Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Summer Nursery Grounds


The Elkhorn Slough is the nursery and birthing grounds for many fishes. In the early summer there are hundreds of rays and sharks that give live birth in the slough. Most of these harmless invertebrate eaters are leopard sharks, bat rays, and smooth hound sharks. Often their fins are viewed in the summer shallows. The Captain lifted a leopard shark out of the water for a few minutes so that the passengers could get better look, and passenger C. Menke took this shot.