
“This is not a good thing.” That’s what a marine biologist told my friend as he ogled sea lions hammering herring in Auk Bay. A phenomenon named by someone with little imagination as “The Blob” is denying herring and other prey fish of their normal feeding areas by raising the ocean temperature. Now they collect in Auk Bay where they can’t escape the seals, sea lions, and sea birds. Some herring must have moved into nearby Fritz Cove. A dozen sea loins wander its waters for feed. Three humpback whales have joined them. Aki and I watch for a bit, then head over to False Outer Point. There we find a skeleton crew of gulls and a large murder of crows. From a distance, over the gull complaints, we hear a sea lion growl and a whale’s breath. “Little Dog, We need to enjoy while it lasts.”
