Alex walked down the wooden plank leading to J Dock at Pier 39. A couple of fishermen moored there were readying their boats for the day, and a few early-bird tourists stood gaping at the one hundred or so sea lions on K Dock. With the noise of the barking sea lions, he wouldn’t call it quiet. No one knew why the sea lions chose to haul out there every year, but they’d become a big draw for tourists. Where else could you sip a latte and watch wild marine mammals up close?
Gage was waiting for him on the dock beside the Center’s inflatable Zodiac.
My hero, Gage pantomimed before saying, “Jump down there and strap this baby in.”
Alex grabbed the hooped net that Gage held out and jumped into the Zodiac.
“Just tell me it’s not a whale this time,” Alex said. He strapped the net against the side of the boat near the front. “I’d need more coffee if it’s a whale.”
“It’s a bull Steller sea lion.”
Alex whistled. Steller sea lions were an endangered species, not often seen around the area. And they were big.
“The Coast Guard spotted it on the rocks north of Muir Beach,” Gage said. He threw a coil of rope down to Alex. “The cliffs there are too crumbly to rappel, so going in by water’s the only way to get at it.” He handed down three life vests. “The packing strap he got caught in will choke him if we can’t remove it. He may have had it for years, but now he’s grown and it’s slicing into his neck.”
Alex caught the wetsuit Gage tossed down.
“Put this on. You might need it, but I hope not. There’s a restroom at the end of the dock to the right.”
Alex hopped up to the dock.
“The bull’s about ten feet long,” Gage added in warning.
“I should’ve had the extra coffee.”
“Yeah. Well, you can have my last donut.” Gage held out a crumpled bag.
“I’m not that desperate.” Alex grinned. “Not yet.”
He suited up in the restroom stall, rolled his jeans and T-shirt into a tight ball and headed back to J dock.
He hopped into the Zodiac just as Jackie walked up.
“Hey, boss,” Gage said. “What’re you doing here? Thought you were still in Hawaii.”
“It’s your lucky day—I got in yesterday.” She looked at Alex. “Hello, Alex. I hope you can swim,” she said with a hint of a smile.
“I can do the one hundred meters in less than a minute and a half,” Alex said.
Gage whistled.
Jackie crossed her arms and leveled her gaze. “This is the ocean we’re talking here.”
“It’s a Steller,” Gage said.
“I got that,” she said. “You should have two more crew for this.”
Gage looked up from where he was fiddling with the motor. “Eric’s in Cabo, and Jim didn’t answer.”
Jackie shook her head.
“It’s beached, Jack. If all goes well, none of us will be swimming.”
“I’ll be back in a minute,” Jackie said, pivoting and then striding down the dock.
Alex watched her walk away and hoped Gage was right. It was far too early for swimming in the bracing waters of the Pacific.