. The notable part, other than a semi-standard flat as a duck pond Monterey bay was as my buddy and I paddled along parallel to the breakwater. I was startled by an otter surfacing about 6 feet off the right side of my boat. I stopped paddling so I wouldn't run into it, if he swam the 'wrong' way, and sure enough s/he did. The otter swam right at me, and jumped out of the water right onto my front deck!! That really startled me and I almost fell out of the boat. The otter sat there looking at me as if expecting applause (or food). Being a little nervous about having it end up in my lap looking for a treat, and also worried that one of the federal marine mammal protectors might see it there and think I had lured it up there (EXPENSIVE ticket for a federal violation), I splashed water at it with my paddle and shouted, "SHOO". Rebuffed by my hearless reaction, it dove off my boat and climbed halfway onto my partner's front deck, sniffing around the edges of his front hatch. Its behavior makes me pretty certain it has had good experiences with people and around the hatches of kayaks at some time earlier in its life. I'd have given a lot to have someone videoing the experience, I'll bet the look on my face was priceless! Fair winds and happy bytes, -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dave Flory, San Jose, CA. daflory_at_pacbell.net ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Speak softly and study Aikido, then you won't need a big stick. ©2000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> From: Dave Flory <daflory_at_pacbell.net> <snip> > The otter swam right at me, and jumped out of the water right onto my > front deck!! <snip> > partner's front deck, sniffing around the edges of his front hatch. Its > behavior makes me pretty certain it has had good experiences with people Possibly the otter was a rescue/rehab/release from the Aquarium nearby. Pretty neat (and rare) to have it hop right up on your deck. :-) cheers, Jackie *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Dave; Regarding... ...The otter swam right at me, and jumped out of the water right onto my front deck!! That really startled me and I almost fell out of the boat. The otter sat there looking at me as if expecting applause (or food). The family recently visited the Monterey Aquarium and had the opportunity to view the otter exhibit. Before this, none of us had ever viewed an otter... up close and personal that is. I was surprised how large these critters are. It makes one appreciate your observation of it hopping up on your front deck. Were you paddling a glass, plastic or foldable? I'm curious of the tenacity of his grip. On the bright side, at least it wasn't a sea lion... or larger. =) - Lou San Diego, CA 000809/1055 [demime removed a uuencoded section named winmail.dat which was 59 lines] *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> From: Velasco MGySgt Louis [mailto:VelascoL_at_3MAW.USMC.MIL] > > Were you paddling a glass, plastic or foldable? I'm > curious of the > tenacity of his grip. On the bright side, at least it wasn't > a sea lion... > or larger. =) The mere thought of a sea lion boarding a kayak is scary. Stellar sea lions (that's the kind we have in Alaska) get BIG. Males up to 10 ft and over a ton, females to 6-7 ft and 500lbs! The Stellar sea lion population in Alaska is generally on the decline, but seems to be holding steady in Southeast Alaska. Dave Seng Juneau, Alaska *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> Were you paddling a glass, plastic or foldable? I'm curious of the >tenacity of his grip. On the bright side, at least it wasn't a sea lion... >or larger. =) I paddle a bright yellow Cobra Tourer, that's a Linear Poly sit-on-top kayak, 15 feet long by 28 inches wide. I have an 'A' hatch bow and stern and the otter jumped up on the bow one and sniffed along the edges of the hatch as if looking for something good. The hatch area is pretty good sized and is waffle iron patterned so it is not slippery. I rocked the boat before I splashed him and shouted, and the rocking didn't seem to make the otter uncomfortable as it did me. I wouldn't have been as surprised if it were a harbor seal, they're fairly small and are quite curious and social with divers and kayakers. I did have the thought of an elephant seal doing something like that, it would have sunk my boat under the water as they weigh tons. It is rather unlikely that anyone would have been feeding an elephant seal thereby teaching it to expect to mooch off of people. I got the distinct feeling that this one was quite used to people and was looking for a treat. Fair winds and happy bytes, -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dave Flory, San Jose, CA. daflory_at_pacbell.net ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Speak softly and study Aikido, then you won't need a big stick. ©2000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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