The return of Stump

The right place at the right time, or just crazy luck. This is a bit of a fish story, or in reality, you would call it the "mammalian story."  

A week ago on April 30th, I was on the water paddleboarding along a shore area called Edgecliff, it's a wild beach area that's about a half mile in length and the homes are up on the cliff, so there is a barrier of trees along the cliff between the beach and the Puget Sound. There is an abundance of wildlife within the boundary. There are Shorebirds, Eagles and sleeping seal's that kind of hang around as an open wildlife respite. There is a run of fast water, a current that pushes up waves as the tide changes, or it can be like mirror flat and clear. If the NW wind comes up it's between you and the waves that pummel you for a mile toward The Cove beach.  

It's fun but a leg cramp burn. If you have skied it's like being caught in a mogul field that never stops for an hour. Or it's the waves that send you into cold water immersion, it is part of the sport and you're in the ice water, so you just paddle like hell, it's crazy fun!  

I was returning from one of the calm day's on April 30th and a flash caught my eye, and then another jump and then the air woosh. The adrenaline goes off in my body, I stop my board put my paddle safe on top, then open my watertight bag. I grab my camera, check my settings and then wait. She comes up again about 400 meters north, not even a good shot. I pack up my gear we're on the chase now and we have to paddle hard to get a shot. 

I am up pushing with everything and then I see her come up again, but she's changed directions and coming back to me. I stop, get to my gear and wait again, then she comes up again and she's about 100 meters away, click click click. It's not perfect she's too far to be good, but I just want to see what kind of porpoise or dolphin it is. I can tell this animal is big, it has a very long back, and unusual. Here the local Harbor Porpoise are up and down much faster, kind of like black triangles, then gone. This was a different mammal, I needed to get home and see the files.  

Reviewing the files was interesting enough that I did some research on other dolphins within the Puget Sound area. There is a non-profit group called Cascadia Research Collective that has been documenting certain mammals within the Puget Sound for over 38 years. I found a link and contacted one of the researchers, David Anderson. He then sent me a link about a Bottlenose Dolphins within the Puget Sound.  

They are not common but there are sighting and there are several dolphins that have been frequently visiting the Puget Sound.  

Stump and Miss are from the California Bay area, SeaRanch sightings of both. However, they have been in and out of the Puget Sound since the early 80's. Stump was sighted in Elliotte harbor late March 2018, then again in Tacoma area Point Ruston. She also has a large fin that's bent and notched and some scars from defending herself over the years. David asked me to send him some high res images that would identify Stump, and it was proof of her sighting at the Edgecliff waters in April.

So what's the chance of seeing her again? I would say hardly any at all but living happens on the water that keeps me paddling like a ten-year-old kid on a new bike. There is this balance of my life on the water and I feel it, and then occasionally I get to see something that's different on the water and I look again and stop. I listen and I hear the air, the woosh and the adrenaline is running again, and the Stump has returned and she is north of me now but for whatever reason, she turns and come straight at me and my camera is ready, click click click.

She's underwater again and then I wait she comes up about 200 meters away, too far but then she turn's again and coming at me.

Understand that my board tracks with the wind and the flow of the current so I am moving, "always moving" and there are shipping lanes that send transmission waves that keep me off balance a bit. I have to put my camera down, under a bungee cord, then paddle a bit toward her last sighting or I hear her blowhole woosh behind me. My paddle cannot drop into the water if it does I can't touch the shutter release with wet hands. It's a bit of a test of endurance, my legs have been bent under me for about 30 min now and getting numb. Stump keeps turning behind me, I see the shot I want but I am late with the camera back to my face and the viewfinder. However, she turns again and coming toward me 30 meters away from me, a great shot, click click click click! 

My lens was not totally extended but the wider angle is good for space around her fin and the deep well like bowl gives you a feeling of her size and space. I get a few more shots but my legs tired and they are wobble trying to get up. I am laughing to myself paddling toward home.  

I still wonder about the chance of seeing Stump in almost the same place a week apart. A good story and the images to prove it!