Point Reyes - Kayaking through Drakes Estero




Meet our new watercraft - an inflatable kayak.  Our first voyage was in the Point Reyes National Seashore.  This photo is from the beach where we stopped for lunch, near the mouth of the estuary. 




Earlier in our paddling, we saw a pair of coyotes wrestling and chasing after each other playfully, one of them carrying something in its mouth.




It was a nice day and a perfect location for our trip.





In the distance they looked like the ruins of an old dock, but up close they turned out to be a few dozen seals resting on a submerged sandbar.




During most of our 10 mile journey, seals would pop up on all sides of us, eyeing us with curiousity.




Coyote #3:  this one trotted down a foggy beach in our direction, then noticed our boat and calmly hunkered down under a bush.




Sandy spits separated some branches of the estuary from the open ocean.  Pelicans rested on one...




More seals awaited us on another sand bar.  Notice the varied colors and patterns.




One last seal shot - here you can see tall waves breaking beyond them.  Luckily it was calmer on our protected route.




Past the seals, we hauled out and crossed the spit to the ocean side.  Then turned around and paddled back to the oyster farm where we started.