2010 marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. Seuss’ book, ‘One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish’.  Dr. Seuss was a celebrated San Diegan for many years,  thus his beloved book was chosen as the theme of this year’s Ocean Day events.  Dr. Seuss’ home  upon the sand (near Scripp’s Pier in La Jolla) may have even provided the idea for the timeless children’s story!

From the San Diego Zoo to the Carlsbad SeaLife Aquarium, San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas to Birch Aquarium at Scripps in La Jolla, The New Children’s Museum downtown to Hornblower Harbor Cruises on the bay, and even a paddle out reading with Surf Diva… the words penned by Dr. Seuss will become the emblem of our love & respect for the wide variety of sea life and their delicate ecosystem.

Other events will be scheduled on board the Bahia Belle and in restaurants including Corvette Diner & Gamers Garage.  Lodging specials are available around town, so you can make a weekend of it – with the beach at your doorstep of course!

]]> http://sandiegosuncoast.com/2010/06/03/san-diego-celebrates-world-oceans-day-with-area-events/feed/ 0 http://sandiegosuncoast.com/2010/03/24/todays-fresh-catch/ http://sandiegosuncoast.com/2010/03/24/todays-fresh-catch/#comments Thu, 25 Mar 2010 04:37:39 +0000 JT http://sandiegosuncoast.com/?p=12752 Click here to view the embedded video.

Practice makes perfect…

I never know what I’ll run into on beach patrol. Today, I caught up with the brave men from the Encinitas Marine Safety Department Lifeguard Division and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Aerial Support Detail doing what they do best…

Click here to view the embedded video.

The departments were trying out a new life saving extraction device at S. Cardiff State Beach, and by the looks of things, it worked perfectly. Alternating between jumping from hovering helicopters and dangling from a line high above the waves, the men worked with an efficiency and intensity of focus found in those who save lives for a living.  Impressive to say the least.

I’ve been invited to participate in a ’sled’ water extraction, with me as the rescuee… After what I saw today, I’m confident I’ll be in good hands!

It’s no wonder our beaches rank high in “beach-goer” satisfaction. From sun drenched coves, to towering bluffs, to miles of flat sandy expanses…pack ‘em in or solitary spots, we have it all!

San Diego’s Top 10 Beaches…

1. Coronado – Tons of white sand, family-friendly, romantic! Voted 4th “Best Beach” in USA

2. Mission Beach - Amusement Park, beach & surf sports. College student haven for socializing

3. La Jolla Shores -Gentle waves, scuba, snorkeling, ecological preserve & beach boat launch

4. Del Mar - Lots of sand, good surf (all levels), a dog-friendly beach & Torrey Pines Park

5. Pacific Beach – Party beach (think Venice Beach), boardwalk, rollerblading, biking, jogging

6. Moonlight Beach – Encinitas favorite! Volleyball, playground, picnic area, lots of sand, surfing

7. La Jolla Cove – Small & idyllic, can get crowded. Tide pools, clear water, snorkeling, child-friendly

8. Carlsbad – 7 miles of sand, beach sports, picnic areas, family-friendly, lagoons & sea walk

9.  Mission Bay Park – Family-friendly, huge grassy parks, water activities, children’s play areas

10. Ocean Beach – Funky, laid back (think Haight-Ashbury) Antique shops, rip tides & a dog beach

And for pro surfers…

Windansea Beach – A surf magazine favorite. Big shore break, locals “territory”, for experienced surfers, coves & rock formations (above & under water)

Ah, nothing is better than a perfect day at the beach! The warm caress of  wind and sun upon your face… The sound of waves rolling up to the shore… The cigarette butts in the soft sand between your toes…

“Rats, I was having a zen moment until the butt crack!”

Trash happens. As much as we try to keep our beaches clean, trash still happens. Whether it’s ritzy trash in La Jolla or recycled trash in Encinitas – from cigarette butts to plastics wrappers and bottles… it’s trash. Here’s your chance to get your butt moving, and give back to the environment that gives you so much…

The 25th annual Coastal Cleanup Day takes place this Saturday, September 19th, from 9 AM until noon.  A partnership between the California Coastal Commission and non-profit groups like  San Diego Coastkeeper and I Love a Clean San Diego, trash removal efforts will be underway from Imperial Beach to Oceanside. An impressive list of well known businesses (Whole Foods, Oracle, Kohl’s, Crystal Geyser & more) are acting as sponsors. Belmont Amusement Park in Mission Beach will be giving away your choice of a free ride ticket, or a discounted ride pass, to registered volunteers.

Last year, 8,000 volunteers removed more than 8 tons of garbage.  This year, organizers are hoping to increase the number of volunteers to 10,000. So dust off your sandals, grab a hat and some sun block and get out there. Help keep our beaches clean for everyone’s enjoyment, and the health of our wildlife. Visit the California Coastal Cleanup Day website to register & volunteer today!

“Smokin hot this is NOT!”

Cig egret image from © 2009 California Coastal Cleanup Day San Diego County website

OR

Everyone has a strong opinion, no middle-of-the-road here…

“The children or the seals?”

The Children’s Pool  in La Jolla was built in 1931 with the funds and support of grand dame Ellen Browning Scripps, for the purpose of providing a safe place for children to enjoy the sea.  Long before there were State Beaches lining our coastline, access was much more limited and safe areas like this one were a precious commodity.

In the 1970’s, harbor seals and sea lions began to take to this sheltered beach, their population growing beyond the size of their favored Seal Rock, located nearby.  As their numbers continued to grow, human occupation of the Childern’s Pool became more difficult. Eventually, the pool became unhealthy due to bacteria levels resulting from the animals’ waste.

“Now we find ourselves in the middle of a stinky sticky situation…”

The question that has busied San Diego’s city courts and councils is the current interpretation of the original intention. The Children’s Pool be habited by, of course, children. Being a coastal issue, the harbor seal challenge goes beyond personal opinion.

The Coastal Commission and the Marine Mammal Protection Act demand the least invasive resolution possible. Other cities have had success by irritating their seal population with recorded animal sounds, such a dogs barking.

“A barking dog soundtrack?”

La Jolla has developed a plan to include this tactic, and other irritant variations, to persuade the seals & sea lions to leave the Children’s Pool to the children.  Unlikely to stray far from their happy homes, the seals may very likely relocate a short distance away to a neighboring beach.

One has to wonder if human visitors will stray from the Children’s Pool in order to avoid the amplified dog barking, scheduled to be broadcast from 6 am to sunset. Daily. Not to mention the barking from the upset seals.

“A veritable cacophony of discord reverberating along the coast…”

This issue has drawn attention far beyond the golden beaches of La Jolla. Animal rights groups will have something to say about the implementation of this plan.  Not only must La Jolla plan for the animal relocation, but also provide for the safety of the city employee dipatched to this duty.  The plan comes with a proposed budget for one year coming in at nearly $700,000. Yep, you read right… what the ???!?!?!?

“Give me & my staff a megaphone,  cots and keep the coffee coming… we’ll stay up 24/7 barking for $700 grand a year!”

Is it the responsibility of the city to resist the call of the wild and turn away a healthy population of seals in order to restore the traditional intent and use of the Pool?  When funds are tight for everyone, from Wall Street to Main Street, is this fiscal responsibility? Oh, and what about the retirement community across the street from Children’s Pool. Will the incessant dog barking remind them fondly of little Fido from their youth? Uh, nope…I think not.

“So, who’s irritating who?”

La Jolla is bound by extensive legal proceedings to find a resolution to this lengthy impasse. Children need a safe haven, seals need to be seals, and area visitors & residents deserve harmony befitting such a gorgeous stretch of coast. Tourism matters in our finest city’s economy, and she will always have bills to pay.  The resolution needs to be a win-win for ALL concerned, lest our tourists swim away to other shores along with the seals.

“You’re kidding, right?”

Fun stuff on the beach this weekend… Ultra-low tides (-2.1 on Saturday), unseasonably warm weather, and in Encinitas, some strange traffic amid cloudy waters.

Sand, or material, or dirt, or sand-like-dirt-material is being deposited along Leucadia’s Grandview Beach in northern Encinitas, as developer John DeWald clears the property that is being developed for Whole Foods anchored “Pacific Station”.

“Sand-like-dirt-material you say? Looks like dirt to me.”

Slated for completion around the end of this year, Pacific Station will include  47 condominiums, a Whole Foods Market, restaurants, shops and offices.  And…37,000 cubic yards of material needs to be removed to facilitate the underground parking garage.

Tipped off by Leucadia Blog who was on-site to take some great pictures, who witnessed semi-trucks hit the beach (no pun intended) at Ponto, and dropping their loads into the flinching tide.

“Surfs up!”

According to news excerpts from the below links, DeWald has ‘gifted’ the sand to the city of Encinitas, rather than sell it to say…a cement plant, at the suggestion of California Coastal Coalition executive director Steve Aceti.  Compensation for the transport of the sand, $133,000, is being paid to DeWald from a sand-replenishment fund managed by SANDAG, collected from bluff-top homeowners building seawalls.

“Are we headed into murky waters?”

It took nine months for the Encinitas Coastal Program manager, Katherine Weldon, to get the green-light from the necessary regulatory agencies, and the city of Carlsbad.  Does that mean that we know the composition of the construction excavation material, and that it’s compatible with the beach sand? Really? The excavation site is located close to the very beach it’s being dumped on, and we do have sand erosion problems…Blah, Blah…

Are we really just pouring “Sand On Top Of A Sieve”?  As long as we keep fighting the forces of gravity and the tides, fees will be collected by SANDAG, so there’s money to spend.  Let’s hope there’s some foresight that will extend beyond the end of our civic leader’s terms. It’s such a dirty business trying to keep the rip tides of ‘progress’  from pulling us kicking and howling out to sea…

Blog data obtained from: Sign On San Diego, and North County Times articles, with a special thanks to Leucadia Blog for the riveting photos.