July 30, 2022

Temperature: 60 F. Cloud Cover: Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: NW. Tide Level: -0.4 feet.

Number of people: 3. Walking or running: 3. Fresh tracks indicated that a truck or large car had traveled the full length of the beach recently, possibly earlier in the morning. See attached photos. It is not clear whether this was a park ranger or private citizen.

Litter

There were many canine paw prints on the beach and among the dunes inland from the beach. These were probably from resident coyotes, though they may perhaps have been from resident foxes (some were fairly small), wild dogs, or wolves. In several places there were paw prints leading into the areas roped-off for snowy plover protection, indicating that these canines may be predating snowy plovers. In a few places there were also talon prints from large birds, probably from turkey vultures but possibly from eagles. We saw two turkey vultures, some gulls, and a possible snowy plover (in the surf).

Total dead birds: 1. It was too decomposed to identify.

Total stranded mammals: 2. There were two dead seals on the beach. To the north there was a seal pup that had recently been killed, with a turkey vulture feasting on it. Markings on the beach indicated that the pup had waddled ashore and been attacked (there were several bloodstains) by coyotes or other canines (there were several distinct sets of paw prints all around). However, the pup was largely intact, indicating that the canines had not eaten much of it. See attached photo. There were also talon prints nearby, presumably from the turkey vulture. Farther south there was an adult seal on the beach that seemed to have been dead for several days and was fairly decomposed, with no birds or other predators feeding on it.

We saw six jelly fish on the beach or in the surf.

Small rocks, Seaweeds and seagrass, Shells, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Wood pieces, Land-based debris (picnics, etc.), Styrofoam, Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.). There is a large amount of shell debris, mainly from razor clams and round clams. There is also a large amount of crab fragments, mainly from dungeness crabs.

This was my first visit to Mile 157, so I cannot really comment on recent changes there.  I did submit a stranded marine mammal report concerning the two dead seals on the beach.