Life at the Marina

The water at the Boathaven Marina at the port of Port Angles is very clear.  The last temperature I took was 57 degrees.  The photo below I took with my cell phone from the dock.  There are numerous jellyfish to be seen. The top of the jellyfish pictured below was about 8 inches across the top. 

There is a wooden seawall that protects the marina.  Everyday birds come to sit and nap on "the wall".  Mew gulls sleep all day, while the Glaucous-winged and Herring gulls are busy feeding and keep an eye on all the activity at the marina.

On the other side of the wooden seawall is a small bay, called Port Angeles Harbor, which is protected by a natural water break called Ediz Hook  or just "the hook".  Often there are several large bulk carriers or "bulker" ships anchored. Timber is one of Port Angeles' main industry and most of these bulkers are coming to take timber to Japan, China and other places in Washington and the States. 

Within the "hook" of Port Angeles, there are plenty of birds and seals to watch.  Pictured below is a male Harlequin duck. Harlequins usually like fast moving waters and ocean surf, but a few hang out in the calm waters of the harbor.  Harlequins come down to Washington for the winter.    

The marina is so well protected that most of the time the water is like glass. 

Pictured below is a Surf scoter. These birds breed on fresh waters of the far north in Canada and Alaska.  They winter along the Pacific coast as far south as the Baja.  

I have seen 62 different bird species in the harbor and immediate surrounding area of Port Angeles in the last two weeks:  Common Loon, Pacific Loon, Horned Grebe, Pied Grebe, Western Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Brand's Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Canada Goose, Cackling Goose, Mallard, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Ringed-neck Duck, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Bald Eagle, American Coot, Black-bellied Plover, Whimbrel, Black Turnstone, Sanderling, Dunlin, Mew Gull, Herring Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Heermann's Gull, Common Murre, Mourning Dove, Rock Pigeon, Anna's Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Steller's Jay, Common Raven, American Crow, Northwestern Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick's Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Townsend's Solitaire, American Robin, Varied Thrush, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Spotted Towhee, White-crowned Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin and House Sparrow. 

Pictured above is a Harbor seal.