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Pictured to the left and below are seals as they
frolic and sun off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel's man-made
islands. |
Each year in late fall/early winter, seals visit the rocks of the
CBBT. With water temperatures cold and to their liking, these
marine mammals like to frolic and play around the quiet islands and
rest and sun themselves on the rocks. Harbor seals can dive to
1,500 feet and they even sometimes sleep in the water. Though
they appear awkward as they sun on the rocks, their torpedo shape
allows them to swim quickly and efficiently, thus allowing them to
escape predators such as sharks and catch prey such as fish. |
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The harbor seals are typically seen by CBBT
employees and boaters on #s 3 and 4 Island (the northern islands), as there is less
activity and disturbance. However, every now and then, some
will playfully venture to the waters off of #1 Island and entertain
the guests! |
| After a long day's work of waterbourne
inspections along the facility, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel's
Inspection Boat, Just-A-Peake, encountered some
hitchhikers! These dolphins raced the boat as it returned to
dock. |
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They even entertained as they frolicked nearby! |
| The pelican is a very familiar sighting along the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. |
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These seagulls pose for the camera at sunset!
The seagull, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel's trademark bird, is a
common sighting along the facility. |
| This Snowy Owl was spotted on one of the islands of the CBBT in February 2012. Also known as the Artic Owl or the Great White Owl, this is the official bird of Quebec, Canada. |
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This Snowy Owl is off-course as they are generally spotted much farther north of Virginia. Snowy owls are tundra birds found from northern Alaska to Canada and Eurasia. |
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| WOW! This series of photos is
absolutely breathtaking! These photos were taken by a tourist
near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel
in 2012 . The rise.... |
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| ...and fall |
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While work was being performed on
North Channel Bridge, the Survey Boat spotted this whale in the
channel. These photos were taken by a CBBT employee. |
| Look out...here he comes! |
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On Sunday, March 11, 2012, the USS Enterprise
passed through Thimble Shoal Channel as it headed to the Middle East
for a seven-month deployment. While in the Middle East, the
crew of the USS Enterprise will be on standby in case of
conflict with Iran or piracy threats off Somalia.
This is the 50-year-old carrier's 22nd deployment, and upon
completion of this cruise, the ship will return to Virginia to have
its eight nuclear-powered engines removed; thence it shall be
removed from service. A deactivation or decommission ceremony
is planned for December 1. |
