The Boat Trip

This past weekend we were able to go with James' family on the LA Sanitation District Boat tour.  I love how educational this experience is (for all of us, not just the kids), and it is free...which is even better!

They provide breakfast.  My kids found out they love donuts.  The smell of donuts makes me sick. (except for homemade donuts on Halloween, which I happen to love.)  Starting the boat tour with that sick feeling is a recipe for disaster.  I got sick, James felt queasy, our kids must be future sailors because they did great and loved it!

We go out for a while and spotted dolphins swimming along side the boat.  Once we are out the crew throws in the net which drags behind the boat for about 15 minutes.  The sanitation district keeps track of animal sampling and the health of the kelp forest to make sure the water is clean.  The crane pulls the net of ocean life up and they dump the net into the water tanks so we can learn about what is out there.

The kids favorite seemed to be the giant sea star 

We learned about dozens of fish 

James holding the sheep crab 

James and I loved the octopus.  It clings to your hand and is hard to get off!

Maybe Ethan can serve a mission in Japan.  He seemed to have no problem with the idea of eating fresh fish.  He loved how they opened their mouths.

at the end of the boat tour we were able to throw the fish back in the water (or up in the air for bird food).  Brielle and Ethan loved this part!