[CINC] Island Adventure-3/28

[paul jr petrich]

Good Morning Naturalist,
  Yesterday skipper Jimmy took a full boat load out to Scorpion Anchorage, with no drop at Prisoners. Ninety six  8th grade students and their teacher-parent chaperones were aboard, all from the Reagan Academy in Utah. The senior class in the K-8 school are  retreated annually to a week + venture to California which includes the CINP trip along wit visits to the Reagan Library and Ranch. Crew members Andrea, Paige and Dani split them up into 3 hike groups. I took 22 open book passengers on the Cavern Point hike, then a few of them followed me to Potato Harbor.  Our new Barbara did a great job with the visitor's center, and circulating the boat continuously promoting our CINP and CINMS.
  The island fox did their regular ( nowadays ) cameo for all, and along the hike a regular pair of Ravins escorted us to Potato Harbor. A pair of Red tailed Hawks also harassed a lone Peregrine Falcon  along the way. Meadowlarks gavels all a continuous background serenade. The seas were very calm over and  back. Barley leaving the Jimmy slowed down so 5 Bottle Nose Dolphin could play in our wake a while, and coming back  we were treated to about 500 very acrobatic Common Dolphin riding our stern wake as well as bow riding. We were also treated to Skipper Jimmy's vert convincing impersonations of "dolphin talk" over the mike! 
 Off special note: Some who hiked to Smuggler's Cove, reported sighting a tagged Bald Eagle there. A great day again!, Paul Petrich