Windermere Photo Gallery

Footnotes

1. September Salmon in the Marina
   
   Since the early 70's Ocosta High School Students have been raising fingerling salmon in pens at the marina as an oceanography project. You can see them in March/April on float 4. When they mature they return in search of spawning grounds and can be caught right off the dock from mid september to late October. There is a derby too! These fish should start returning any day now. Come try your hand at the simplest salmon fishing ever!
   
   
2. Net pens which hold up to 200,000 fingerling coho salmon each year. The Ocosta High School Oceanography Class feeds, measures and releases the fish after they reach a certain growth goal.
3. Salmon school along the rocks near the Islander. Often you can see schools of over 200 fish at a time!
4. With their minds on spawning... the adult coho don't always find a lure attractive.
5. Sept 29th and 30th 2007 saw a lot of fish on the dock! Here are a couple of nice coho on a stringer.
6. Solitude makes this fishery enjoyable.
7. Success makes it delicious. Howard shows off a 10 pounder
8. A jack salmon held high.
9. Peacefull setting in between schools of fish passing by.
10. Interesting cloud patterns.
11. Islander Dock. This 6 pound steelhead was landed by Jerry Anderson. It is believed that there may be some steelhead mixed in with the Coho!
12. Fresh Jack Salmon... 1.5 pounds You can keep 6 total salmon per day, 3 of which can be adult salmon
13. These nice jacks were caught only 100 yards from the Doughnut Shop... Can it get any better?
14. yes.. I guess it can :-) 13.9 pounder
15. Sunset Sunrise
    
    Every sunset (or sunrise) is different
    
    
16. Incredible sunset 12/03/08 at Halfmoon Bay
17. several surfers got to finish the evening off in incredible style
18. a week earlier..same spot
19. From the viewing platform at the Westport Marina
20. Sunrise with the Lady Washington
21. Dusk on the beach...with cyclist
22. Marina sunrise with charter heading to sea
23. stunning morning scene at the marina
24. Jetty Sunset in October 08
25. September sunrise around Mt Ranier
26. Pelicans conduct a flyby at the Fishermans Memorial
27. This beautiful sunset created a rainbow in the cloud..which at first looked like a deers head with a rainbow necklace but by the time I got my camera out it had stretched out and become less clear.
28. The color tones are so different each time the sun sets
29. October clamming
30. A storm cloud over the storm tower
31. Elk River sunrise
32. Trio of surfers taking a break
33. the glow is changing
34. Golden Eagle Sunset
35. The storm tower is home to just that... storms
36. and changing again
37. rain falls on the shore south of the jetty
38. view from Westport by the Sea Bldg 8
39. Moon reflection on tide pool
40. Marina Plus
    
    Much to do and see at the Marina with shops, restaurants and activities. Rent crab pots, fish, visit the Maritime Museum, aquarium or view surfing! Buy fresh albacore tuna, crab, shrimp and more right off the dock! Daily Ocean Fishing Trips for Salmon, Cod, Halibut and Albacore await you.
    
    Thursday aug 14 sunset over marina
41. The Point at Westport Harbor basking in the setting sun
42. reflections of the marina
43. and of the condominiums
44. The 30 x 50 foot flag flying over the maritime museum is always beautiful
45. Great water access and rows of shops and restaurants
46. The new Point at Westport Harbor is a small luxury condominium development under construction. Private moorage and great voews!
47. The mountains in the background of the fishermans memorial
48. A passing jellyfish
49. and a not so passing seal couple
50. A luxury yacht built by Westport Shipyard flanks a commercial fishing boat as the both head back to port.
51. another view of the Maritime Museum, which houses many interesting displays and items from whale bones to maritime photo's and the Destruction Island Lighthouse Lens
52. Here's one from inside a future condo home
53. Nearby the sea life is plentiful
54. Pocket beaches at "The Finger Jettys" make for a nice protected play area
55. The boardwalk extends out to a fishing platform...crab, cod and sea bass .
56. Marina from the South with view of Coast Guard Helipad and across the bay...Ocean Shores
57. The Maritime Museum has a great Whale Skeleton Display, Maritime Memorabilia as well as a beautiful building designed to show off the Destruction Island Lighthouse Lens.. a must see!
58. Neddie Rose Point offers several viewing platforms and is the access to float 20 which is a 2000 foot long boardwalk with fishing opportunities! Crab Cod and in the fall Salmon too!
59. Another great photo of the Maritime Museum...formerly the Coast Guard Station. Open for tours daily.
60. Seals and Sea Lions visit our marina regularly and once in a while you catch a close up glimpse of one catching some sun. Please do not feed!!!
61. Sea Lion sunning...waiting to feast on the bait in someone's crab pot.
62. Daily Derby prizes of up to $500 keep the fishing hot! This beautiful King Salmon did not make the cut at only 29 pounds dressed weight.
63. Although fewer in number than in the 70's when Westport was known as the Salmon Captial of the World, the charter fleet is still the best in the state!
64. The commercial fleet is still quite large with fascinating gear and equipment. You can often buy fresh seafood right off the boat.
65. The Lady Rosemary at high tide almost dwarfs the Bay Fish Ice House.
66. Coast Guard Training Excercise 9/13/04
67. Extracting personnel from ship to copter..training makes perfect!
68. Beaches
    
    The South Beach offers 18 miles of sandy beaches. The northerly 5 miles has limited vehicular access so you can stroll the beach enjoying the solitude of the sea! Surfing is a popular activity at the north end jetty!
    
    HAlfmoon Bay has a great beach and then 18 miles of sand from the jetty going south
69. Surfing at the jetty is HOT
70. The new oceanfront golf course begins construction near the jetty with Olympics inthe background
71. Further down the beach
72. A bike ride to the beach... a little splashing in the sea and home again... pure fun!
73. or pure relaxation
74. The heat brings out many to enjoy the cooler water
75. This is about as busy as it gets on the beach in westport
76. further down the beach the same day... this is what it typically looks like
77. or this...
78. A gray whale surfaces near the jetty and very close to dozens of surfers enjoying the same waves!
79. Boys play at Halfmoon Bay
80. sharing the beach
81. Skim boarding fun
82. Groins
83. from North Cove looking north
84. Sea Kayak... a new fun thing to try
85. a steel pipe filled with muscles and sea life
86. kite surfing excitement
87. fun in the sun
88. play time
89. dogs enjoy it too
90. beachcombing made easy
91. every sunset is different
92. more skimming fun
93. The beach was made for dogs
94. Several agates found in the patches of rock along the beach
95. WInd in the dune grass by the jetty
96. escape...
97. a july day at the beach
98. The coast is the perfect place to relax
99. June 30th was a stellar day at the beach!
100. Perfect for sharing with a friend
101. great clam digging at Grayland beach
102. Pelican sunset
103. Storm tower under the weather
104. These glass floats were all found in a 5 day period in the spring of 2003 by one of our westport by the sea condominium owners.
105. Kite Festival
     
     Any season is fine for lofting a colorful kite in the air but July is the time for the annual festival!
     
     you're never too young to enjoy a kite
106. maybe too light... :-)
107. no beach event would be complete without a castle
108. generations of fun
109. Colorful Beach Slug
110. Fun for all
111. Kite or bird?
112. Bird or kite?
113. Bat
114. Friday afternoon was a beautiful first day setting at the beach in grayland.
115. It's all about color... size... and style
116. A great display
117. World Cup Kite?
118. Clamming
     
     Taken sunday of Thanksgiving week end... I was too busy digging on friday & saturday to take pictures but the weather was great then too.
119. These first 2 pictures were taken at the jetty
120. All pics from here down are from the late october tides. The first of 4 days of digging.... fantastic weather and the fact that Twin Harbors was the only beach to be open brought thousands.
121. Clam gunning at it's best... 3 hours before low tide and all tides this week end are lower than -1.0
122. Sunset clamming at its best
123. a nice limit
124. October can be spectacular
125. Not the biggest clam but there are more where this one came from
126. and here they are
127. All ages are enjoying the beach
128. bring your best friend...
129. the holes were showing well.... before
130. and after
131. as the sun sets... the sons dig and play
132. A spectacular sunset
133. reflected in an oceanfront home
134. the entire week end is predicted to be nice..but this nice?
135. Digging goes on past dusk
136. the holes still visible in the reflected light
137. The full moon begins it's ascent
138. A few lanterns come out but most diggers have been home and had a dinner of fresh razor clams by this time
139. Moon through the dune grass
140. I hope to get some great lantern shots on saturday and sunday as the tides get later. Come back for a look.
141. Surfs Up
     
     Several options for great surfing exist on our local beaches. Surfers from around the Northwest compete several times a year and you can watch surfing just about any day of the week at the jetty! CHECK THE LAST PICTURES POSTED RECENTLY!
     
     Nov 24th 2007... great Thanksgiving week end weather
142. calling it a day
143. and skim boarding still keeps many in on the shore
144. Solitude
145. October 30th made great waves
146. glass wall
147. golden
148. Finally decent weather and surf at the same time on Saturday
149. Jan 30 07 Jetty
150. Jan 30 07 Jetty
151. Oct 25th at the cove
152. Oct 19th at the jetty
153. not a great day to be a starfish
154. but a great day to be at the beach
155. self explanatory
156. Just you and the wave
157. fellowship on the water
158. Surf Tournament winner Kevin Todd
159. Halfmoon Bay Tube
160. sweeping turn in grayscale
161. moments make it all worthwhile
162. talent shows
163. Surf Kayak has become popular
164. and the sky...
165. suspended
166. Westport Waves
167. Dane Perlee during surf competition
168. Gentle waves still work
169. A Family Sport
170. Starting Young, Staying Young
171. Half the fun is the setting!
172. See you in North Cove
173. Birds Birds Birds
     
     Enjoy viewing a wide variety of shorebirds and other aviatory acrobats! Pheasant, Pelicans, Hawks and more.
     
     Gull warning me off of her nest
174. Pelicans cruise the marina
175. Pelicans soar past flag at Fishermans Memorial at sunrise
176. Golden Crowned Sparrow signs a morning song
177. Pelicans pass by the pilings in Halfmoon Bay which is covered with Cormorants
178. A flock of Marbled Godwit caught some sun on the bank at the Westport Marina just below the new Point at Westport Harbor Condominiums.
179. A small group of what I believe are Pacific Golden Plover were hanging out on the beach in Westport saturday afternoon.
180. There were 8 along with a dozen Dunlin
181. Back at the house for sale on Dunehaven... the Chickadee decides to head out.
182. This Blue Heron has been hanging out in front of the condo's at the marina.
183. About 100 birds hung out for awhile
184. Some of them stretched their wings around the dock.
185. An april visit to the marina by a female Belted Kingfisher
186. Cozy on a perch... looking for a perch!
187. a wading shorebird
188. to this redwing blackbird landing
189. or to other wildlife!
190. a stroll on the beach around thanksgiving 2007...
191. andpast a rainbow at Elk River Bridge
192. The Elk River is one of the best places to spot birds. Here some Geese rest and feed
193. I will have to look up these birds later. On the way out to take surfing pictures I caugt them in the sun
194. I know this isn't a bird... but in case you haven't checked out the marina photos... here's what you are missing!
195. This Bald Eagle was spotted in the treetops between highway 105 and the Chehalis River between Aberdeen and Westport
196. and a beautiful day. Look for the eagles nest in a treetop 500 feet west of Indian Creek as it crosses highway 105
197. Brown Pelicans cruise the marina area daily
198. Dunlin standing by
199. Redtail Hawk catching come rays
200. Mouse breakfast
201. a lot to swallow
202. Blue Heron on the Elk River Estuary
203. another mouse bites the dust
204. breakfast for the swallow family
205. A Grebe cruises the marina
206. Several types of Gulls
207. A local bird show at the Pirate Daze Festival
208. The Western Gull
209. birds in every direction around the Elk River Estuary
210. Gull silhouette
211. Feeding Pelican
212. A swan family drifts along Johns River Trail
213. Seagulls on the beach
214. John's River Trail Bird
215. Goldfinch
216. Geese overhead
217. Blue Heron at the Johns River Trail
218. Caspian Tern in flight
219. and more on the ground
220. Seagull Flock on the jetty.
221. Larry Curly and Moe
222. Brown Pelican enroute
223. Ring Neck Pheasant Male in the dune grass.
224. Lighthouse
     
     The Westport Lighthouse was built in 1898 and is the tallest lighthouse on the West Coast. When built it was less than 500 feet from high tide but years of accretions has left it well back from the present water line! RECENTLY PAINTED & Should be open for tours regularly.
     
     01/29/07 A gorgeous day made the colors really stand out
225. 01/29/07 Once an ocean view from ground level... now surrounded by trees
226. Lighthouse with the Elk River Estuary visible in the background.40 years ago none of the evergreen trees visible in the foreground existed.... only dune grass!
227. Ocean Avenue public beach access point.
228. Another angle on the beautiful lighthouse
229. The paved oceanfront path has the lighthouse in view for the entire 1.1 mile path from the condominiums to the jetty.
230. Another trail/lighthouse picture. Bikes, skateboards, roller blades or even FEET work well on the path!
231. Close up of the freshly painted lighthouse lens chamber. Lens is shrouded to protect from refraction.
232. Rare view from the east.
233. Lens is unshrouded in this recent picture.
234. The marina area can be seen through the bullseye lens.
235. Stately and only 106 years young!
236. Lens angle view with ocean in the background.
237. From this angle you would never guess it was the tallest lighthouse on the west coast
238. Manned by volunteers from the Historical Society, you can tour the lighthouse regularly in the summer and often in the winter.
239. Oceanfront Trail
     
     Stroll along the oceanfront and bay for 2.5 miles on our gently rolling paved path. Perfect for bikes, blades and feet too! Handicap Accessible. Spectacular views with Bench Seating along the way. Extends from Westport by the Sea to Marina!
     
     A look south along the trail to Westport by the Sea
240. Lighthouse in the backdrop.
241. Meandering is the perfect descriptive word...
242. Great for young and old
243. The trail begins at the marina, running around halfmoon bay to the jetty where the hot surfing is... then south down the beach to the Lighthouse State Park and Westport by the Sea Condominiums. Free public parking at both ends and in the middle!
244. INcredible sunsets...inspiring sunrises and a full day of hiking, biking or blading fun (free :-)
245. Elk & Deer
     
     Deer at the marina? who would think it!
     
     This family has become regulars in the early morning scene at the dock
246. I thought they were headed down to get on a boat..
247. but they turned and headed toward the islander
248. the next day they were seen out on the point at The Point at Westport Harbor Condominiums
249. I thought they were going to enter #101
250. but they moved over to graze on the vegetation
251. On the way to the jetty the clearing of land for the golf course has inspired a lot more vegetation suitable for deer
252. The population is growing nicely
253. Often as many as 10 deer can be seen
254. and the population is growing through the year
255. Johns River Elk
256. Incredible
257. This is a majestic animal.
258. Wildflowers line the walk and meadows.
259. The Elk herd varies in size. Today there were around 30 head.
260. They kept low but the Bull is showing!
261. Then they stir and the Bull shows himself. Not the same one you see in later pictures. The cows instinctively surround the bull (or does the Bull instinctively stay in the middle)
262. After they moved away the Bull kept sneaking back for a look. Can you see him?
263. On July 2nd, 2007 I got these pics of a rare sight... a whitetail deer on the coast! Taken on the bayfront stretch of hwy 105 just before you get to westport
264. Still in velvet, this buck looks like he is trying to find some friends.
265. This is one of the many deer grazing near the future golf course on the way out to the jetty. Almost any evening you can count between 2 and 7 enjoying themselves on the freshly mowed grass.
266. Many beautiful views exist on this short trail.
267. Spotting the herd is always exciting. Can you see the bull?
268. Wildlife is always present.
269. A stroll along the Johns River Trail found this Heron sitting on a favorite perch.
270. The herd was very close to the road. Many people got a chance to see them.
271. August is the time to walk and feast! Bring your bucket for easy picking.
272. Lots of yearlings means a mild winter last year.
273. Now you see the bull!
274. In June the elk were out again on the Johns River Trail.
275. The flooded field makes a beautiful backdrop for this heron.
276. Fog reflected off the river adds an interesting look.
277. Morning Thistle.