Last Day on the Field - By Robert


Today, being the last day on the field was quite different the the previous ones. Peter, Lynn, Brian, Jill and myself left the house early in the morning around 5:30am and drove up north towards Moss landing Harbour to do the usual sea otter observation surveys.

Quite an early start for the day! However, it was all worthed being up so early as was quite amazing to watch the wildlife in the area at that time of the day. The weather was good - clear skies, good visibility, calm seas, although quite chilly. However, later on during the day the sun was shining and the rest of the day was pretty hot.

Before dawn, as it still dark, we counted around eighty otters which were all in the same area. Later on, by sunrise the group began to scatter, and by the time we left the field (around noon) there were only 45 in the same area.

We started off our work on the field by looking for sea otter footprints and also sea otter scat, which we've collected for lab sampling. After that, Jill and myself observed different otter behavioural patterns by recording the number of sea otters exiting and entering the harbour. We also observed a sea otter carrying a pup which was coming in from the ocean. In the meantime, Brian and Jill did the 5 min sea otter behaviour survey. Later on during the day, after a well deserved coffee break, both teams swapped roles.

We also saw a few dolphins just off the harbour jetties which were heading north.

Another exceptional day!!

I would like to take the opportunity to thank Daniela, Peter, Anna, Sean and Shinae for their dedicated work and also the other volunteers on this project for making this a most enjoyable and unforgettable experience.