POOLSIDE AT CRATER LAKE 09/15/23 (On a fine Friday)

Poolside @ Crater Lake in Crater Lake National Park located in Oregon, USA!

Nothing refreshes you like a quick - and I mean quick! - dip into Crater Lake after some hiking in the hot sun. This footage is take from Friday September the 15th of 2023 and was on the occasion of my third boat trip out to Wizard Island this season. I loved every second of my visits out to this volcanic island and look forward to many more visits in the future as well.

Two of Crater Lake’s residents are featured in this coverage: Golden Mantled Ground Squirrels and Crayfish. The ground squirrels are everywhere and are not only weaponize their cuteness to get handouts from park visitors but are very adept as “visiting” your backpack once your back is turned. Please don’t feed them… they need to rely upon their own foraging skills or otherwise there could be detrimental consequences for these amazing animals. As regards the Crayfish… they are not native to Crater Lake. They were originally introduced as food for the Rainbow Trout but their populations have exploded which has driven the Mazama Newt to the edge of extinction. To save these newts, which long ago abandoned the ability to create and secrete poison in their skins as a defense mechanism, evolved as the top of the food chain residents of Crater Lake. That is until the Fish and Crayfish were introduced into the Crater Lake ecosystem. Now the Crayfish have to be removed… and that seems to be unlikely. Time will tell.

Anyways I hope you enjoyed this video of my Crater Lake swims and lakeside explorations. Hope you get to visit this fine blue crown jewel in America’s National Park system. Please remember to leave no trace though and to be respectful of the wild animals that call the park home. Except for those Crater Lake Fish and Crayfish!

Stay healthy and be well ~ S.