The Golden Gate Bridge

We didn't jump off, but as we walked across it I couldn't help but contemplate what it would be like to do so. Thousands have tried to commit suicide by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge, and only a handful have failed. The deck is roughly seventy-five meters above the water, and the fall takes around four seconds. Most die on impact from the trauma of their injuries, while others drown or succumb to hypothermia. Often their bodies are pulled underwater and simply swept out into the ocean, never to be recovered. Those who survive hit the water feet first at a slight angle, though they do not walk away unscathed. A plastic-covered stainless steel net will soon be constructed below the bridge as a suicide deterrent, but it may be delayed due to funding issues. Here's hoping it works.

The bridge is so beautiful, and we made it out there on a sunny but windy day. It gleams in the sunlight, and the colour is mesmerising against a blue sky. The air was chilly though, and halfway across I would have given anything for a beanie. I don't know what the wind speeds out there were, but it sure felt like it was blowing a gale.

I seem to have developed a strange predilection for spotting marine life, though Daniel never believes me. I told him I could see seals or sea lions in the waters below. They were just dark specks, really, but I managed to capture a few of them with the telephoto lens as proof.

There was obviously a feeding frenzy of some sort happening, because there were a few seals, lots of birds and even a couple of dolphins. The dolphins were easier to spot because their movements are more distinctive. The seals just sort of float around a lot, and they look uncannily like driftwood from seventy-five meters above.