Hoping to Avoid Turtle Disaster

The Best of the Best

Whale, whale, whale, what do we have here? What an interesting week I have had here on CHV with Save the Harbor. This week's events were controlled by the rainy weather Boston received. A windy and stormy day led us to stay inside with a touch tank full of crabs. The building stood tall and strong against both the activity inside and outside of it. The wind hitting the windows as hard as the screams and voices of the campers playing board games, creating art/bracelets, and sticking their hands into the touch tank. There was an energy of fear mixed with excitement around the table for the crabs. The campers were interested yet quite observant, filled to the brim with all kinds of questions about what was inside the tank. We were able to get some kids to break out of their own shell to touch and be able to eventually hold a crab. 

Black Sea Bass

 As the next day rolled around, we were cleared to go on our weekly fishing trip for the morning. We went around the boat to round our fishing club kids up and set out for Quincy on the Belle. The morning was quite but the waters were full of movement from a school of fish just below the boat. Next thing you know, we have at least 3-4 campers screaming with joy about their first, second, or third catch of the day. It was a slight competition to see who would be able to catch the most. One camper even went so far as 6 fish for the day. 

Rock On

While others were not as lucky, they were just as satisfied and excited for their companions. They kept their energy up all throughout the day and carried it down to the shore on Camp Harbor View's beach for tide pooling in the afternoon. They got a kick out of flipping over the rocks on the shore to catch the evasive short crabs and collect a few hermit crabs. All in all, we did not allow the weather to stop us from having as much fun as we could. Weather it was inside keeping away from the storm or outside in the cold morning fishing, we found a way to make it work.

   

As you probably know, things do not always go as expected. Even when everything is planned out, when the day comes you must go with the flow of things. At Andres Amador on Friday, we got to get creative on and off the shore. If you weren't busy with Vanessa making cute little fish out of water bottles you were down by the beach decorating the sand with any fin that came to mind. Patrice and I decided to take someone's unfinished artwork and turn it into the classic rainbow fish. Although it lacked color, her scales were brilliantly shinning. The artwork stretched across the bottom of the beach and showed off our teamwork. It was proof that if you are given the chance to be creative, you can leave your mark on the community. 

 The highlights of my week were the impressions I was able to leave on my campers at fishing club and the YMCA. I've had kids tell me that when they get older they would like to work for STH and be able to fish everyday. I've also had returning campers remember me from years ago when I first began working here and tell me about their adventures since then. It is beyond rewarding to see how I can affect the lives of others in positive ways with just one interaction by asking, "Would you like to try fishing?". It brings me great joy to give out that type of happiness.

Boomerang!

Thanks for tuning in, Sea you next week!

Kharliyah

Spectacular Week at Spectacle

Hi everyone,

This past week, All Access Boston Harbor spent Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday out on Spectacle Island. It was a really great start back on Spectacle. An old friend from high school that I recognized came out with us on Tuesday. On the first day back on the island, we caught two skates and was able to unhook them all alone. The first one that I caught, was during lunch. While everyone went off for lunch, I decided to stay on the dock fishing. Five minutes after casting, I had a skate on one of the rods so I reeled it in as the old friend from high school and her family surrounded me. At first they were all yelling "Eww what is that?" ... "Its a sting ray" ... I tried telling them that it was not a sting ray and that it was a skate. A few minutes later, an old guy joined us and started telling me to be careful with its tail so that I don't get stung and I kept telling him that it does not sting and that it is a skate but he just kept saying "Sting ray, sting ray, sting ray." Moment later, I released the skate and the first group of kids came over to do some fishing. I guided them all and everything went smooth. Towards the end of the day, one kid reeled in our second skate and they were all amazed by it. Most of the kids knew that it was not a sting ray and that it was a skate. I was really impressed.

Old High School friend with her nephew
when I caught the first skate in 5 minutes

Thursday which was the end of the week at Spectacle was also a great day. We had a really great ending of the week out there. The East Boston YMCA came out with us again for the second time. The week before Spectacle, they joined for the Georges trip. Although we did not catch anything on Thursday, I was able to help the counselor reel in the striped bass but unfortunately, the fish kept dragging the line under the dock and snapped it. Another reason why we were unable to reel the fish its because the fishing rod had really short line so with that being said, there was not enough line for the fish to keep dragging. Even though we were unable to reel in the fish, the counselor was excited for just knowing that he actually did have a fish on the line. I was excited as well because I don't quite remember if we ever had a fish on the line last summer and we also caught a little lobster in our crab trap. Overall, everything went great at Spectacle except for the weather that was not cooperating with us.

Second skate caught after a nice swim

Until I catch another fish!!!

- Andrea Lopes

First Day Back with Stripers in Georges Island

Hello everyone,

This past Wednesday was our first day back on the islands. Even with the hot and sunny day, I was still getting chills as I was at the Blue Hills Pavilion welcoming the groups of kids and counselors from different summer camps and programs. After gathering every single groups into the big tent, I was shocked to know that we had 345 kids and staffs in total that came out with us on our first day back on the island. YES, I SAID 345! Ain't that amazing? Well I thought it was because I was not expecting that many people to come out with us on the first day. As we walked over to the Common Wealth Pier to get on the Provincetown II boat, I could see the excitement in the faces of many of these kids. After getting on the boat and walking around interacting with the kids, almost all of the Save the Harbor staffs started a game of 'quack-a-dilly oh my quack quack quack' with the kids. Most of the kids fell in love with the game because not many of them had played it before.

Playing 'Quack-a-dilly Oh My Quack Quack Quack' with the kids from
the Bruce School on the Provincetown II

Meanwhile they were playing, I decided to go around the boat and signing up groups for fishing and I remember every single counselor that I approached tell me that "Its too hot we are going to skip fishing for today." So after we got to the island, every group including the Save the Harbor staffs except myself went off to have lunch. I decided to stay on the pier with 5 fishing rods fishing all alone and all of a sudden, there were a group of lucky kids from the Bruce School that came down the pier to fish. I baited all 5 rods and casted them for the kids. As they held the rods, I had a girl that started yelling "Miss, Miss, Miss, I caught something." So I ran down to her and helped her reel in the fish when on the other side I had another little boy yelling "Miss, Miss I got a fish." After helping the girl rail in the fish, we all seen that it was a big striper and unfortunately, it snapped the line. When I ran to the other boy to help him, another striper had snapped the line. Although we were unable to bring the fish out on the dock, they were all excited to see both stripers that were on the line. What made them and their counselor more excited was the fact that I told them that in the past 3 summers, we have not caught a fish there. 

Reeling in "Bruce" the Stripe Bass

Later on around 1 PM, they decided to go to the fort so I stayed fishing alone. I had casted 2 fishing rods and at about 1:35 that same group came back and a few of them started asking "Miss, can I fish ... Miss I want to fish" and I had told them no that we are done fishing because it was almost time to get back on the boat. As that one kid Kevin kept asking frequently, I told Sam to give him a rod that I had casted and 2 minutes later guess what? WE CAUGHT A STRIPER and the kids named it Bruce. This time I was able to reel in the fish 5 minutes before getting on the boat and the kids were finally able to see the fish from a closer angle. One of their counselors helped me take out the hook from the fish's mouth and sent it back to the ocean. Running fishing was the best decision that I had made. Having 3 stripers on the first day for the first time in 3 years at Georges island made me feel very accomplished and good about myself because I had promised the kids that we were going to catch at least one fish and guess what happened? WE DID IT! Overall, Georges island was great and now I am looking forward to a spectacular week this upcoming week at Spectacle island.

Kevin, Andrea and the "Bruce" Stripe Bass

Until next time,

- Andrea Lopes 

The Silver Lining

This past Friday my team and I took the fishing club from this session at Camp Harbor View out on The Belle for a day of fishing. A special thanks goes out to Captain Charlie, and John, the first mate. These guys were exceptional with the kids and made sure that everything went as smoothly as possible. Friday was my first time really getting to talk to them this year and it was apparent just how much they know about the Harbor, a fact that is made even more clear by the quality of the boat ride they provide. For all of those reading the blog who may be looking for a charter for either a fishing trip or pleasure cruise, look no further than The Belle, Charlie and John will make it a fun, worthwhile experience.

The Belle.

The day started with a bang. Only minutes after we dropped anchor at our first location, right off the shores of Long Island, one of the campers felt a heavy bend in his rod. At first we thought that he had just hooked bottom, but a then the rod began to vibrate with the powerful head-shakes of a striper. The camper was behind one of the window pillars, and as the fish ran hard for the bottom and towards the aft of the boat, I was concerned that he was going to lose it. Quick thinking by Will Conroy saw the rod maneuvered into a more favorable fighting position, and after a long battle the fish was pulled alongside the boat where it was netted by Captain Charlie. A quick measurement and it was confirmed that the fish was indeed a keeper.

Tristan with his exceptional catch.

Unfortunately the rest of the trip was marked by much slower fishing. A few of the other campers managed to hook into bluefish, but they were all small and could not compare to the first catch of the day. Even when one of these small blues was baited and allowed to swim behind the boat we could not convince another large striper to bite.

As we turned around and headed back towards the docks of Camp Harbor View I set to work processing the days catch so that Tristan could take it home. As usual all of the campers were fascinated and extremely inquisitive about the entire process and the anatomy of the fish. Fortunately for everyone on board, Tristan, is an exceptionally friendly and generous guy and was willing to share this catch with whomever wanted a piece. As a result everyone ended up going home happy regardless of whether they had caught a fish or not.

A fellow camper holding up her gift from Tristan.

- To great days on the water, Tom Rebula

Fishing Tournament

                                                                                      Big smiles, we have a lot of fun .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Yesterday was cloudy. We had fishing trip in the ocean. At the morning, we arrived to Fan Piers to meet each other. We had two boxes of donuts and two bottles of coffee. It was for breakfast. We went to the dock and we got in the boat. There were five group in five boat. I was in a boat with four people. My group went to the ocean near Long Island, we stayed there and we started fishing, we put a fishing rod with six fishing hook into the ocean. We caught a stripe bass that was twenty two inches, but it wasn't enough size to get it, so we put it back into the ocean. 

We caught a stripe bass.

We went to mainland, Cyndi bought hot chocolate for us. We went back to the ocean, we were fishing, I caught seaweed three times. My teammates and I didn't get any fish at that time. We went back to the dock, we ate lunch, and we took the pictures with everyone. My group was the team that caught a biggest fish, the other group caught thirty little fish, so my group won, we got fishing rods. We have a lot of fun and a great day.