Elkhorn Slough
MVP
Fuji 100-400 Lens—I never thought of myself as a wildlife photographer, but with this lens, it’s just so easy!
Slough Review:
Mostly the same sentiment as the last time I was here.
One difference is that because it was the weekend, the parking lot was half way full of fellow kayakers and SUPers, still, there is so much space in the slough that it did feel congested at all.
What I Learned:
I used windfinder.com to ensure that I got there when there would be minimal winds. When I started (forecast at 2mph), it felt like there was zero wind. When I ended, it was supposed to be 5mph, but felt almost like nothing.
Amy (a fellow kayaker I met) suggested that I submit my photos for the NOAA photo contest.
Media Consumed:
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari—Finished!
Friends Made:
Amy from Moss Landing
What Happened?
3.6 miles, 1 hr 42 mins, 2 mph E (wind)
With the new zoom lens from Fuji in my possession, I wanted to see if I could get cute pictures of otters. And otters, I knew, hung out in Elkhorn Slough. I didn’t see one the previous time I had come here, but maybe I’d get lucky. And lucky I was.
I expected myself to have to kayak far from the parking lot to get some good pictures. By good fortune, there was an otter that was hanging out close to the launch point, so I accomplished my goal within five minutes of getting in the water. Everything was gravy after this.
So, I kayaked halfway down to Moss Landing and took in the sights of the birds and marveled at the tranquil water conditions. I was thinking that I’d go all the way to Moss Landing, but the sun came up and I decided to turn back as I felt over dressed (had a medium weight long sleeve shirt).
On the way back, I conversed for a few minutes with Amy and found out that she lived near Moss Landing and worked at NOAA! How fun!
Oh, and this was the third time I’ve used the Sea Eagle Razorlite Kayak and I’ve gotten really fast at pumping it up. I feel like I’m almost as fast as I’d be if I had gotten the Oru Kayaks.
