Mile 291 - Camp Magruder north, Watseco, Twin Rocks SW - 12/15/2023

Report Details

A dead cormorant, jellyfish and a mermaid’s purse found on the beach. I threw the skate egg case back into the ocean. A tremendous accumulation of small blue and green plastic chips concentrated along the drift line of the middle half mile stretch. Significant beach erosion at Watseco Creek. A bluff was carved out about halfway up the beach where the sand is typically flat.

Conditions

Temperature: 49 F. Cloud Cover: Partly Cloudy. Wind Velocity: Moderate.

Human Activities

Number of people: 11. Number of dogs: 3. Walking or running: 8. Sitting: 3. Other Activities: None observed. Fabulous winter day. More activity mid-week than usual for December.

Concerns

Apparent violations: None observed.

Notable Wildlife

N/A

Beached Birds

Total dead birds: 1. Cormorant. No leg band.

Stranded Marine Mammals

N/A

Dead Fish or Invertebrates

1 jellyfish

Driftline Content

Small rocks, Seaweeds and seagrass, Shells, Animal casings (e.g., crab, shrimp molt), Wood pieces, Marine debris (plastic, styrofoam, etc. washing in from the sea), Ocean-based debris (from fishing boats, ship trash, etc.). As noted previously, an abundance of blue and green plastic chips and microplastic pieces. About a half dozen small plastic caps of some sort. Partial piece of what appears to be a plastic plate.