Last Friday, while walking back from the tip of the island at Holgate, I saw that the ocean waves were fairly high, and once in a while I heard the sound of clapping thunder as they crashed violently against the shore. However, one surfer braved it all and seemed to enjoy herself.
Long-tailed Duck surfing at Holgate.
She was engulfed by the waves several times, but persisted and rode the waves fearlessly. She was definitely the bravest among other surfing ducks that day. In the following photo, a wave was about to crash and I clicked the shutter just after several ducks dove in. Long-tailed ducks are known for their diving prowess, able to go as deep as 200 ft (60 m) to look for food.
Crashing surf: there are some ducks in there.
This is what our female surfer looked like after a wave had gone past her.
Female Long-tailed Duck after wave had gone beyond her
Finally, here’s a shot of the wave crashing against the beach.
Long-tailed Ducks beyond crashing wave.
By the way, before starting my hike, I saw some human surfers at the parking lot, clad in their wetsuits. They had decided not to attempt surfing that day and were getting into their cars to drive out of the area.
neihtn 