Walk with me on the beach. The sun has not yet pushed through the clouds but the ocean is calm. You can see the sea otters floating among the birds. They roll occasionally to keep air in their fur to stay afloat. The kittiwakes start to cry above us and dive into the water. A young glaucous gull keeps in front of us as we walk. He waits for the tide to go out so that he can reach the salmon skin that lies just out of reach. Some black turnstones forage on the rocks, they are resting for a moment before resuming their long flight south for the winter. A tufted puffin sits among the other birds. You can see the bright color of his beak in the early light.