Instead, I came to occupy a dizzying position as the only person to know the secret Williams had been harboring for almost two years.

In the meantime, scientists are still puzzling out the physics behind such an icy ocean that could harbor life.

Gray whales migrate along the California coast from December through May, prompting winter whale-watching boats to head out regularly from harbors up and down the state.

The letters, all dated Dec. 23, state that people living in the country illegally are subject to removal and that it is a crime to conceal, harbor or shield them.

State officials reported more than $100 million in damage across its coast from the event, noting that almost all docks in the harbors of Santa Cruz and Crescent City were damaged or destroyed.