Summer of 1974: Renny Yater and son Lauren scoot across the channel to the west end of Santa Barbara Island to the elephant seal rookery on the Omoo, a 28' by 8', half wood and half foam, Yater-designed Radon craft. Capt. Yater, as crisp as a new 100 franc note, eagerly awaits the arrival of his fellow neo-National Geographic bros -- Flippy Hoffman, Bev Morgan and Professor M. Munoz. They will spend the next two days photographing and studying the antics of the sea elephant. When asked of Capt. Yater if he could get into the time machine and make it back to this time and place, plus be able to keep current memory, he quickly barked, “Sure, I was burning the candle at both ends then.” Photo: Bev Morgan