Mile 109 - Whisky Run, Fivemile Pt, south end Merchants Beach - May 24, 2020

Report Details

I saw a blue heron looking for fish. There was a dead sea lion on the South end of the beach. Still intact.

Conditions

Temperature: 65 F. Cloud Cover: Partly Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Tide Level: 2.7 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 25. Number of dogs: 4. Walking or running: 8. Playing in sand: 4. Sitting: 6. Other Activities: fetch with dogs, sandcastles, camping in dunes 1x tent, picnic, bonfirex2. Everyone I saw was being respectful of the beach and wildlife. The only questionable thing I saw was a fire close to the tent that was set up in the dunes. They had a small fire and it looked well contained. There was only a slight breeze so there wasn't much worry of embers becoming a problem.

Concerns

Apparent violations: Someone has been 4-wheeling in the dunes again. I saw fresh tire marks, but it had happened before I arrived so I don't know who did it..

Disturbances: Shorebirds moving in response to humans/dogs

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 12. ATVs/OHVs parking: 1. Cars/trucks on beach, allowed: 10.

Driftline Content

Seaweeds and seagrass, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt).

Natural Changes

The sand has flattened again. It had been really rough and drifted over the last few months.