Each morning we took a trip to the harbour. It was early and it was peaceful. The Californian sunshine drove deep shafts of pale turquoise through the water to the harbour bottom and the sky was a cloudless azure blue.
Between the boats were Pacific Divers, Grebes, Scoters, Sea Lions and Sea Otters. Other than a few fishermen and the occasional raucous California Sea Lion the wharf was deserted.
The Otters are really cute. In a well documented process they fish for clams, abalone and crabs. Bringing each to the surface along with a stone which they balance on their chest and bash with the shellfish until the shell cracks. They are then able to reap the reward of their efforts.
It was therefore with a little annoyance on one morning that the tranquillity was broken with the sound of someone hammering. Well it was a workday, and even if we were on holiday others weren’t. However, it came as a surprise when we located the source of the hammering out in the harbour.
One of the few pieces of litter we saw in California was being utilised by a Sea Otter. It had found a beer bottle and was using it to break open a meal. What a din!
Letter From Norfolk 