Sea Smoke 001

An artic blast has set in and dropped the temperatures to well below zero. If you can fight the urge to stay indoors next to the fireplace, you can witness one of Lake Superior’s most intriguing events—sea smoke.

Sea smoke forms when colder air mixes with the warmer air producing fog. We have had sea smoke for about four days in a row. Off shore winds cause the smoke to billow up over the lake looking like an approaching storm. At sunrise it can produce some pretty impressive views.

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These Goldeneye ducks didn’t seem to mind the cold temps as they moved over the Grand Marais harbor.

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River Otters 001

Inside the harbor, I happened to come across a family of otters.

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River Otters 002

Mom came up on the ice first, checking out the area for any danger.

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Soon the full-grown offspring followed.

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They were comical to watch as they ran and slide over the ice just having fun.

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Several times they rolled on the ice, freeze-drying their fur.

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The mother got up on one of the rocks.

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She rolled in the snow and in just a few minutes her thick coat was dry.

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Mom looking for her young.

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One of the young came up out of the water close to me, making the mother nervous and she called out a warning to them.

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Obediently, they followed her into a crack in the rock and disappeared.

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