"The water is open! The beaches are open! But all the parking is closed". On the job today, I was talking to the Superintendent and these were his exact words.
I forgot to ask him about the red tide. If you could take a drive with me down the San Diego coastline, you'd wrinkle your nose and ask where the foul stench was coming from.
The answer is the red tide. We don't see it every year and when we do it's often not this overwhelming.
It has to have been 17 - 20 years back that I can remember it being this strong. When it is this powerful, it enters the lagoons. Along the coast, the red tide can extend anywhere from a hundred yards to a few miles out.
What creates the red tide is a massive amount of phytoplankton brought in by....you guessed it....the tides. Currents capture huge swaths of these microorganisms and they ride the tides to the California coastline.
As soon as it becomes too cold for them to survive, the red tide will recede as quickly as it appeared.
I'm not sure I'd want to surf in this stuff. Growing up, I participated for a few summers in the Junior Lifeguard program. I've spent many an hour in the waves but never got around to learning how to surf.
Wearing a full suit should protect a surfer well enough that it wouldn't be an issue. I'm sure they're out there as I write. But the reason the red tide smells so bad is the decay. The red tide,at least in part, is dying. It's part of the process.
Anyway, I forgot to ask the Super how it was out there but my guess is he hasn't been. Not only because of the red tide but because parking is an issue.
With all beach access lots closed as well as parking along beach side roads, surfers are forced to park away from the ocean.
In some areas they park in nearby housing communities then make the walk to the beach. Other areas aren't as easy to get to.
As an avid angler myself, it doesn't do much good to fish in this stuff. An offshore trip travels far away from it, but not many sportfishing boats are leaving yet. The ones that are going are charging outlandish rates. Excuse the pun!
Another side affect of the red tide is it can make animals sick. From fish to sea-lions to birds, too much of the stuff isn't good for them.
Take a boat out at night or sit on the beach and watch the waves break for an bioluminescent show! The phytoplankton light up at night with any stirring of the water around them.
Swimming fish, the wake of a propelling vessel, or crashing waves all light up like a Disneyland Parade. It might be easier to find parking at night anyway.
This is the state of affairs in San Diego county as I write. Just like the virus, the rules make very little sense.
As both my wife and I continue to work, I often find myself wondering why other people can't?!?!
It's time to sign out for the day, count my blessings, and be ready to bring it on strong again tomorrow.
Thanks for reading, hang in there, and...
Happy Hiveing!
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