Mile 303 Report
Oswald West SP, Smuggler Cove, Short Sand Beach
October 9, 2009
I didn't see any signs of man-made or major natural changes to this section of the coast.
Report Details
I didn't see any signs of man-made or major natural changes to this section of the coast. Despite the fact that this is such a heavily used beach, I didn't find any garbage. The people seemed pretty respectful of their surroundings. The number of cars in the parking lot is about a third of what it used to be since overnight camping was banned. I was amazed to see so many feathers in the driftline, as I don't think anything is molting this time of year.
Conditions
Temperature: 53 F. Cloud Cover: Sunny. Wind Velocity: Moderate. Wind Direction: N. Tide Level: 1.3 feet.
Human Activities
Number of people: 50. Number of dogs: 3. Walking or running: 12. Sitting: 21. Surfing: 17. Pretty mild-mannered crowd. Half the people were surfing and the other half were watching them from the shore.
Concerns
Apparent violations: none observed (other than usual dogs offleash).
Vehicles
Cars/trucks parking: 13.
Notable Wildlife
Several groups of pelicans flying north in packs of 5 to 14. 1 seagull standing on the wetsand, 2 seagulls flying.
Dead Fish or Invertebrates
A few washed up jellyfish, 4 crabshells, many white skin-like casings roughly 8 inches square
Driftline Content
the driftline consisted almost exclusively of feathers (see attached photo)
Man-made Modifications
none
Natural Changes
none
Report Images
beachmike
CoastWatcher
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