A Lunch on the High Seas

[sarafina]

I wish I hadda picture. It was a perfect Kodak moment.

Last week I had a chance to crew on a bay charter. We were out on a beautiful day, about as sweet as sailing gets here. Bright and sunny, winds at 10 to 12, not warm, but not cold either. Perfect. The five Brits who had charterd the boat were not sailors, but were having a gas as we circled Yerba Buena and shot up between Treasure Island and the Embarcadero.

As we were about due east of pier 39 we sighted a frantic flock of seagulls diving and circling and splashing into the water. As we neared the cluster of crazed birds the Captain started laughing and called out "Lunch on the port side".

It was a big sealion, really big, and he had a HUGE salmon. As in over two foot long. The birds were doing their level best to relieve that big guy of his sushi, and he was having none of it. He was diving and eating under the water, but then would come up for air. He would broach up out of the water roaring and snapping at the air around the scattering gulls, who would then cluster and dive bomb again, trying to get the fish. He was rolling and flapping his huge flippers and smacking his tail, twisting and turning like a chubby snake in his attempts to elude the birds long enough to get a decent bite. The huge shiny round head bobbing in the swells, fish gripped firmly in mouth or flipper, giant whiskers quivering in outrage. It was all too funny. Like watching a Keystone Kops movie, starring marine mammals and birds.

The Brits wondered how we knew it was salmon and we explained that the ONLY fish in the bay that was fluorescent pink was the King Salmon. It was like a neon sign to those birds.

I coulda kicked myself for leaving my pocket camera below and missing that shot. But even without the digital pic it is one vision I will not be forgetting.

I love sailing for many reasons, but sights such as this one are high on the list ; -)