There is no drop of water in the ocean, not even in the deepest parts of the abyss, that does not know and respond to the mysterious forces that create the tide. — Rachel Carson
This particular beach is a favorite for locals to surf and tidepool, so we are always a bit vague as to the specific location to protect it from being overrun by ill-mannered tourists who trash our beaches.
What sparks joy? Two beach visits in the same day, one in the morning and one as the sun set.
No whales or dolphins I’m sad to report; but it was still a gorgeous spring morning in SoCal.
Later, the ocean was wild and loud and exhilarating.
A close up pic of the holes in the coastal beach bluff, where I sat during high tide.
Sunset surf sesh. The line of surfers parallel the horizon.
All photo credit to Enchanted Seashells.
“The sea is a desert of waves, A wilderness of water.”
–Langston Hughes
There was a high surf advisory and I really wanted to see the big waves which were supposed to peak on Sunday, breaking 6-9 with 10-12 foot sets.
More rain is on the way, but the ocean was electric with healing energy. The beach was packed with surfers and onlookers. I took a lot of pics and sent them to the original Angel Boy to make him feel bad for missing out on a great surf sesh, ‘cos that’s the kind of mom I am, haha.
“I need the sea because it teaches me.”
–Pablo Neruda
“The breaking of a wave cannot explain the whole sea.”
–Vladimir Nabokov
“The sea cures all ailments of man.”
– Plato
“But the sea which no one tends is also a garden.”
–William Carlos Williams
“There is, one knows not what sweet mystery about this sea,
whose gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath…”
–Herman Melville
“Protecting the ocean is not just about saving marine life; it’s about safeguarding our own future. Our fate is intimately connected to the health of the ocean.”
–Greta Thunberg
High Surf Warning, dangerously large breaking waves of 8 to 12 feet with sets to 15 + feet.
The larger waves are south of where I am –at Sunset Cliffs and La Jolla, but I went to my local beach to check it out, and the surf was impressive here, too. In Northern California, they’re reporting ginormous waves of 28 to 33 feet, up to possibly forty feet! I’d love to see waves like that from a safe distance, of course.
Again, there were dolphins, way out beyond the waves, and no way to get a decent photo.
These are two Imgur videos; some people can open them, and I’ve heard that a few can’t, so I’m sorry in advance. They’re pretty cool. It was a lovely morning.
There have been highly unusual sightings of orca whales in San Diego county but I didn’t see them either, I’m sad to report.
From TMZ, check out these videos of Santa Cruz and Ventura!
https://www.tmz.com/2023/12/29/massive-socal-waves-crash-street-onlookers-dangerous-flood-advisory-ventura/
What a way to end 2023!
Let her be
For her heart is filled with stardust
Her soul is as wild and free
As the wind
Have you ever witnessed something so exquisitely beautiful it almost made you cry?
I saw more dolphins yesterday! I watched three of them surf the big waves until they were too far away to see without binocs, and then I exhaled a big sigh. It was only then that I realized that I had been holding my breath.
How IwishIwishIwish I was a mermaid.
A Little Poem written by Athey Thompson
Art unknown from Pinterest
Glittery sparkles on the water like a million diamonds.
#Tamarack #PacificOcean #California #PhotoOfTheDay
Adventitious: associated with something by chance rather than as an integral part; extrinsic.
I didn’t realize until I checked the photo that all of those seagulls were lined up because my eyes were only focused on the waves. The gulls were an unexpected happenstance.
The term “line up” is usually associated with a row of surfers in a spot where they anticipate a good wave break, in their attempt to catch that elusive best ride of the surf sesh.
Adventitious; an unanticipated word of the day.
I’m not talking about that song by the The Romantics, but a secret spot I discovered while out walking yesterday.
I can’t believe I’ve lived here for decades and never knew about this little beachy secret. One other person was there with their dogs and we vowed not to disclose this classified location…
Pretty cool, huh?
Looking to the east…
And to the west…
I MIGHT be persuaded to share the coordinates of this idyllic site, but you’d have to also be sworn to secrecy.
Can I trust you?
After all the rain we’ve had here in Southern California, every bit of land is awash in springtime color.
A picturesque view of the lagoon, train tracks, and Pacific ocean through Purple Mustard, an invasive weed:
I call this plant Beach Daisy, definitely a weed, if not also invasive…
And finally, I’m impossibly happy because the wildflower seeds I planted last year in my native garden decided to sprout and present me with lovely spires of lupine:
**All photo credit belongs to Enchanted Seashells.
I’ve lived in Southern California since high school and never heard about this mythical surf spot at Cortes Bank, about one hundred miles west of San Diego.
We’ve all heard of the giant waves at Mavericks in Northern California which sadly claimed the life of Mark Foo in 1994, but this location was brand new to me — not that I’ll ever see it or surf there, considering I don’t surf at all, but I love all things ocean-related.
Apparently, about ten thousand years ago, an island used to exist in that spot called Kinkipar by native Americans, the ancestors of the Tongva or Chumash Tribes.
Presently, it’s entirely submerged, the top rising to within three to six feet of the surface with nearby shoals catching the largest swells on the planet from the North Pacific.
Monster swells that generate waves moving at incredibly high speeds as they move from the deep ocean, over a mile deep at the base of the bank, into a series of shallow reefs made of sandstone and volcanic basalt.
These photos of Nic von Rupp (amazing professional big wave surfer) were taken last week at Cortes Bank.
Because of its location, estimates are that the waves move fifty percent faster than comparable waves along Oahu’s north shore.
They are arguably the largest and fastest waves on Earth. As Bill Sharp remarked after the first time it was surfed in 1990 “It was like something out of Waterworld.”
https://briantissot.com/2016/01/26/cortes-bank-the-largest-wave-on-the-planet/
From Nic von Rupp’s Facebook page; photo credit to @sharpxxl & @100footwave @mcnamara_s @mamaunearthed @joelewis @vincentkardasik,
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Enchanted Seashells | Princess Rosebud 