Sighting on river seals the deal First report was whale of a tale, but other mammals did appear

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Sunday, the last sunny day we had this week (I was paying attention because I had to work that fine day) provided a bit of entertainment for me. April Fools’ Day brought a report of a whale in the Penobscot River in the area of the Eagle’s Nest Restaurant.

The police radio frequency was abuzz, there were calls for traffic control as some 30 cars pulled over to the side of the road. A hovercraft was called in. There were public safety folks. Turned out the whale was a plastic pipe pretending it was a whale.

It was with some amusement shortly after the myth of the whale was debunked that I (being the only slob in the newsroom) intercepted a call from Charlie Colburn, one of the folks on the board of the Penobscot Salmon Club. (This he told me a little later in the conversation, perhaps sensing I wasn’t really believing him.)

The voice on the line was telling me there were three seals in the Penobscot River right downtown. Yep, I thought, the word’s getting out, along with our telephone number.

Colburn guessed that the seals were chasing smelt or salmon. (It was beginning to make more sense.)

Then he let me know of his salmon fishing background and I began to listen more attentively.

Why not reassign our poor, stressed photographer, John Clarke Russ, from the upstream whale to the more downstream trio of seals. Maybe he’d get lucky. He did and you saw the results in Tuesday’s paper.

I had to wait for lunchtime to venture to the riverbanks in hopes of spotting the slippery mammals. I staked out a picnic table near the city docks and ate lunch, one eye on the river. No seal.

After eating I strolled down the walkway adjacent to the river, both eyes on the river. I saw mergansers and gulls, but no seals.

Determined, I kept an eye on the river and one on my watch. As my lunch hour was waning, sure enough on the Brewer side, four or five mergansers did their water walk upstream. And just afterward a dark, shiny head surfaced, looked around a bit, and submerged.

OK, there was a seal in the river. I headed back to my truck, stopping one last time to watch the ice chunks flowing downstream. And as if to say goodbye, a seal popped to the surface about 100 feet out in the river. It remained, head partially out of the water, for a minute, drifting with the current. I pointed it out to two women talking nearby. They reacted with surprise, saying they’d never seen a seal this far up the river.

I muttered under my breath that they could have seen the whale if they’d been paying attention.

Paddle Smart update

It’s official. We’ve had two snowstorms this week and paddling season is officially under way. The boat has been hung, the banners strung, and The Weekly has once again (graciously, I might add) published information about the April 13 Paddle Smart Paddle Safety Symposium (the seventh edition) at the Y on Hammond Street in Bangor. And once again (if you look real close), you’ll see my ugly mug staring back at you along with the more photogenic Kaitlyn Fowle, a guide, and Karen Francoeur, owner of Castine Kayak Adventures, one of the symposium’s founders.

If you’ve driven past either of the Y’s in Bangor, you’ve seen the banners strung up as of Wednesday morning, along with the bright yellow sea kayak over the door at the Hammond Street facility.

The kayak pictured in The Weekly, by the way, could be yours. It’s the first year we at Paddle Smart have scored such a great prize to raffle off in order to defray our costs. Thanks to Old Town Canoe, the Cayuga 160 could be yours for the cost of a $3 ticket. Check out the boat at Epic Sports in Bangor. It will go home with someone on Friday evening. That’s a $1,199 value for less than the cost of a sandwich! Heck, even if you don’t paddle or never intend to paddle, you could turn around and sell it. Check it out. You’ll kick yourself if you don’t. (If you don’t win the kayak, you may win one of several other great prizes, so be sure to contribute.)

On Friday the 13th the fun begins around 5 p.m. There’ll be concurrent talks, pool demonstrations, and slide shows, as well as a host of paddling-related displays set up in the gym at the Hammond Street Y. It’s a hands-on evening with something for everyone.

Paddling safety is the focus of the evening, but you’ll find it entertaining and educational as well. You could walk away with enough knowledge to save your life or someone you love’s life.

And don’t forget there’ll be door prizes as well. If self-propelled water sports ring your chime, do yourself a favor and come on down! You’ll be glad you did.

Maine Canoe Symposium

While you’ve got your calendar out, and while I’m still able to type the word symposium, mark June 8-10 for a weekend of fun. The Maine Canoe Symposium takes place at Camp Winona on the shores of Moose Pond in Bridgton. Noted canoeist Cliff Jacobson and Becky Mason are the featured speakers. Everything canoe is on the agenda.

There’ll be paddling lessons, wilderness camping techniques, adventure stories, children’s programs, poling and sailing lessons, map and compass, knots, freestyle, outdoor survival, cooking, first aid, and rescue techniques just to name a few of the weekend’s activities. And best of all there’s the chance to share stories and information with others who love to paddle.

This is one event for which you’ll need to make reservations. Call 647-3721 to do that.

Registration is $65 before May 1, $80 after that; for children under 12, the fee is $35 before May 1, $40 after. There are tent sights, cabins, bunkhouses, and meal plans, so call for details.

Great Maine Bike Swap

Looking for a great pre-owned bike at great price? The Great Maine Bike Swap is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 29 in the Sullivan Fitness Complex at the University of Southern Maine’s Portland campus.

Hundreds of new and used bikes will be sold at the event, sponsored by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine in partnership with the University of Southern Maine Public Interest Research Group. The public may buy and sell bicycles, with 15 percent of the proceeds going to the Bicycle Coalition of Maine to support its bike safety programs.

The swap will feature bike shops, exhibits, and information about upcoming biking events in Maine. Mini-workshops on such topics as flat tire repair, bike safety checks, and bicycle commuting will be offered as well.

All bikes sold at the swap must be in working, operable condition. Owners should fill out the registration and sales forms available at the Bicycle Coalition of Maine’s Web site at www.BikeMaine.org. Bikes may be dropped off at Sullivan Gym between 8 and 10 a.m. on April 29. Those bikes not sold may either be picked up by 2 p.m. or donated to the Bicycle Coalition of Maine.

For more information, or to volunteer at the swap, please contact Pete Phair at the Bicycle Coalition of Maine at 623-4511 or email: pete@BikeMaine.org.

Roadside cleanup

One more item before you put that calendar away. Earth Day will be celebrated by the Friends of Acadia on April 28 by doing a roadside cleanup. The fun runs from 8:30-11 a.m. and the first 100 volunteers who register before April 20 will receive a free T-shirt. In the past as many as 300 volunteers have participated and picked up more than eight tons of trash from 150 miles of road in the Mount Desert Island, Trenton, and Schoodic area.

Contact Mike Staggs at 288-3340 for more information or to register.

Jeff Strout’s column on outdoor recreation is published each Saturday. He can be reached at 990-8202 or by e-mail at jstrout@bangordailynews.net.