5/25 Pacific mole, Skagit R, beach safety, Noctiluca, 'Lolita,' spot prawns, devil's club

Pacific mole [World Life Expectancy]

Pacific mole Scapanus orarius
The Pacific mole, also known as the coast mole, is similar in appearance to the Townsend mole, and ranges from 6 to 7 inches in total length. It inhabits drier, brushier, and more wooded habitats than the Townsend mole, including interior sagebrush areas.

On This Disputed River, Progress May Mean a Return to the Past
Winding through British Columbia and Washington, the Skagit has a history that reflects competing conceptions of advancement. Adam M. Sowards writes. (Smithsonian)

Headed to the beach?
You might be heading to a beach soon to dip your toes in or splash in cool refreshing water. A day at the beach is relaxing and fun; however, there is a small chance visiting the beach could make you sick from fecal (poop) bacteria. We want to help you have a safe and memorable day at the beach. (WA Dept of Ecology)

Ocean water turns bright orange off B.C. shore
“It was thick. You couldn’t even see the water, like under the water. It was just straight orange.” Roxanne Egan-Elliott and Alanna Kelly report. (Times Colonist)   Why was the water orange in West Seattle? Scientists explain why Noctiluca is naturally occurring and blooms have been observed and recorded in Puget Sound since the 1940s, according to the agency. But the state agency said it is more concerned that human-caused nutrient over-enrichment is increasing the bloom's intensity, changing its timing and increasing the distribution of Noctiluca blooms. Quixem Ramirez reports. (KING)

Lolita the whale may someday return to wild, Miami park says, but timeline uncertain
Caregivers at a South Florida ocean park are taking steps to prepare Lolita, an orca whale held captive for more than a half-century, for a possible return to her home waters in Washington's Puget Sound. But the move isn't a done deal, and veterinarians and trainers told WPLG in Miami this week that they're working with Lolita to make sure she's strong enough to survive the journey and to acclimate to her new home. (CBS Miami)

'Christmas of the fishing season': It's time for spot prawns
Spot prawns, with a season that often runs four to six weeks, have a “cult-like following.” Carla Wilson reports. (Times Colonist)

Helpful Devil
David B. Williams, “an evangelist for the practice of paying attention,” writes: "Two weeks ago, I wrote about a particularly unwelcome and spiny plant: holly. Today, I want to highlight an equally prickly plant but one long favored by people of the region. Armed with spines up the main stem and out side stems to and under the maple-leaf shaped leaves, devil’s club is one of the more formidable and intimating plants of the understory. (Street Smart Naturalist)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  249 AM PDT Thu May 25 2023   
TODAY  Light wind becoming E to 10 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves 1 ft. W swell 4 ft at 7 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 1 to 2 ft. W swell 3 ft at 5 seconds building to NW  6 ft at 6 seconds after midnight.

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