While I am generally drawn to cliffside overlooks with sweeping views out to the water, I also find the occasionally more unusual perspective pretty irresistible, especially when it’s one that requires a key and a scientist on your side to gain access to a pier and observation deck that are otherwise closed to the public.

Back when I first went off to college at Humboldt State University I was an oceanography major for about a semester and a half before switching to art. During those brief oceanography years I always figured I’d end up tooling around working on this pier one day…