This sort of thing is a huge problem here in New Zealand. The only native mammal here is a bat, we have mostly birds which evolved for a really long time with only avian predators. So they’re hilariously poorly adapted for surviving standard predators (cats, rats, dogs etc) which first the Maori and subsequently Europeans brought. For example, many of them are flightless and tend to freeze when threatened - works well against eagles but is a terrible idea when threatened by a cat.
As a result, we have many animals, mostly birds, which are totally unique and also critically endangered. Many of them can only survive on offshore islands which have been comprehensively cleared of predators at vast effort and expense. The islands need to be relatively accessible since humans have to get to them to maintain them, but it turns out that once in a while a predator will swim quite vast distances for no apparent reason, and it only takes one to mess up years of painstaking work. Quite apart from killing a bunch of birds whose total remaining numbers might range from the tens to the hundreds of individuals.
Nit: If predators periodically make their way to the islands without human assistance, don't the islands have native predators, by virtue of how we've woven ourselves into the definitions?
No because the predators would not survive doing so from their distant original lands. New Zealand is far enough away for this not to be a problem - otherwise it would have happened in the historical past. At least until continental drift brought New Zealand close enough to other land mass. Whether the species then alive would have evolved enough to survive is unknown.
Alcatraz isn't really that far from land, about a mile away. They have events where you can swim to and from it. The currents make it dangerous, but the distance is unremarkable.
There are local clubs which swim from the island on a regular basis, year 'round. If not absolutely daily, several times a week.
Water temps vary by time of year, but are particularly mild from late summer through late fall. Even winter-time temps aren't particularly challenging. A dog could easily make the swim.
Currents are a challenge, but mostly if you're planning on landing at a specific point along the shore. If your goal is simply to make it to shore, they're far less an issue. Just swim cross-channel and you'll make it.
The physiological and psychological challenges are greatly overblown.
I love the visual of humans desperately trying to preserve what they consider the natural world, and when they turn their backs evolution does it's thing.
Direct ecological management is unfortunately a bit of a game of using a bucket to fix a leaky ship. The equilibrium that established the ecosystem dynamics in the first place is disrupted. A new equilibrium might form over time, but we enforce the old one because that is what we documented when we first came to a place, even though it is no longer thermodynamically favorable.
Ironically, the ecology of an island itself came from events like a random animal swimming to it over the historical record and finding sufficient spare resources or an ecological niche they could satisfy sufficiently to reproduce. Distance from mainland and species diversity is very strongly correlated reflecting increasingly scarce odds of these "heroic journeys" at greater distances. Species themselves are capable of exhausting an islands resources and putting themselves into local extinction even with no human intervention (such as the case of the last of the mammoths on wrangel island).
A lot of work and money has gone in to preventing zebra mussels from spreading to new lakes in Minnesota. Think free sites for people to have their boats cleaned when they’re going from lake to lake, PR campaigns, etc.
My parent’s small pond, which has never seen a boat or any other real human activity, got them before the big lake it’s connected to did. Clearly there was some other way they could spread, presumably by bird.
Anyways, one by one every lake in the area no has zebra mussels. Even if they would only spread via human, it was clearly only a matter of time. As much as they suck (they’re sharp and attach themselves to basically anything in the lake) I’m not sure the expense has been worth simply delaying the inevitable.
It's really odd stuff, humans are obsessed with declaring one moment in time as the "right one" and then trying to keep it like that forever. Evolution? We need to document gods work! People driving their SUV to protests for "conservation", the irony is thick.
I would be surprised if the Coyote would be quick to get back into the water after such a difficult swim. It would, I suspect, want to recover and find food. So I support the theory the Coyote is just hiding somewhere. The island is small but not that small that it couldn’t hide somewhere.
When they explained why it hadn't been found, the quote was "I suspect the coyote was swept away...", but then later in the article it seemed clear the 'swept away' was in reference to the SF->Alcatraz journey, given the prevailing currents reported by the boat captain.
But then later in the article they re-stated the idea that it had been swept away _off_ the island, which doesn't really make sense given the currents.
If you time things right, and don't get swept out to sea, it's the 54 degree water that is the real danger. I'm no medical person, but it sure seems like that the animal is suffering from hypothermia and fatigue. I'm sure it'll have happy hunting once it recovers.
That’s insane. He’s the David Goggins of coyotes. Also, that water is cold as hell this time of year. I couldn’t do that. Give him a metal and enter him in the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon (I assume he can ride a bicycle?)
I love swimming in the Bay. It's exhilarating to get into the cold water, especially when you get into a rhythm. And you feel great afterwards. Just make sure you've got a plan to warm up after wards (read up on "after drop")!
Almost anyone who is swimming for more than 15-20 minutes will be wearing a neoprene wetsuit and cap to keep warm (maybe a fur coat counts). The water temperature is 54F right now, and mid 60s in the Summer/Fall. There's a real risk of going into hypothermia at these temperatures.
The first time I tried it, the shock of the cold winter water made me swim faster in panic, which quickly winded me, and I was glad to get out of there! I had to learn to slow my breath and ease into my swim stroke.
I also found the open water disorienting. It's hard to swim in a straight line when the tide is pulling you, or the wind is pushing you, or the sun is in your eyes.
But if you want to give it try, there is a protected cove at Aquatic Park [0] with a dedicated swim lane and a great community. An informal group meets in the bleachers every day around 1-2pm (sunniest time of day), with everyone taking turns to watch your stuff.
There are also two (private) clubs that organize events (like the Alcatraz swim): the Dolphin Club (1] and the South End Rowing Club [2]. The clubs are nice because they have lockers and a sauna to help you warm up after.
It's not always fun (maybe it's type 2 fun?). A lot of the time it's frustrating. Like, why do my goggles keep filling with water? or why can't I get into a flow today? Or why do I keep having this intrusive thought that I can't see what's under me? (There have been a few seal bitings). Or sometimes it feels like I'm barely moving and I don't know why I'm dragging so much. Did the current/tide/wind change? If I don't sleep well, I feel it immediately in the water. It's a good gauge of your health/mood on that day. I got a lot out of it.
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As a result, we have many animals, mostly birds, which are totally unique and also critically endangered. Many of them can only survive on offshore islands which have been comprehensively cleared of predators at vast effort and expense. The islands need to be relatively accessible since humans have to get to them to maintain them, but it turns out that once in a while a predator will swim quite vast distances for no apparent reason, and it only takes one to mess up years of painstaking work. Quite apart from killing a bunch of birds whose total remaining numbers might range from the tens to the hundreds of individuals.
Water temps vary by time of year, but are particularly mild from late summer through late fall. Even winter-time temps aren't particularly challenging. A dog could easily make the swim.
Currents are a challenge, but mostly if you're planning on landing at a specific point along the shore. If your goal is simply to make it to shore, they're far less an issue. Just swim cross-channel and you'll make it.
The physiological and psychological challenges are greatly overblown.
Ironically, the ecology of an island itself came from events like a random animal swimming to it over the historical record and finding sufficient spare resources or an ecological niche they could satisfy sufficiently to reproduce. Distance from mainland and species diversity is very strongly correlated reflecting increasingly scarce odds of these "heroic journeys" at greater distances. Species themselves are capable of exhausting an islands resources and putting themselves into local extinction even with no human intervention (such as the case of the last of the mammoths on wrangel island).
My parent’s small pond, which has never seen a boat or any other real human activity, got them before the big lake it’s connected to did. Clearly there was some other way they could spread, presumably by bird.
Anyways, one by one every lake in the area no has zebra mussels. Even if they would only spread via human, it was clearly only a matter of time. As much as they suck (they’re sharp and attach themselves to basically anything in the lake) I’m not sure the expense has been worth simply delaying the inevitable.
I remember visiting Angel Island (a 0.5mi swim) and seeing the abundance of raccoons they have, and asked a ranger how they got there. They also swam.
Growing up on a lake I would regularly watch deer swim the quarter mile back and forth between the shore and a nearby island, with no problem.
https://angelisland.org/history/ayala-cove/
When they explained why it hadn't been found, the quote was "I suspect the coyote was swept away...", but then later in the article it seemed clear the 'swept away' was in reference to the SF->Alcatraz journey, given the prevailing currents reported by the boat captain.
But then later in the article they re-stated the idea that it had been swept away _off_ the island, which doesn't really make sense given the currents.
Almost anyone who is swimming for more than 15-20 minutes will be wearing a neoprene wetsuit and cap to keep warm (maybe a fur coat counts). The water temperature is 54F right now, and mid 60s in the Summer/Fall. There's a real risk of going into hypothermia at these temperatures.
The first time I tried it, the shock of the cold winter water made me swim faster in panic, which quickly winded me, and I was glad to get out of there! I had to learn to slow my breath and ease into my swim stroke.
I also found the open water disorienting. It's hard to swim in a straight line when the tide is pulling you, or the wind is pushing you, or the sun is in your eyes.
But if you want to give it try, there is a protected cove at Aquatic Park [0] with a dedicated swim lane and a great community. An informal group meets in the bleachers every day around 1-2pm (sunniest time of day), with everyone taking turns to watch your stuff.
There are also two (private) clubs that organize events (like the Alcatraz swim): the Dolphin Club (1] and the South End Rowing Club [2]. The clubs are nice because they have lockers and a sauna to help you warm up after.
It's not always fun (maybe it's type 2 fun?). A lot of the time it's frustrating. Like, why do my goggles keep filling with water? or why can't I get into a flow today? Or why do I keep having this intrusive thought that I can't see what's under me? (There have been a few seal bitings). Or sometimes it feels like I'm barely moving and I don't know why I'm dragging so much. Did the current/tide/wind change? If I don't sleep well, I feel it immediately in the water. It's a good gauge of your health/mood on that day. I got a lot out of it.
[0] https://www.nps.gov/safr/learn/historyculture/aquatic-park-p...
[1] https://serc.com/swimming
[2] https://dolphinclub.org/swimming/