- Article by: Associated Press
- Updated: October 7, 2014
- LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. — More than 50 sperm whales emerged off the Southern California coast in an extremely rare, hours-long sighting that had whale watchers and scientists giddy with excitement.Pods of mothers and juveniles rolled and played with dolphins Monday a few miles off Laguna Beach, the Orange County Register reported (http://bit.ly/1s6vG5P ). They later were spotted off San Diego and were heading south, said Jay Barlow, a sperm whale expert with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Bay Area Oyster Farm Fights for Life
By REBEKAH KEARN, Courthouse News Service July 22, 2014
OAKLAND, Calif. (CN) - The government is illegally forcing a Bay Area oyster farm to shut down, which will devastate the businesses that rely on its oysters, the Tomales Bay Oyster Co. and several other business claim in Federal Court.
Tomales Bay Oyster Co., three restaurants, the Alliance for Local Sustainable Agriculture et al. sued the Department of the Interior, the National Park Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Coastal Resource Management and their top officials, on July 17.
The plaintiffs claim the government ignored its duties under the National Aquaculture Act and the California Coastal Management Program when it issued a memorandum shutting down the Drakes Bay Oyster Co. in November 2012.
Drakes Bay is not a party to the complaint.
Moreover, the decision to close Drakes Bay did not analyze the impacts of the closure on local coastal resources since "an oyster farm had been operating in the same...
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Island of trash discovered in Pacific 1,000 miles off California coast
Posted by 89.3 KPCC http://www.scpr.org/
Jed Kim July 21, 2014
Researchers have discovered a mass of garbage floating in the ocean a thousand miles west of California and a thousand miles north of Hawaii.
The mass is made up of fishing gear, nets and buoys that are believed to have come from the 2011 tsunami that devastated parts of Japan. Since then, it has collected more detritus and has become so compact and large that researchers were able to stand on it in places.
“It’s 80 feet long. It’s about 30 feet across in some places. If you were looking down from above, it would look like an island floating in the middle of the ocean,” said Marita Francis, executive director of Algalita, a non-profit organization that studies...
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Bald Eagles Increase Range On California’s Channel Islands
Bald eagles have increased their range in the Channel Islands off the coast of California, where an official said that a nesting pair was located on San Clemente Island for the first time in more than 50 years, says a report from NPS. This indicates that bald eagles are once again forming their territories on five of the eight islands in the chain, and experts anticipate their return on all eight islands over the next several years.
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Bald eagles vanished due to excessive use of insecticides
In the year 1960, bald eagles vanished from the islands due to the increasing use of the insecticide DDT, which caused thinning of the birds’ eggshells, causing them to easily break. Dr. Peter Sharpe, who has dedicated his 18 years to bald eagle recovery efforts with the Institute for Wildfire studies, stated, “This news is very gratifying. I expect to see bald eagles return to...Free Snapshot Contest Educates Public About California’s Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtles
Olema, Calif. (July 18, 2014) – Turtle Island Restoration Network and the California Coastal Conservancy are sponsoring the bi-lingual Be a California Sea Turtle Hero: Sea Turtle Sand Castle Snapshot Contest to raise awareness about endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtles and encourage exploration of the California Coast. The contest is free and open to everyone, and the winner will receive a three-night stay at San Diego’s oceanfront family resort, La Jolla Coves Suites.
“Giant endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtles visit our beautiful California coast each year, yet so few people know they are out there,” said Joanna Nasar, communications manager for Turtle Island Restoration Network. “This contest gives everyone an opportunity to be a California sea turtle hero and get involved in efforts to protect these sea turtles.”
The contest focuses on bringing attention to Pacific Leatherback sea turtles, which have been protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1970. In 2012, the National Marine Fisheries Service declared more than...
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Travel and Adventure: Charm and adventure abound on Catalina Island
By Doug Hansen
Creators Syndicate - Wickedlocal.com
This trip to Southern California's Catalina Island doesn't even compare with the last one I did 25 years ago. That time I made the mistake that many do of just walking around Avalon, shopping and eating, spending the night and then leaving. But while Avalon is a delightful place and time spent here is worthwhile, it's not sufficient to fully savor all that Catalina Island offers.
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20th annual Baja Ha-Ha boating rally sets sail for Mexico
CBS8.com
SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - Gray skies didn't dampen the excitement of boaters participating in a sailing rally on San Diego Bay.
The 20th annual Baja Ha-Ha kicked off Monday with a parade of boats. The recreational boaters will sail together for two weeks on a 750-mile course to Cabo San Lucas. Multiple stops along the way offer time to socialize.
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West Coast states and BC to link climate policies
By JASON DEAREN Associated Press - San Jose Mercury News
SAN FRANCISCO—The governors of Pacific coastal U.S. states and a Canadian province official are joining forces in a new effort to fight climate change.
In an agreement announced Monday, the governors of California, Oregon, Washington and the environment minister of British Columbia, Mary Polak, will place a price on greenhouse gas pollution and mandate the use of cleaner-burning fuels.
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From the Boathouse: Helping the blind to sea
By Mike Whitehead - The Daily Pilot
Ahoy!
Saturday sees an inspiring happening at the American Legion Newport Harbor Post 291, when eager sailors will take part in the Sail for the Blind and Visually Impaired event. Participants will be able to help steer the boats and adjust sheet and halyard lines while feeling the sensations of wind and motion. The event is sponsored by the Women's Ocean Racing Sailing Assn. (WORSA) and hosted by the American Legion Post and Yacht Club.
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Ride 2 Recovery tours Central Coast
lompocrecord.com
For Estevan Rojas, a Marine Corps veteran participating this week in the Ride 2 Recovery’s California Challenge, his war wounds didn’t become evident until six years after he returned from Iraq.
The Greenfield native was a rifleman in a company that took part in the initial invasion, motoring from Kuwait to Baghdad. Rojas was discharged in 2005 after serving four years and returned to his home town.
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