Mile 171 - Heceta Beach South, almost to North Jetty - May 28, 2018

Report Details

Lots of holiday visitors out on windy Heceta Beach today. Parking lots at both ends of Mile 171 were nearly full to capacity. The early summertime bloom of phyto- and zooplanktons is very apparent today, especially from an elevation off the beach. The near-shore 1/4 mile of ocean has a tan green-ish tint with a sharp transition to the normal ocean blue outside a 1/4 mile off-shore. The wet beach has multiple high wave lines of that scummy olive-drab froth of beached plankton. The high water line along the entire mile is also covered with a gazillion beached 2-3" diameter clear Moon jellies (Aurelia labiate) with an occasional Pacific Sea Nettle jelly (Chrysaora fusecescens) mixed in. And just to make the beach walk interesting, the wind and wave patterns were generating multiple "sneaker" waves that sent me and other tourists quick-stepping towards higher ground on occasion.

Conditions

Temperature: 60 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Moderate. Wind Direction: NW.

Human Activities

Number of people: 46. Number of dogs: 9. Walking or running: 15. Playing in surf: 3. Playing in sand: 10. Sitting: 6. Fishing: 2.

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 14.

Dead Fish or Invertebrates

Gazillions of 2-3" diameter Moon jellies (Aurelia labiate) washed up along the entire mile today

Driftline Content

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