ALL OVER THE ITS LIFE

THE WILD LIFE ON THE EARTH

It is not uncommon to see bald and golden eagles, seals, and the play of the Orca-like Dahl's porpoise as they dive under your hull. Then there's salmon, Dungeness and red crab clams, and many varieties of cod, to sample but a bit of the abundant sea life that thrives in the nutritionally rich seafood chain of the Northwest's inland waters.

The key to appreciating wildlife is to keep a keen eye out of the cockpit. We have seen friends cruise right through a pod of Orca and not notice! Scan the skies and examine the dead trees for bald eagles. Watch the water horizon and occasionally look behind you to catch Orca and Dahl's porpoises. A walk on the beach at low tide is a real-life biology text

All our boats are equipped with crab rings. Best bait is uncooked chicken bones with a bit of meat left on to attract these smell feeders. Tie the bone(s) securely to the bottom of the ring and let it down over the side of your boat. Put it up fairly briskly every 15 minutes or so to check for crabs. Dungeness (which look a little greenish before cooking) are renowned for their flavor. Females (they have bigger breasts - really!) go back to propagate. Males more than 6-1/4 inches from breast point to point may be eaten. You may clean them either before or after cooking. If you are unfamiliar, clean afterward. Grasp the legs and twist. Remove the back and entrails (anything not having white meat). To cook them, place sufficient salt water in the crab cooking pot to cover the crab. Bring to a boil. Plop in the crab (they are killed instantly). Cook about 20 minutes. Melt a little butter and enter gastronomic paradise.

You may keep red crabs of any size and sex. Compared to the Dungeness, they are both smaller and bright red. These too are tasty, just not quite as succulent. Cook them the same way as Dungeness.Crabbing now requires a state permit. It is relatively inexpensive and can be purchased locally

Salmon fishing is quite a specialty here. For you fishing aficionados, rods, reels, bait, licenses and free advice are available right in the marine here. For the occasional fisherman, casting plastic worms into kelp (keep that keel away from kelp/rocks!) can often yield a culinary delight