Snow on Dungeness Bay Dec. 9, 2007

So rarely do we see snow here at the Cottages being so close to the water but Sunday morning found us with a beautiful snowfall for a few hours and then it melted all away!

Dungeness crab - named after Dungeness Bay here in Sequim -
is a buttery tasting, firm crabmeat. Measuring at least 6-1/4 inches across the back, male and not soft shelled are the requirements to keep one of these to cook. When crabbing season is open, you can launch a crabpot in the morning here on the Bay and pull in a pot full at night. Limit is 5 per day.

Dungeness Crab (Cancer magister)

One of the most popular items on Washington seafood menus is the Dungeness crab. This hardshelled crustacean is fished from the Aleutian Islands to Mexico. The shell is purple-tinged, gray or brown on the back and the tips of the claws are typically white. The Dungeness crab can reach ten inches across the back though six to seven inches is more common. In Puget Sound this crab is most abundant north of Seattle, in Hood Canal, and near the Pacific coast. The Dungeness crab is frequently associated with eelgrass beds and prefers sandy or muddy substrates.

Looking like beached fish - these seals are actually sunbathing on an 80 degree day on the Bay! One decided to pose for my camera and wave it’s tail! You have to have a boat to view these babies!

Wow! After 1-1/2 hours of paddling from The Cottages, we arrived at the Dungeness Lighthouse! We passed dozens of seals and their pups on Massacre Spit and the little sandspit off of Cline Spit. They were very inquisitive - at least the ones who were awake! Saw eagles, a bull seal, seagulls, caspien terns and many more species of birds. We spent an hour or so touring the Lighthouse, eating lunch and just relaxing before heading back. Out with the tide, back in with the tide - worked great that way!

With consistent winds from the Pacific, the beach outside our vacation rental cottages is the perfect place for flying a kite, whether or not you happen to be surfing behind it.