Mile 287 - Bayocean Peninsula north of Bayocean site 2 - March 30, 2013

Report Details

A terrific day on mile 287. There was less marine debris than I had expected for a spring beach clean-up. (Apparently a group of Boy Scouts had done a clean up project the previous week.) In addition to the usual marine debris (crab floats and pots, plastic bottles and containers, ropes, etc.) there was a large quantity of Styrofoam of differing densities and colors and more lightbulbs of different shapes and sizes than we have encountered in the past. We also saw a number of notched and dovetailed timbers that were waterlogged and covered with fine seaweed - likely building materials originating from Japan and part of the tsunami debris that is beginning to wash ashore. Photos of one of the timbers are attached to this report.

Conditions

Temperature: 68 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Calm/Light. Wind Direction: SE. Tide Level: 0.0 feet.

Human Activities

Number of people: 40. Number of dogs: 12. Walking or running: 14. Playing in surf: 2. Playing in sand: 4. Sitting: 18. Other Activities: 2 sandboarding on foredune. Gorgeous spring day for the SOLVE beach clean up. Lots of people out at the coast enjoying the sunny weather. Forecast was for a clear, dry weekend; three tent were set up above the high tide line and campers settling in. There were two trucks with horse trailers in the parking lot and I saw two groups of riders at the north end of the spit, but only horse tracks on mile 287.

Vehicles

Cars/trucks parking: 58.

Beached Birds

Total dead birds: 1. Saw a dead hummingbird in the wrack line - first time I've seen a carcass of a land-based species on the beach.

Stranded Marine Mammals

NOTE: Saw two sea lion skeletons at highest high tide line (very decomposed, bones of ribs and spine completely exposed) on northern part of mile 288 during beach clean-up walk.

Driftline Content

Seaweeds and seagrass, Land-based debris (picnics, etc.), Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.), Shells, Small rocks, Styrofoam, Wood pieces.

Man-made Modifications

One group of campers had set up their tent in the established foredune structure reported previously.

Report Images

C Nelson

CoastWatcher

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Mile 287

Bayocean Peninsula north of Bayocean site 2

March 17, 2024

The cloudy marine layer that was present when we first arrived eventually burned off, providing us with a pleasant but breezy sunny afternoon for our visit. 1) We encountered an intact hull of a fiberglass boat on the mid-section of the mile; photos and location information was provided to the State Park Ranger so it could be retrieved from the beach. 2) There had been a massive influx of velella velella (by-the-wind sailors) washed ashore several days before our visit. 3) Given the number of folks in the parking area when we arrived, we had expected to see more folks on mile 287 but encountered just a typical number of visitors. 4) There was more detritus on the beach than we've seen in recent previous visits.

C NELSON