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Beach Stories

WHALES ON THE BEACH

The California gray whale is one of the largest of the baleen whales and every year they head from the plankton rich waters of the Artic to the tepid breeding lagoons of Mexico, appearing off the California coast in November to January. They head north again in February and March, but the mothers bring their nursing babies close to shore later, in April and early May. Armed with binoculars, I settle in on Zuma Beach to see these gray whale families. I watch the sea birds and a few sea lions. The local pod of dolphins goes by. No whales. I scan 270 degrees of the horizon, but see nothing. The wind begins to pick up and I know I'll have to leave soon.

Suddenly, she rises silently from nowhere. Next to her, her newborn rises with her. The newborn is the size of a VW. She is the size of a gray bus. They both exhale in unison, twin fountains of spray. Then they are gone as silently as they came, only rippling circles left to mark their presence. I rub my eyes, not sure whether I have seen one of nature's great wonders, or simply imagined it.

She rises again, much closer now, her baby right at her side. Her sheer bulk is overwhelming, but there is no sense of lumbering, only grace. Her baby flicks his flukes and they are under again. I keep scanning, fervently hoping for another glimpse.

My god! They are in the surf line, not 60 feet from me. Is she sick? Is she wounded? Do we need a bucket brigade? She lifts he great head half out of the water. A huge mouth and gray patches of barnacles marking her mass. Then she rolls, slowly, lazily. Her huge flipper stretching to the sky in peaceful languor. There is no struggle here. She seems to be simply stretching on this peaceful, California morning. Her baby does the same. He is so much smaller, but still far larger than a dolphin. Mother and baby slide in and out of the five feet of water. Back and forth, they raise one flipper, then their flukes. First one, then the other. After 10 minutes of sand massage, the two gray whales back out beyond the surf and glide along parallel to the shore. They surface every few minutes, but as suddenly as they appeared, they are gone.

The old timers say they love this beach and come to this shore every year. Some people say the whales do this just because it feels good. Some people say they are scraping barnacles off their sensitive skin. Maybe it is all of those things. All I know is I visit that beach every year to see the Leviathans lolling in the California surf.

California gray whales migrate every year. Good viewing spots in Los Angeles County are the south end of Zuma Beach in Malibu, Point Vicente on Pacific Palisades, and Sycamore State Beach. Central California offers good whale viewing from anywhere along Big Sur. Good whale watching expeditions leave from Monterey, Santa Barbara and Dana Point. For more information on the California gray whale, dolphins and other cetaceans, see the American Cetacean Society website at acs-la.org

Submitted By Penny Pedd on Feb. 26 , 2009

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Beach Stories

Cambria-San Simeon Serendipity

The quest for surf can sometimes lead to wondrous places. We found one of those places on Valentine’s Day in 1999. In the dead of winter, we went to the wild Central Coast for a romantic week end of roaring fires in the evening and roaring surf in during the day. We found all of that, but we never imagined what we else we would discover.

First we headed up to Big Sur, but there was no swell and most of the point breaks were inaccessible. You climb 100 foot, slick cliffs for surf when you are fifteen, not when you are fifty. The day was gorgeous and we had a cooler of Sam Adams, so we didn’t care too much. We followed a pod of gray whales for 20 miles. Picking out the grays at nearly every pull out, we became experts at how fast they were traveling and when the leviathans would blow. We finally lost them and headed back towards San Simeon.

Then we found it. Up ahead on the right, six or eight cars were pulled off on the shoulder in the middle of nowhere. No buildings for miles except the gorgeous Piedras Blancas light house. No roads. No reason for eight cars to be on the side of the road except for one thing –surf!! We stopped behind the other cars and jumped over to the beach bluff. Ten feet below us in a sheltered cove was . . . no surf. No surf at all, just a wide, sandy beach.

But what a wide sandy beach it is. A very special beach. Lined up just a few feet below us lay dozens and dozens of enormous beached elephant seals. The “smaller” females weigh in at 1500 pounds and stretch out to 13 feet. The doe eyed yearlings and pups belong on a World Wildlife Fund poster and they sleep together like sausage links on a plate.

Talk about personality! They chat with each other and snore. They grunt and say, “Get the hell off my flipper.” They scratch and yawn, and nurse the fuzzy little pups. The more you look, the more you see, the more entranced you become, and the more you want to see what all of them will do next. But they are not alone.

Late November through February is when the enormous bulls come to shore to fight and to mate. These behemoths weigh in at 4,000 pounds and measure up to 20 feet long. That’s two tons! Their huge dangling proboscis is what earns the elephant seal its name. These bulls are the largest of all seals and when mating rights are at stake, they use all of their bulk. The bulls’ rear up and call for their harem with a great clunking noise that sounds like cinder blocks being thrown into a vast metal dumpster. They fight, hurling their mass at each other and biting until their tough yokes are bloody with teeth marks. The beach shudders when they clash.

Only, evenly matched bulls actually fight. A smaller, less impressive bull with a shorter nose will run if he can and fight only so long as he is cornered. Never fear, the Beach Masters are so large they can only cover part of their harem at a time. The younger males lurk on the edges of the harem. When the mighty Beach Master is chasing off some other male, the younger ones slip in among the females, and grab whatever delights they can. As soon as the Beach Master sees them and begins to lumber their way, the upstarts race away. Mostly, the females and younger seals just try to stay out of the way. A few of the pups are crushed and die. This is not Disneyland. This is the cycle of life.

So many seals kept coming that the beach is now a park with trained docents to answer questions and parking just above the beach. Now anyone can watch these awesome creatures, one of the great spectacles of nature. Wooden board walks that are wheel chair accessible provide a wonderful view, even for small children. The rookery is about four miles north of Hearst Castle and about 1 mile south of Piedras Blanca Light House. This is the only major elephant seal rookery south of Point Reyes, and what a show the elephant seals give.

Submitted By Penny Pedd on Feb. 14 , 2009

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Beach Stories

Southern California Beach Day with Babies, Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers

So you love the beach, but the babies are coming and your old haunts have stiff rip tides or big surf or steep climbs for schlepping babies and baby gear. Well, your beach days are not even close to being over. Southern California has great beaches for the littlest kids. All of the beaches listed below are well sheltered with minimal wave action, short walks from parking, showers for sandy little mites and lots of sand, the best sand boxes in the world. Some have play equipment and most have lifeguards.

 
The Best Beaches in Southern California for Babies and Toddlers:

Mission Bay in San Diego- watch out for Sea World traffic

• Bonito Cove- lifeguards, showers, playground, what else do you want?
• Crown Point North- lifeguards, showers, playground
• Tecolote Shores- showers, playground, no life guard

Dana Point Baby Beach (next to the Ocean Institute-Doheny State Beach Interpretive Center),

Dana Point Harbor -
The big bonus is for the older kids at the Doheny State Beach Interpretive Center. Leave toddlers and babies at Baby Beach and take the older kids for a super treat at this small aquarium with touchy feely tanks and a superb staff. It holds the kids attention with excellent interactive exhibits, without being too large. Mom and Dad, don’t miss the gift shop which has great stocking stuffers and fun gifts for the beach-o-philes in your life. A native plant exhibit is fun for kids over age 6.

Doheny State Beach, San Juan Capistrano
The Beach Boys made this beach famous for the folks in Iowa and Maine, and generations of California surf families have raised surfers at this gem of a state park. Showers, lifeguards, sand and gentle waves. For visitors, Doheny is what SoCal is all about

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Baby Beach, Ventura (on the harbor side of Ventura breakwater).
Mom or Dad can slip off to the big surf on the outside of the breakwater, while baby plays in the sheltered waters of Baby Beach. Be sure to check Healthebay.org for water quality reports.

Tips for Happy Beaching

 
Check HealtheBay.org for water quality reports on California beaches. Don't let kids in the water within 72 hours of rain and avoid drain outfalls.

For babies take an old playpen and position it under a large umbrella. Don’t forget to rotate the playpen and shade umbrella as the sun moves. Bring double plastic bags to dispose of nappies. A well insulated cooler for formula is a good idea.

 
Energetic toddlers are more challenging than babies. If you go to the beach a lot, consider investing in a good Coast Guard approved ski vest or miniature wet suits. It makes the kids buoyant if they do get away from you. Water wings are dangerous in the ocean-don't count on them. Get an inflatable kiddie pool and put in 2 or 3 inches of saltwater. The kids love it. Use plastic kitchen spoons and Tupperware if your supply of shovels and buckets is low. Count toys before you turn the kids loose with them. Consider all beach toys as disposable. Anything the kids are playing with is likely to be irretrievably buried or lost in the surf.

 
A good basic first aid kit should include band aids in a variety of sizes, some good wet wipes, good tweezers (urchin spines or slivers), a small container of ammonia (for jelly fish stings, rare, but possible on the Pacific Coast), a small box of baking soda for bee stings (also rare), some Neosporin, and spray on Bactine (psychologically good for boo boos). Keep a couple of bottles of clean water to wash out minor cuts and scrapes. And always tons of spray on sunscreen. Remember to sunscreen the tops and backs of tender ears and the tops of feet. If you are not comfortable letting the kids run naked (the easiest solution) remember that bathing suits move, so be sure to sunscreen under straps and anywhere the elastic can move. Some toddlers love their hats and others won't keep them on. At least try.

 
The best solution for sandy children on the way home is a good shower, but if showers aren’t available take talc. The talc makes sand slick. Then you can use a gentle brush or clean towel to dust off most of the sand. Have clean clothes for the ride home and towels big enough to cover the car seats that did not go with you to the beach. Dump wet bathing suits, beach toys and sandy beach shoes in big garbage bags. Sand in the car is the mark of a true beach family.

SUNSCREEN, SUNSCREEN, SUNSCREEN. HAPPY, HAPPY BEACHING!!

Submitted By Malibu Mama on Aug. 10 , 2008

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Surfing

The Top 10 Things You Should Know Before You Marry A Surfer

1. Teeny tiny little specks of surf wax will appear on the floor, in the bathtub and on the porch.
Survival tip: Surfers, like your beach puppy, should be thoroughly washed outdoors, preferably at the beach. The specks have to be scraped up with a dull knife greased with a bit of butter. Having the surfer do it, well that's right up there with socks and dishes. Good luck.

2. "Pray for Surf" bumper stickers are on the spouse's car, not the surfer's.
Survival tip: Long spell with no swell, makes long boarders short. Try to distract the surfer who is suffering with pro sports team tickets and favorite meals. Arrange play dates for your spouse with fellow surfers. Pray for surf. Did I mention pray for surf ?!

3. Surfboards of all colors and lengths will take over the garage.
Survival tip: Treat the boards as decorating accessories. Build racks to display them as art. Any board that has not been ridden in three years must be eliminated before a new board is allowed.

4. Surf jargon can be alarming.
Survival tip: Warm water "sex wax" is really, truly, honestly an implement for surfing and it is O.K. for your surfer to use it without you. "Goofy foot" is not a genetic defect; it's only a left footed surfer. The "green room" is not where you wait for a TV appearance, its being inside the barrel of a wave.

5. Be Aware of Surfer's Time which must be converted to regular time by adding two hours to any planned beach visit.
Survival tip: Add two hours because surfers need an extra 45 minutes because they are so stoked they can't miss the next set (or two or three), plus 45 more minutes because they have to wait for a wave to ride in (or two or three), plus 30 more minutes to hash over the session with other surfers. Buy them a waterproof watch.

6. Neoprene wetsuits stink.
Survival tip: Do not let these in your closet. Ever. Five or more can result in inspections and fines from OSHA.

 
7. Surfers bring sand to bed.
Survival tip: If you feel romantic, shower with your surfer spouse, washing their hair thoroughly. Otherwise, fluff the sheets to blow off as much sand as you can.

 
8. Surfers careen down a highway at 60 miles an hour while watching sets of waves instead of the road.
Survival tip: If he's over 40, he's been doing this so long he knows how to do it. If he's under 40, you drive.

9. All vacations must be within a 30 minute drive of surf.
Survival tip: This is not as bad as you think. They surf in England, France, Ireland, Ecuador and Brazil, not to mention Bali, Fiji and Florida.

 
10. Surfers can't remember your anniversary or the children's birthdays, but can remember the exact date of the last swell, and recount every wave they rode during the swell.
Survival tip: This surfer amnesia is caused by extensive exposure to saltwater. This is your life, you chose it, and . . . . it’s wonderful. Enjoy!

Submitted By Penny Pedd on June 12 , 2008

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Haiku

Surfing-

 
Wave dance, balanced stance

 
Saltwater everlasting

Repeat as needed

Submitted By mojo on June 03 , 2008

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