An Expedition with Cap'n Charlie to Gull Island and Halibut Cove

Sometimes when we travel we have extensive plans, and plenty of reservations for places we want to visit.

Other trips are more ad hoc, where we find local customs and events are exploit them as we can.

Homer is more of an ad hoc trip.

Even  though there are many tourists and summer residents here in Homer, we were lucky to find a boat operator who would take us out on a couple hours notice to Gull Island, a popular sea bird rookery where currently Common Murres are hatching. 

We walked into the first charter outfit we saw, "Custom Charter" and were able to arrange for a two hour tour with Cap'n Charlie. That gave us time for a delicious lunch at Captain Patty's (Stop there if in Homer) and  then amble down to the marina.

Because of the bears, most of the fishermen coming in off the bay clean their catch in the cleaning shed just up from the docks:

The guy filleting that halibut was making sharp, swift cuts and ended up with beautiful fillets. We even volunteered to help the two women cleaning these king salmon:

but I don't think they took him up on it, though.

Here is the Anna B, Cap'n Charlie's boat:

There was not much chop, nor much swell on the bay as we got out on open water.

It took about 20 minutes or so to get to Gull Island.

There were plenty of birds, gulls and murres. We did see both horned and tufted puffins, a real treat.

Of course we really wanted to see sea otters.

We were not disappointed.

They look like little old men.

The Roes were all very good sailors.

and for Doreen it was like she was born on the water.