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<\/p>\n\n\n\nWritten by Madelyn, Gray, and Jacob<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We awoke today at 6am to clean dishes, eat breakfast, and prepare for the day’s adventure. We arrived at the Anacortes ferry around 7:45am. On the drive to Padilla Bay, we stopped at a local hotspot, the Donut House that had an astounding range of donuts in different sizes and shapes. They also had some doll statues that were more than a little creepy. After we all ordered drinks and donuts we headed out to the van and continued to Padilla Bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once there, we descended a wobbling, spiral staircase. In the bay we walked out to the deeper mud, where each of our steps squelched in the muck. When we entered the sampling area we each had to sample 15 pieces of both types of eelgrass. The native eelgrass grew further out and was taller, growing in harmony with the native grass because it thrived closer to shore and was shorter, forming a symbiotic relationship. We all had some fun in the mud: Kika fell in, Jacob and Gray raced through it, and both Derek and Joey ended up chasing bags caught by the wind, across the bay. We then headed back to land to wash off our boots and hear more about the place we were sampling and the research that routinely goes on there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gray and Maddy descend the spiral staircase (photo by Derek).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next, we grabbed our lunches and chilled our eelgrass samples in a cooler. Because the grass around the benches was spiky, those of us without shoes had to be exceedingly careful when we sat down to munch. While eating, we shared stories about interesting family histories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The van\u2019s next stop was Fidalgo Bay. The tide was high enough to where we didn\u2019t really see any eelgrass, but the view and the walk were gorgeous. The sun reflected off the waters as they rippled and flowed with the wind, causing the waters to glisten in the light. The crisp air was warm, a refreshing change in the mood of today which was mostly cold, damp, and cloudy. We walked and talked, swapping various stories including Derek\u2019s close calls with bombs when he went diving through shipwrecks in the Adriatic Sea, off the coast of Albania. After our short walk, we reminisced about the views and took in the moments as we stole our final glances of the textured waters, up the vast, green trees, and to the bright, blue sky. We loaded back into the van; on the ride over to the ferry, we stopped to pick up dinner at a Safeway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Pictured left to right: Jacob, Joey, Gray, Madelyn, and Maddy (photo by Derek).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We arrived early enough for a short walk on the beach before boarding the ferry. Once we began moving, we exited the van and made our way to the upper deck to eat our makeshift dinner. Orange chicken, pita chips, fried rice, assorted salads, and sushi made for a variety of meals and even some drinks (we recommend Dad\u2019s old fashioned Root Beer). The ferry ride home was fun and exciting and as soon as we returned to Spring Street we wrote this wonderful blog for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The gang take samples to assist Morgan Eisenlord with her research into Eelgrass Wasting Disease (photo by Derek). <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Written by Madelyn, Gray, and Jacob We awoke today at 6am to clean dishes, eat breakfast, and prepare for the day’s adventure. We arrived at the Anacortes ferry around 7:45am. On the drive to Padilla Bay, we stopped at a local hotspot, the Donut House that had an astounding range of donuts in different sizes and shapes. They also had some doll statues that were more than a little creepy. After we all ordered drinks and donuts we headed out to the van and continued to Padilla Bay. Once there, we descended a wobbling, spiral staircase. In the bay we walked out to the deeper mud, where each of our … Continue reading