Tuesday, August 30 - Thursday, September 1 Jordan and I got to go with his McNeil class excursion across the bay for 3 days at the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies field station in Peterson Bay. We boarded the water taxis at noon on Tuesday with overcast skies, got to watch a whole pod of humpback whales surfacing in the middle of Kachemak Bay, and then circle around Gull Island to identify the all the shorebirds before we pulled into Peterson Bay to transport all our luggage and food up the hill.
Time for a nature hike with our guide Howard... identifying plants and berries, fungus and scat, learning about spruce bark beetles and forest regeneration.
We found Lost and Found Lake!
Yurt Mom for the Hemlock Hut...
...my boys couldn't get enough blueberries to eat!
Settling in for our stay.
4 p.m. HIGH tide at the dock where we got dropped off.
After dinner beach hike to run and play, find caves and glowing jellies!
The lights of the Homer Spit were in the background.
Wednesday morning 10 a.m. LOW tide - the dock hit the bottom!
We hiked over to China Poot Bay to tide pool in the drizzle.
The critters didn't mind the rain a bit - black tipped cancer crab.
Giant sun star out under the water.
Octopus hiding deep in the rocks.
Leather star.
Sea anemones, sea urchins, clams, barnacles, crabs, and stars!
Presenting the Wednesday night Tidepool Talent Show...
Phylum Cniderians... "We will, we will sting you!"
Campfire s'mores and songs.
Thursday morning Oceanography studies out on the dock calculating salinity, pH, temperature, and microscope analysis of plankton.
Harbor seal that beached right next to us!
Bald eagles.
Tidepool treasure hunt.
Kelp jumprope.
Lunch with a best friend!
Outdoor classroom.
The gang in front of Otter Rock. What a trip!
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