The Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens has a new exciting fundraising event called “My Garden”. This new event is expected to become one of the top fundraiser events here in Mendocino county. Plan on attending this event on Saturday, May 25 at 3:30 pm., Memorial Day Weekend at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens beautiful Perennial Garden.

There will be award winning premium local wines, beers and cocktails offered while you stroll through the beautiful gardens and previewing hand crafted one of a kind items built exclusively for the My Garden event by local Mendocino county craftsmen. In addition to a planned gourmet farm to table dinner for 300 people which will be highlighting the best of what Mendocino county offers, there will be the live auction of the craftsmen items you observed while you strolled the gardens.

Kate Frey

For this first event Kate Frey will be the featured guest speaker. She is a world class garden designer and consultant, specializing in sustainable, bio-diverse, ecological gardens and landscaping. Kate has won the very prestigious Chelsea Flower Show in London, receiving a Silver Gift in 2003 and receiving Gold Medals in 2005 and 2007.

She currently directs and teachers at Sonoma State University’s Sustainable Landscape Program with extended education, as well as consulting for various wineries and residence’s around California, such as The Melissa Garden Healdsburg and Lyn Mar Winery in Sebastapol. Kate and her husband Ben, consult and work part time in Saudi Arabia on a small, organic farm near Riyadh for one of the Saudi Princes. For more information about Kate Frey, visit her website at freygardens.com

Contact: Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, 18220 North Highway 1, Fort Bragg, California.

Telephone: 707-964-4352. Fax: 707-964-3114. Email: info@gardenbythesea.org.

Stevenswood Spa Resort is only 15 minutes south, of Fort Bragg, and the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. Plan on coming to the coast and enjoy one of our suites, dinner and relax and get pampered in our spa.

For dinner phone 707-937-2810 or online at urban spoon.

For lodging phone 707-937-2810 or online at reservations.

For spa reservations phone 707-937-2810 or online at Indigo Eco-Spa.

On a sunny Tuesday at the Evergreen Cemetery in Mendocino, a crowd of about 40 people, including California State Park officials, was paying their respects to an anonymous young man, who was likely a sailor who never received a proper burial when he died, likely from drowning, more than 150 years ago.

The burial plot where the skeletal remains were lowered in a small plywood coffin, has a great view of the coastal town and the bay where it is thought the man perished. As the bagpipes sounded, playing a song written by a Vancouver composer “High Winds and High Waves” as mourners took turns shoveling dirt and redwood that had been saved from the original burial site. Albion stonemason and sculptor Robert Milhollin fashioned the headstone with a wave and a star in a nod to a sailors’ traditional navigational aids. The headstone reads: “Unknown. A Casualty of the Sea, c. 1860.”

This story started when a hiker discovered the burial site on April 21, 1986 on the western outskirts of Mendocino. The bones were intact, all except the hands and feet which was theorized the man drowned because of his missing hands and feet, which is typical in such circumstances. The site also contained 6 brass buttons or snaps for trousers or bib overalls, and porcelain buttons for a collared shirt. 

The bones were sent to Sacramento for further review. But in a mix-up that may have been related to the state’s efforts to identify the remains of Native Americans, Mendocino’s mystery man languished in a Sacramento facility until only a few years ago when there was an inquiry about the bones. 

Emily Carleton, an archeology specialist with state parks who examined the bones, was present for Tuesday’s ceremony. She estimated that the man was in his 20′s and stood about 6 feet tall. She also theorized he was a sailor or logger, based on his skeleton showing he was strong in parts of the body used for pulling or hoisting sails. There was darker sand, that he may have collected as his body lolled about in the surf, also was found where his trousers pockets would have been. Carleton’s analysis showed the man was of Northern European ancestry. 

He may have been among seven crew members aboard the J.S. Cabot who drowned on November 15, 1860 after the vessel struck a rock while trying to get into Mendocino Bay, or he could have been of the five men who rowed out to assist with the rescue and drowned when their boat capsized.

Everything, aside from the $300 price tag for the bagpipe players and the staff time related to the study and transport of the man’s remains, was donated. That includes the plot at the cemetery, which normally goes for $1,400.

R.I.P.

          “Grandma Cleveland”                    ”Reileyridge Target”                        ”Yellow Cloud”

           Photo by Buck Clagett                       Photo by Ed Reiley                            Photo by Don Hyatt

This years show for the 2nd time will be held at the beautiful 47 acre Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. This event is sponsored by the Noyo Chapter, American Rhododendron Society. This year’s Rhododendron Show will be held over Mother’s Day Weekend. Judging will take place on Friday, May 10. The show will be open to the public on Saturday & Sunday, May 11, 12.

This is a juried show and one of the largest on the west coast with over 700 entries entered annually. The show will include flower trusses, plants, bonsai, photos and floral arrangements of rhododendrons. The judging will take place immediately after, and all winning entries will be rewarded with ribbons and trophies, and people’s choice awards. Raffles, and plants for sale, and home baked goods, chili and hotdogs for sale. The judges come from outside the area.

This is a FREE event to the public. The Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens is located at 18220 North Highway 1, Fort Bragg, California, 95437.

Make your plans for this show and join us here at Stevenswood Spa Resort, for lodging, fine dining and pampering yourself to spa treatments.

For dinner phone 707-937-2810 or online at urban spoon.

For lodging phone 707-937-2810 or online at reservations.

For spa reservations phone 707-937-2810 or online at Indigo Eco-Spa.

Red Abalone in the Shell

 April 1 was the beginning of the highly prized Red Abalone that so many people come to the coast to harvest. The season will run from April 1 and runs until June 30, then re-opens August 1 and finishes on November 30.

This year on opening day every beach and cove along the Mendocino coast was filled with divers out for the first day of abalone season. There was a minus tide at 10:15 am and calm, sunny weather created ideal conditions. 

This year there are some new Marine Protected Areas that have closed a couple of the most popular dive spots on the Mendocino coast. One is the Point Cabrillo Marine Reserve, the northern boundary was moved north to take in the entire Frolic Cove, and also the Ten Mile State Marine Reserve, which closes to all fishing the area from Ten Mile River north to the Vista Point north of Pacific Star Winery.

Marine Protected Areas (MPA) that allow recreational take of red abalone this year on the Mendocino coast is:

1. MacKerricher State Marine Conservation Area
2. Russian Gulch State Marine Conservation Area
3. Van Damme State Marine Conservation Area
4. Salt Point State Marine  Conservation Area
5. Stewarts Point State Marine Conservation Area
6. Duxbury Reef State Marine Conservation Area

 FAQ’S (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q. Where do I send my Abalone Report Card after the season ends, or after I am finished taking abalone for the season?

A. Please send your completed Abalone Report Cards to:

California Department of Fish and Wildlife
32330 N. Harbor Drive
Fort Bragg, CA 95437

You can also enter your report card data online. Cards or card data must be submitted to CDFW, even if the card holder did not take or even try to take abalone. All card data provides information necessary for annual take estimates.

Q. Are marine protected areas along the northern California coast closed to abalone fishing?

A. Some marine protected areas restrict the take of red abalone. All MPAs located north of the mouth of San Francisco Bay are sorted below into MPAs that either allow or prohibit take:

Q. Why are tags now required for abalone?

A. The tags allow wardens to easily see that an abalone was taken legally and identify the abalone cardholder who took the abalone. This regulation will help to ensure that all abalone are taken within daily bag and annual limits and to show abalone were taken legally even in cases when they are given away. An instructional video on the new tagging and reporting requirements is accessible online.

Q. Can I give abalone to a traveling companion who does not have an abalone card and then take more abalone?

A. You can take up to three abalone in a single day but cannot possess more than three abalone at a time. If you eat or give away (also called “gifting”) any of your three abalone, you can take more abalone the following day as long as the daily bag limit and possession limit of three abalone per person and the annual limit of 24 abalone per year are not exceeded. People who receive abalone as gifts are not required to have abalone report cards but the abalone must remain in the shell and tagged until being prepared for immediate consumption.

Q. Does everyone taking abalone now need to have an abalone report card?

A. Abalone report cards are required for everyone taking or attempting to take abalone. Abalone report cards (but not fishing licenses) are now required for people under 16 years of age and for those taking abalone on free fishing days. This regulation change will improve the CDFW’s accounting of abalone taken in the fishery.

Q. When must abalone tags be detached from cards and attached to an abalone, and must the abalone card be filled out at the same time?

A. For each abalone retained, the cardholder must record the date, time, and location of catch on both the tag and the card immediately after exiting the water or immediately upon boarding a vessel, whichever comes first. Persons using a non-motorized vessel such as a kayak or a float tube may wait until reaching shore to tag their abalone and record catch information on their abalone report cards. Tags must remain attached to abalone report cards until an abalone is being tagged. Tags separated from abalone report cards prior to immediate use are invalid. All tags that are not in possession must be accounted for by entry of a record on the abalone report card. Any tag that was lost or destroyed shall be recorded as such on the corresponding line on the abalone report card. Any tag that was inadvertently removed and is still in possession shall be recorded as void on both the tag and the corresponding line on the abalone report card.

Q. If I am diving, do I need to take the card with me on my dive?

A. Abalone report cards must be in the immediate possession of any person who is taking or attempting to take abalone, including divers.

Q. What can fishermen do to protect abalone populations?

• Report illegal activities – call CalTIP (888) 334-2258.
• Reduce fishing mortality
  • Detach only legal-sized abalone
  • Stop detaching when bag limit is reached
  • Avoid cutting abalone
  • Take care in returning undersized abalone – return it to the rock surface it was removed from
• Know and follow all regulations
• Take only what you need

Q. How do abalone reproduce?

A. The sexes are separate but have similar external appearance. The gonads are the prominent, crescent-shaped end of the internal organs. Ovaries are dark green and testes can be cream, light brown, light green or pinkish in color. Abalone release eggs or sperm through the open holes in their shells. For effective fertilization, abalone need to be within a meter of each other. When abalone are too far apart, their eggs do not become fertilized. Fertilized eggs develop into larvae which can be carried by currents for about a week. The larvae settle to the bottom and develop into very small versions of adults.

Most male red abalone start to reproduce when they are 4 inches in length and 5 years in age. Most females are reproducing at 5 inches in length and 6 years of age. Small females produce far fewer eggs than larger females; a 5 inch female produces about 300,000 eggs while females larger than 7 inches produce about 2,500,000 eggs. Although abalone produce large numbers of eggs and sperm, reproductive success is very sporadic. The last major successful reproductive period for northern California red abalone was probably in the late 1980′s.

Q. Why are there so many empty shells in some areas?

A. Although there are many possible causes of death for abalone, a likely cause is carelessness while removing abalone or returning undersized abalone. Any time an abalone is removed from the bottom, there is a chance it could be fatally injured or unable to reattach safely. Fishermen can help preserve abalone populations by removing abalone only after they have confirmed to the best of their ability that it is legal sized. Abalone irons are designed to reduce the chances of injuring abalone, but the irons can still cause fatal wounds if used improperly. Foot cuts deeper than a half-inch are likely to cause death since abalone have no blood clotting capabilities. Cuts around the head are often fatal.

When sliding an iron under an abalone, the iron should be kept as close to the rock as possible to avoid stabbing the foot. Even abalone that are not removed from the bottom can sustain fatal cuts. In prying abalone off rocks it is important that the abalone iron handle is lifted away from the rock so that the tip of the iron does not dig into the bottom of the foot. An uninjured abalone can easily be killed by predators if it is not carefully returned to suitable habitat. Abalone placed on sandy areas or seaweed-covered rock surfaces will not be able to clamp down sufficiently to protect themselves from predators. Fishing regulations require undersized abalone to be returned to the same rock surface from which it was detached. Experienced abalone pickers can distinguish undersized abalone and do not remove them from rocks.

Q. How fast do abalone grow?

A. Abalone are relatively slow growing. Tagging studies indicate northern California red abalone take about 12 years to reach 7 inches but growth rates are highly variable. Abalone grow nearly one inch per year for the first few years and much slower after that. It takes about 5 years for red abalone to grow from 7 inches to 8 inches. At 8 inches, growth rates are so slow it takes about 13 years to grow another inch. Slow growth makes abalone populations vulnerable to overfishing since many years are needed to replace each abalone taken.

Q. Isn’t disease a large problem with abalone populations?

A. Withering Syndrome (WS) was very significant in reducing black abalone populations in southern California. WS affects all California abalone species but there were so few abalone left by the time WS became widespread that its impact on most species cannot be accurately assessed. CDFW has found a few abalone in northern California infected by the rickettsial bacteria that causes WS, but no abalone has been found with the disease in this area. Department biologists found that WS is much more pronounced at higher temperatures and might not develop in abalone living in cooler waters. The cold waters in northern California may help protect abalone from developing the disease but WS has been found in abalone as far north as San Mateo County and the potential impacts of global warming could make WS a threat for northern California red abalone in the future.

Q. Can hatcheries help increase abalone populations?

A. Abalone hatchery efforts in southern California were not economically feasible. Caring for young abalone is expensive and abalone released from hatcheries had very poor survival rates. Some studies indicated that hatchery-reared abalone did not develop behaviors needed to avoid predators. Abalone from hatcheries can also pose a danger by spreading diseases or parasites. Abalone hatcheries have had problems controlling infestations of several diseases (including WS) and parasites. There is also the possibility that abalone outplanted from hatcheries could spread disease and parasites to native populations.

Q. Are abalone vulnerable to overfishing?

A. Abalone are easily overfished as was seen in central and southern California. They have slow growth, infrequent reproductive success, vulnerability to fishery-related injuries and poaching, and high mortality of young. They also need relatively high densities for successful reproduction. These factors limit the ability of abalone to withstand heavy fishing pressure. Great care will be needed to prevent the northern California red abalone fishery from joining all the abalone fisheries that have collapsed throughout the world.

Stevenswood Spa Resort is perfectly situated for any abalone diver. We are only 1 to 20 minutes away from the most popular and easily accessible abalone picking spots. Plan on coming to the coast and enjoy one of our suites, dinner and relax and get pampered in our spa after an exciting day of abalone picking.

For dinner phone 707-937-2810 or online at urban spoon.

For lodging phone 707-937-2810 or online at reservations.

For spa reservations phone 707-937-2810 or online at Indigo Eco-Spa.

Caspar Inn on a Beautiful Coastal Day

After many many decades in business, the current owner, Bobby Miller has announced that before the months end that the famous Caspar Inn ( An Icon on the Mendocino coast) will be closing there doors. It is a very sad day for local and visiting guests alike. The Caspar Inn has been continuously run as a Roadhouse and bar since 1906, when Caspar was a booming logging town, with a population of around 800.

The Caspar Inn has been providing the coastal community with live music and dancing since the 1970′s when Peter Lit had a dream and wanted to start a nightclub on the coast. This roadhouse known as the Caspar Inn has delivered everything an old roadhouse /nightclub should deliver, like great music and great acts, offering rock n roll, reggae, rhythm & blues, ska, zydeco, electronic, dubstep, trip hop, dixieland, funk, afrofunk, bluegrass, DJ nights, open mic and a lot lot more. 

 The Caspar Inn has always had a great selection of drinks, wine and beer, a fun staff and bartenders, and of course better than average food from the earliest days with the Blues Cafe to the current restaurant which offers vegetables that are organic and locally produced. All chicken is free-range and all beef is grass-fed and locally raised.

The Caspar Inn has 10 non-smoking double rooms and two shared bathrooms above the bar and cafe. They advertised: rooms are above the club , music can be heard in the room and the noise may not quiet down until well after 2:00 am. They have no TV or telephones in the rooms, but do offer free Wi-Fi. Rooms were between $45 – $100.

I wanted to share some earlier memoirs from Brian Crasno and Missy Bason:

My personal history with Caspar only goes back to 1977, but if you speak with Red-Headed Margaret Danner, (I think she lives at Billy Watson’s place) she would have more info than I. I was once told the original building was built in 1906. There used to be a reunion held each summer for the old Caspar families. Don’t know if it still goes on, but you could check it out.

When I went to work for Richard Mabbet (not sure how to spell his name) the room was just a funky down-home saloon. The bartenders at that time were myself, Chuck Hathaway, Turkey Bob Smith, Bob Clark, Richard, and a female whose name I cannot remember. Red-Headed Margaret also tended bar there for years and years. There was music on only two nights a month, on Tuesdays. The bands had to be local only. Margie Crowningshield (David’s wife), One Night Stand, Pennebaker Band (I think), of course Dirty Leggs if they were in town, and various incarnations of “Cat Mother” played the room. There was no door charge, but the well drinks went from $.80 a shot to $1.00! Jack Daniel’s from $1 to $1.25. There were many times musicians would just come in and play. Someone would bring a guitar, someone else an electric keyboard, and so on. This would usually happen by the front door, on Friday nights.

By the way, the two benches out front (if they’re still there) were built by Trey Loy III. Notice there is not a nail or screw in the benches. Now and then Trey would get drunk and restain the benches with a combination of various liqours–Kahlua, Ameretto, etc. Unfortunately, the last time I saw the benches, someone had painted them bright blue.

The Deli next store was run by John Griffin, and was called “Juanito en Cajon,” Spanish for Jack-in-the Box. The man who owned the Mendocino Hotel at that time was R.O. Peterson, one of the founders of Jack-in-the-Box, hence the name.

Richard Mabbet had retired from 20 years as a purchasing agent for Sears and Roebuck, and was from Chicago. He did the complete drop-out thing, and I believe the name of his Corp. was “The Caspar Moonshine Co.” He bought the place from Shirley for $80,000, and then sold it to Lit. Peter made many changes to the room, and is the one who brought in music seven nights a week. When Richard still had the place, folks would come in for coffee (I think we opened at 11 a.m. then) and instead of talking sports, they would talk music. Music was the world that ruled Caspar in those days, and musicians were treated with a certain tolerance, i.g., if they had nothing to eat, you would feed them.

One more thing, there is a wood patch to the left of the front door. That’s from a bullet hole. If you check the lower railing on the porch, you will see the groove from the bullet. But I’ll tell you that story another time, or ask Margie Crowningshield. Before this becomes a book, I’d better go. I’ll email you the next time I feel nostalgic.

Lit always wanted to think of the room as a “Night Club” and I would argue it was a “Roadhouse.” A piece of Americana that should be preserved. Glad you folks feel the same way.

I realize you probably can’t use most of this, but thought you might find it interesting.

Take care, and hope to see you this Summer.

Brian Crasno

My history of the Caspar Inn doesn’t go back as far as Brian’s and some of the others….but my connection to the whole area goes way back. I began coming out to beautiful Northern California in the late Eighties . My tie there was Devon Lacey , wife of Mighty T-Bones’ multi-talented Johnny Bush. Devon, being an important part of my extended family, invited me out to help her with her wedding to Johnny. During the reception part of the ceremony I met and fell in love with Declan Phelan, the door man at the Caspar Inn for Peter Lit for years. Many good times were had at the Caspar in the weeks that followed our meeting until it was time for Declan to move on to a new life on the island of Maui. But that is another story…Now we are married and live in Texas. We look forward to our frequent treks there for visits and fun. We always go back to the Caspar at least once during our visits . Even though it has changed and Peter and Declan are no longer part of the visable”color” there, there’s enough of their essence left that it still feels familiar…..I don’t know the new owners as yet, but congratulations for your successful first year and keeping enough of the originality of the place that it still has the magic for me…..Missy Bason –Athens Texas   

MISSY BASON

Also I wanted to share some reviews from TripAdvisor:

“Good tunes, good food, good vibes”

Been to the Caspar Inn many times for world class music acts. It is a true traditional roadhouse, with a bar and music venue downstairs and rooms to rent upstairs. What surprised me was the great food! I’m a vegetarian and I really had a good meal there while listening to a great band! ‘Nuff said!    Reviewed April 19, 2012

“Great venue for live music, drinks, food”

I have never been let down when I have chosen Caspar Inn for entertainment. Small venue with live bands, great bartenders, and now they’ve added food that is way better than your average pup fare. NYE was fantastic this year as it was last year. Big fun party with locals as well as visitors from out of town who came up for the band (Fishbone).   Reviewed January 5, 2012

“Casper Inn Rocks”

Great bar set in a historic building. Be sure you go when they have live music. This place rocks.  Reviewed November 20, 2011

“a sweet old rock n roll tavern”

I really liked this place – set in an old house/hotel – great ambience and live music on occassion. Pretty mild mannered but love the edgy cool decor- you want to go!   Reviewed November 15, 2011

So as a final note from me, I would like to mention as one of my many duties here at Stevenswood, at my concierge’s desk when the guests would check in and wanted to know what there is to see and do in the area, I would always have listed on my Events for the week of ? and on the bottom was about the Caspar Inn and who and what was playing. I have been doing this since the Peter Lit days to the current owner with Bobby Miller (former bartender of Pattersons Pub in Mendocino) who has owned the Caspar Inn for just under a decade and kept the same flair that we all enjoyed about the Caspar Inn. 

FAREWELL TO THE BELOVED CASPAR INN. 

California Gray Whale. Photo by Nancy Black

California State Parks announces weekend whale talks at MacKerricker State Park! Talks will take place from January through March 17, 2013. Knowledgeable docents will talk about the annual gray whale migration and about other marine mammals seen along the Mendocino coast. Programs are scheduled to begin every Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 am.

Talks will begin near the visitor center at the main entrance to MacKerricher State Park. Docents will provide binoculars and a spotting scope to help visitors study whales and other fascinating wildlife found near MacKerricher’s shores. After meeting at the MacKerricher visitor center, groups will then drive to Laguna Point, where you will walk out to look for whales.             

A rare, reconstructed Gray Whale skeleton is on permanent display near the visitor center and entrance station. The skeleton is a composite of two whales that beached on the Mendocino coast, two years apart.

About the Whales: Migrating gray whales, numbering more than 20,000 individuals, pass by the Mendocino coast in winter and spring. Gray whale calves weigh about 1,500 pounds at birth. Mother gray whales milk has 52% fat content. A gray whale calf will gain between 60 to 70 pounds a day while nursing. A full grown gray whale can weigh up to 45 tons, as much as a fully loaded tractor-trailor rig.

About the Park: The park is the only one in the park system that was at one time part of the Mendocino Indian Reservation. It is the only park unit that was part of the Union Lumber Company’s vast timber and shipping holdings in northern Mendocino County. A small, independent logging and shipping operation began here, then was absorbed by the larger corporation. MacKerricher, known historically as Cleone, thus followed a pattern common to many of the small areas in the region. The park was officially opened in 1952, land was added along the Ten Mile beach until 1977.

MacKerricher State Park offers a variety of habitats; beach, bluff, headland, dune, forest and wetland. Tidepools are along the shore. Seals may be seen on the rocks off the park’s coastline. More than 90 species of birds visit or live near Cleone lake, a formal tidal lagoon. During winter and spring, the nearby headland provides a good lookout for whale watching. The park is popular with hikers, joggers, equestrians and bicyclists. Fishing is also popular at Cleone lake. The park has a wheelchair accessible nature trail. 

Location/Directions: The park is three miles north of Fort Bragg on Highway 1, near the town of Cleone. The park encompasses much of the land west of Cleone and a strip of beach between Fort Bragg and Ten Mile River.

For more information contact call (707) 961-0471 or (707) 813-1370.

Stevenswood Spa Resort is only 20 minutes south, of Cleone, and MacKerricher Beach State Park. Plan on coming to the coast and enjoy one of our suites, dinner and relax and get pampered in our spa.

For dinner phone 707-937-2810 or online at urban spoon.

For lodging phone 707-937-2810 or online at reservations.

For spa reservations phone 707-937-2810 or online at Indigo Eco-Spa.

Local photographer Ron LeValley took this picture off the Mendocino coast.

Located at Puget Sound, one of the most closely studied groups of killer whales in the world is taking its annual trek to the central coast and just recently passed through the Mendocino coast waters. This group of 18 to 20 orca whales, known as “k pod”, passed Crescent City the other day, and local biologist enjoyed a rare encounter with them.

Through a network of West Coast whale researching, Arcata-based biologist Jeff Jacobsen, was asked to get on the ocean to find K pod, specifically to check the health of a whale that was tagged with a GPS transmitter while in Puget Sound on December 29.

A Hiouch-based biologist, Darell Warnock with a photographer were taking photos of the orcas. the ocean is huge and to find an individual like that was incredible. On Tuesday, the K pod was observed from Table Bluff County Park in Humboldt county. They were traveling within 3 miles off shore, doing about 3 knots of speed all the way down, except around Eureka where it was reported that the whales were feasting on salmon.

Killer whales are distinguished by their diet, and although it was known that the K pod whales are a salmon eating bunch, what they eat while travelling south has never been documented. The salmon diet of K pod is a significant characteristic. There are 3 eco-types of orcas in the Pacific Ocean largely defined by diet. Fish (i.e. salmon) marine mammals (i.E. seals and sea lions) and an off-shore group that primarily feeds on sharks. The guess is that they are making their trek down here is because of the salmon stock. The salmon in the Puget Sound area are highly contaminated. They are so contaminated with PCB’s that they exceed toxic waste levels. It’s dangerous to touch them if they wash on the beach.

Orca Facts:

Type: Mammal

Diet: Carnivore

Average life span in the wild is 50 – 80 years.

Size: 23 – 32 feet. Size is relative to a bus.

Weight: up to 6 tons.

Orcas, or killer whales, are the largest of the dolphins and one of the world’s most powerful predators. 

They feast on marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, and even whales, employing teeth that can be four inches (ten centimeters) long. They are known to grab seals right off the ice. They also eat fish, squid, and seabirds.

Though they often frequent cold, coastal waters, orcas can be found from the polar regions to the Equator.

Killer whales are protective of their young, and other adolescent females often assist the mother in caring for them. Mothers give birth every three to ten years, after a 17-month pregnancy.

Killer whales hunt in deadly pods, family groups of up to 40 individuals. 

Resident pods tend to prefer fish, while transient pods target marine mammals. All pods use effective, cooperative hunting techniques that some liken to the behavior of wolf packs.

Whales make a wide variety of communicative sounds, and each pod has distinctive noises that its members will recognize even at a distance. They use echolocation to communicate and hunt, making sounds that travel underwater until they encounter objects, then bounce back, revealing their location, size, and shape.

Orcas are immediately recognizable by their distinctive black and white coloring and are the intelligent, trainable stars of many aquarium shows. 

To help scientists track the population, report orca sightings to the orca hotline: 1 866-ORCANET. The satellite-tracked trek of K pod can be found on the Northwest Fisheries Science Center website, www.nwfsc.noaa.gov by searching “southern residnet Killer whale satellite tagging.”

Some parts of this story is from the Del Norte Triplicate and the National Geographic.

To spot whales here off the Mendocino coast, you don’t have any farther to go than 15 minutes from the doorstep of Stevenswood Spa Resort, to the Spring Ranch Headlands, which is part of the California Coastal Trail.

For dinner phone 707-937-2810 or online at urban spoon.

For lodging phone 707-937-2810 or online at reservations.

For spa reservations phone 707-937-2810 or online at Indigo Eco-Spa.

First Day Hikes at Mendocino Coast Area State Parks

California State Parks announces guided interpretive hikes at 5 state parks along the Mendocino County coastline on January 1, 2013. These hikes are part of a nationwide effort of special hikes on New Years Day in state parks in all 50 states. This will promote state parks and provide people an opportunity to participate in a healthy activity.  All of these hikes will take place on California’s North Coast in wintertime.  Be prepared for cool temperatures.  

Westport-Union Landing State Beach

Meet the docent at 10:00 a.m. at the park headquarters building at park headquarters just south of the Howard Creek Bridge on Hwy 1. The park is located about 19 miles north of Fort Bragg, California on Hwy 1. This will be a 1 mile long moderate hike. This hike is for adults and children. Learn fun facts about the once bustling town of Westport from local resident Steve Brigham and Thad Van Bueren

Dungeness Crab in a Baited Crab Pot

Fishery managers in Washington, Oregon and Northern California have delayed the opening of the commercial Dungeness crab season for at least two weeks to allow the crabs to fill out with more meat. The area of the delay is from Point Arena in Mendocino county, north to Washington state.

Normally the Dungeness crab season would open on December 1. The same move was also made last year after the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife tested the crabs in the same region and determined that the delay would improve the quality of the Dungeness crab.

 Opening for commercial Dungeness crab season last year was  opened on Friday, December 16. An important commercial shellfish, Dungeness crab are usually caught in near shore marine waters less than 120 feet deep with baited crab pots. The average size of an adult male (only males may be taken) is two to three pounds. The Dungeness crab can live a maximum of eight to thirteen years.

It is difficult to tell, but from sport fishing reports, the abundance of the Dungeness crab is not anywhere as good as the last two years. The sport fishing season opened November 3 with reports of catches good north of the Gualala River but sparse to the south. 

Last year, a record 31.6 million pounds of crab were caught in California, valued at about 95 million, the biggest catch in 100 years. In 2010 only 27.5 pounds were caught, with a value of about 57 million.

This year fisherman are asking $3 a pound and are trying to have a uniform price for the ports of Bodega Bay, San Francisco and Half Moon Bay.

The Mendocino Land Trust is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit and all donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

The Mission of the Mendocino Land Trust is to conserve important natural resources of Mendocino County. This would include working farmlands, forests, wildlife habitat, open space, scenic vistas, watersheds, and to facilitate public access. The Mendocino Land Trust promotes healthy recreation in natural settings and sustainable experiences for residents and visitors here in Mendocino County. The Mendocino Land Trust provides stewardship and service learning opportunities on land it has conserved.

The Mendocino Land Trust has a conservation approach which includes working with private landowners, government agencies, and community groups to establish ecoregional priorities and strategies for conservation action. Conservation strategies and services range from fee acquisition to conservation easements.

The Mendocino Land Trust controls the Mendocino Bay Overlook. This 1 acre public access easement offers a spectacular view of the village of Mendocino.

 History: This is a chronology of significant Mendocino Land Trust dates and accomplishments.

1998: MLT was instrumental in a land swap of Heider Field, a two acre of protected open space in the village of Mendocino, that brought its ownership to State Parks and agreed to manage Heider Field for twenty years.

1992: MLT accepted its first conservation easement of forty acres in the Commisky Creek watershed. Through 2007, the MLT has accepted nine additional conservation easements covering 3,501 acres that are stewarded annually.

1996: MLT became the first non-profit organization in California to open an offer to dedicate coastal access trail to the public at Mendocino Bay Viewpoint.

1998: MLT added its first part-time staff and assisted in the protection of the eight acre Westport Headlands at the request of the Westport Village Society.

1999: MLT purchased Caspar Beach and associated uplands in South Caspar, and has managed the area with the assistance of State Parks, local Caspar residents and the cooperation of the adjacent Caspar RV Park and Campground. The MLT acquired the fifty-five acres of Navarro Point, that offered splendid ocena views across coastal prairie. The MLT opened a second coastal access trail to the public at Cantus Cove in Caspar.

2000: MLT working wit the Caspar Community and the Trust for Public Land acquired the Caspar Headlands and managed the property until it was transferred to to State Parks in May 2002.

2002: MLT with the support of 1,400 donors, acquired7,334 acres of the Big River estuary, and conveyed the property to California State Parks. Glass Beach, the only accessible beach in the city of Fort Bragg, was purchased by California State parks October 2002. The California Coastal Conservancy, with the city of Fort Bragg and the MLT worked for over four years to assemble funding for the purchase of the 38 acre property.

 2003: MLT began the Big River Steward, a volunteer group involved in helping State Parks with monitoring and restoration of the Big River State Park.

2004: MLT opened the Belinda Point Trail, thus becoming the leading non-profit manager of coastal access easement of California.

2005: MLT conserved two acres of old growth redwoods and seventeen acres of mature second growth on Ridgewood Ranch in Willits. A Big River Preliminary Plan for management of the Big River property was completed. The Navarro Point Preserve and Scenic Trail was officially opened with parking to facilitate public access. The MLT acquired fifteen coastal access easements and received funding to open them for the California Coastal Conservancy.

2007: MLT purchased a conservation easement covering 1,689 acres of aok woodlands along with four and three quarter miles of fish-bearing streams and seven miles of tributary creeks, a “wet meadow” and a vernal pool at Ridgewood Ranch wit support from the California wildlife Conservation Board; received a donated conservation easement covering twenty five acres in the Salmon Creek watershed in Albion.

2008: The Big River Interpretive Walks program was initiated in May 2008, training twelve volunteer docents to lead free interpretive walks to the public at Big River. The program is designed to educate walk participants on various aspects of Big River, including the estuary, birds and animals, local history, and redwood ecology.

2009: MLT coordinated the 25th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day (CCD) for Mendocino County, which was a record year for CCD in Mendocino County. Over 450 volunteers picked up over 9,400 pounds of trash and recycling at thirty locations along the Mendocino County Coast and at inland Mendocino County locations. The MLT has coordinated CCD efforts for all of Mendocin oCounty since 2002.

2010: MLT purchased Hare Creek Beach, a 5.6 acre beach in Fort Bragg,for habitat conservation and public access. The MLT will permanently manage the property, will write a management plan in 2010, and will create new, legal public access.

Completed the California Coastal Trail Strategic Report for Mendocino County, which outlines the current state of the California Coastal Trail (CCT) in the county and recommends strategics for creating additional sections of the CCT in the future.

The Belinda Point Trail enables fisherman and abalone divers to access the coast

CurrentProjects:

Ridge Ranch: MLT is currently working with the owners of Ridgewood Ranch to conserve additional portions of the ranch. To date MLT has already conserved 1,722 acres at Ridgewood Ranch, located just south of Willits on Highway 101. The historic home of the racehorse Seabiscuit. The Ranch’s natural attributes include 2,250 acres of oak woodlands, prime farm land and grazing land and five miles of fish-bearing creeks.

 South East Mendocino Ranch: The MLT is currently working to establish a conservation easement on a ranch located in the southeastern area of Mendocino County, near the Sonoma County border. The 1,200 acre ranch is composed of oak woodlands and mixed conifer forest. 

Gleason Prescott Wildlife Refuge Project: The MLT is currently in the process of establishing a conservation easement, on a 423 acre property near Willits. A former sheep ranch, the property has oak woodlands, hilly with several streams and two beautiful year-round ponds.

South Mendocino County Coastal Ranch: MLT is working with the owner of a 850 acre coastal ranch in south Mendocino County to establish a conservation easement for the property. The ranch is primarily composed of coastal forest.

Mendocino County Coastal Conservation Plan: MLT is implementing the Mendocino County Coastal Conservation Plan that was prepared over a two year span in collaboration with over fifty experts. The plan can serve as a road map for coastal land conservation in Mendocino County for the next decade.

Birds eye view of the meandering Big River through the redwood forest

Get Involved: With support from people like you, the MLT has been able to protect over 11,000 acres of these important lands. With your help, we can continue our conservation effort, preserving the special lands of Mendocin County for the future.

Find out more:

• Become a member
• Make a contribution online
• Join our mailing list
• Volunteer
• Planned giving