Search for the Shy Albatross Day 8 : 24-08-2015

Apologies: We've had a technical issue with the discussion threads but it should be fixed by the time you read this!

The wind picked up speed last night and had blown fine beach sand into the tent as i slept. I woke to a gritty dusting of it over everything. Aargh!

The waves had also picked up so I dragged the kayak down the beach further and pushed off into a protected channel between the granite boulders. When waves bash squarely into a rocky shoreline their energy bounces back out as new little waves. When these hit the incoming waves it creates clapotic waves. It looks messy and as if the sea is sloshing up and down on the spot. The wave crests can become twice as high and the troughs twice as deep. There was a mild case it this morning as I paddled close to the rocks around to East Telegraph Beach. It makes you feel giddy after a while!

Between the lumps and bumps a shy albatross snuck up behind and cruised past. I was surprised to see it so close to the shore but it wasn't the only big bird in the sky. A pair of white bellied sea eagles and a photo pelican were vying for airspace. One of the sea eagles had grey flecked  feathers so I think it was a juvenile.

In shore i've been exploring the rocky coast. Around the headland I found a stinky cave and some old timbers which might be from a shipwreck. The vegetation (plants) around here must get battered by the icy wind because they're packed close together, are as tough as wire and hide behind the rocks for protection. The pigface (pink flowers in the photo) is soft but hugs the grounds. Tomorrow I need to walk the long beach in search of water. There is a creek marked on the map so hopefully it's flowing and fresh.

T-shirt winner:

Cookiemonster123 for their question to Dr Alastair Richardson about his job.