November 18, 2023

Report Details

The beach mile varied quite a bit - with the south (less traveled) section with darkened sands and clear of most debris while the north end, with more visitors, was covered in stones with more small debris (esp. plastics) washed ashore. Less driftwood, dungeness crab shells and kelp than in last observations.

Conditions

Temperature: 51 F. Cloud Cover: Partly Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Moderate. Wind Direction: N. Tide Level: 4.0 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 72. Number of dogs: 14. Walking or running: 67. Playing in sand: 5. Other Activities: Cold, quiet day. 2 runners. 1 person picking up litter..

Concerns

Litter

Apparent violations: South end of beach (near large parking area) littered with mostly washed ashore debris..

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 32.

Notable Wildlife

Brown pelicans, Gulls

Beached Birds

Total dead birds: 3. 2 brown pelicans, 1 murre (see pics)

Stranded Marine Mammals

Total stranded mammals: 1. Sea lion carcass (see pic)

Dead Fish or Invertebrates

Unusual concentration. 6 pacific sand crabs. 1 area with 5 within small area (see pics)

Driftline Content

Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Marine debris (plastic, styrofoam, etc. washing in from the sea). North end of beach was sandy - black from erosion/rain(?) but clear of litter. South end of beach covered in stones, litter (esp. plastic). Overall, less driftwood on beach than previous visit.

New Development

Steps down bluff. Noticed rebuilt stairs 2 homes. At least 4 looked to have some repair to existing stairs/rails.

Natural Changes

The large areas of basalt that was uncovered previously was again sand covered.