Mile 188 - Neptune SP, Strawberry Hill Picnic Area - 01/05/2024

Report Details

The high surf (even at low tide) made for dramatic conditions during this visit. Most importantly, sneaker waves occurred quite often, providing a good lesson in beach awareness to the few people there. Several large logs in the surf added to the danger posed by the sneaker waves. Fewer seals but more gulls and cormorants were present, presumably due to the strong wind and heavy surf.

Conditions

Temperature: 48 F. Cloud Cover: Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Moderate. Tide Level: 1.2 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 5. Walking or running: 5. Sitting: 5. My only comment is that the few visitors there were not paying enough attention to the sneaker waves associated with the heavy surf. The main culprit was my wife, who misjudged the speed of a wave and found herself thigh-deep in surf!

Concerns

Apparent violations: None..

Notable Wildlife

There were only about 10 seals resting on the rock formations west of the parking area, presumably due to the heavy surf. A few more were frolicking in the surf nearby. There were dozens of gulls and quite a few cormorants -- more of each than usual. All of the tidepools were filled with sand or inaccessible due to heavy surf, so I did not see any of the usual denizens.

Driftline Content

Small rocks, Shells, Wood pieces.

Natural Changes

Newly exposed roots/trees falling. The bluff erosion I have noted in previous reports is continuing, though there were not any dramatic changes since my last visit in October. The erosion of the trails to the south beach, which I have also noted in previous reports, has gotten worse, making access to this area increasingly dangerous. The erosion of sand from the north beach has gotten somewhat worse, making it too dangerous to walk beyond a certain point when the surf is high. Conversely, there seems to be quite a bit more sand on the south beach, including in all the tidepools I could see, which are fully choked with sand. Finally, there were several large logs in the surf, including one the size of a telephone pole, and quite a bit of new driftwood on the north and south beaches.