RogersFall 2015
BONUS PHOTO ALBUM number 2: Seals at Sunset State Park, Coos Bay, OR: After our bonus walk through the garden I at first though we'd go back to the camp site, kick back, read and and wait for dinner. I said, nah, this brochure I snatched at the garden said something about a lookout at the end of the park a mile or so down the road. It peaked my interest so I suggested we drive another 3 miles and see what we could see. OMG, at a roadside pull out we saw a crowd gather at the guard rail overlooking the ocean aand heard incessant barking. We scrambled to the edge and oh my, there were close to a 1000 sea lions scattered amongts island rocks and in the water diving and catching waves, all while shouting at the top of their lungs. They have lungs don't they?
Jerry, a senior volunteer proceeded to educate us all on the going ons. He had a couple telescopes and binoculars handy for all to see. Their must have been several hundred on one island squished together like the DC Metro at rush hour. I wanted to get close and catch a photo of them surfing the waves but our view point was behind them.
I left the crowd and went searching for a different vantage point. I found one along a little path a 100 yards away. I ran back and got the Mrs and we were able to take a few photos of yet another surfer in the frigid cold with wet suit. So awesome, wishe I could have taken a zoom video.
After 20 minutes of gawking, we figure we'd finish our ride to the cape, the end of the road, less that a mile a way. More rocks, cliffs and waves. We could hear the seals barking in the back ground. I found another trail and said let's see what's at the end of this. As we walked down the switch back trail, the barking became louder. We stumble upon a view point right above a den of sea lions pearched up the rocks right on our shore line. I quickly hopped the fence and got closer. They barked louder at the intruders. I had company, a local father and son. We stayed a safe distance away but were close enought to get some up close and personal photos.
I thought maybe we would have got 2-3 photo albums when we pulled up to this campground. Looked like a beach, a bay and that was it. Boy, was I wrong.
