28
votes
What coastal creature leaves braid-like trace that has clear landing and take off points?
This is almost exactly the opposite of what you think it is - it is actually from a burrowing animal, so instead of flying, it is actually burrowing into the sub-surface liquifaction layer of the sand ...
- 9,664
14
votes
Accepted
What would cause sudsy surf?
The suds are caused by protein. Protein is usually consumed by the nitrogen cycle and finally plant life, but if there is enough water churning by wind and white caps and breaking waves it can froth ...
- 4,802
13
votes
Accepted
What are these rusted metal objects found on a beach?
This looks like decommissioned harbor mines. At the end of World War II many were removed from river mouths & harbors. Once set out you can not use them again, so they removed the explosive & ...
- 2,040
13
votes
Accepted
Why should lights be turned off on beaches where turtles breed?
The Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) gives two reasons for keeping beaches dark at night when sea turtles are laying or hatching.
The first reason the STC gives is that a nesting turtle likes quiet, dark ...
- 23.4k
12
votes
Accepted
Are the birds that snatch bread out of the air "more citified" (tamer) than those who let it drop?
No, gulls (of some species at least) steal food from other birds by moving them until they drop it. They must then be adept at snatching the falling food in mid air.
There's material of interest in ...
- 26.1k
11
votes
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Will a live clam on the beach have a better chance of staying healthy if I put it in the water?
I assume you mean the little clams you get on the beach (Part of the Bivalvia group?) rather than bigger beasts like razors, scallops, mussels, or oysters.
You could plop it in a pool of water, it ...
- 15.4k
11
votes
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Did I save, or prolong the death throes, of the tuna crabs?
What you're seeing is a huge washing up of tuna crabs, Pleuroncodes planipes, which has created "red beach" all up and down the California shoreline, as well as other states. It's not an uncommon ...
11
votes
What coastal creature leaves braid-like trace that has clear landing and take off points?
I too think it's from a burrowing animal. Instead of crab I would say it is some kind of lugworm/sandworm.
I found this similar image:
https://www.plainpicture.com/de/images/1443397
The keywords for ...
- 211
9
votes
Riding a bicycle on the beach?
They do make a balloon tire a wide one for bikes just for beach riding. That is the way to go on the beach. Takes a wide rim. See often in the Philippines & bikes made for beach & sand ridding....
- 2,040
9
votes
What's that stinging feeling when I swim in the sea?
I think a reasonable guess would be jellyfish larvae, also known as "sea lice."
Sea lice are actually the microscopic larvae of jellyfish and other
ocean stingers which contain the same ...
- 530
8
votes
Is this sand dollar with barnacles attached to it at all rare?
For practical purposes, rarity is beyond difficult to answer. Sure there may be a biological survey buried somewhere in some journal, but specific topics like that don't get much traction outside of ...
- 32.1k
7
votes
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Riding a bicycle on the beach?
Yes wet sand is easier.
Start in a low gear and see what works.
You want weight back - arms straight and head back.
Bigger tires are better.
Riding in soft sand is hard. As in difficult and ...
- 7,156
6
votes
Accepted
Why do Sandpipers and Plovers "hang out" together?
This is really just a hypothesis, but here in the UK we also get mixed wader flocks. A significant reason for large/mixed flocks to occur is predation. Watch out for what happens when a large flock of ...
- 26.1k
6
votes
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Is it legal to launch a kayak from a public beach in Chicago?
It looks like it will depend on the beach, some beaches have restrictions on where you can launch, some don't and some do not allow kayaks or paddles sports.
It would probably be easiest to ask the ...
- 69.2k
5
votes
Beach fishing - Should I get waders or long rod to cast further into the sea?
It has been a while since I actually did fishing on a beach, but when I do, it is always with someone.
We usually get there early enough so we can get some bait for fishing (sea worms from under the ...
- 9,619
5
votes
Who should I contact if I want to have a campfire?
This boils down to who owns the land. To quote Liam's answer from this question:
The land between the high water mark and the low water mark is owned by the crown (crown reserves) in UK law. (ref) ...
- 12.7k
5
votes
Accepted
Can deep wave action be partially predicted by lunar phases?
The ocean floor is almost entirely undisturbed by waves - What you are finding comes from the coastal littoral.
You can gain some general estimates from direction and strength of storms, but the ...
- 24.9k
5
votes
Accepted
Are Dolphin sightings seasonal or serendipitous?
My experience relates to Common Dolphin, but likely applies to dolphins of other species, too.
Although dolphin may be seen at any time, you are most likely to see them in proximity to food. So if ...
- 4,662
5
votes
Accepted
What makes some beaches better spots for beachcombers than others?
In my experience, beaches that are less protected are the ones which have the most items washing up on them. For example, in Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island, many items arrive from Japan ...
- 96
5
votes
Accepted
Best saltwater fishing rigs
This really depends on what your situation is.
You want to fish from the shore, so how bad is the surf? The bigger the waves, the larger the weight. Also, you could use lead like this. The "arms" ...
- 1,532
5
votes
What would cause sudsy surf?
Sea foam, ocean foam, beach foam, or spume is a type of foam created
by the agitation of seawater, particularly when it contains higher
concentrations of dissolved organic matter (including ...
- 159
5
votes
What are some effective ways to deal with sand when camping on or near the beach?
I have always have a fresh tray/wide container of clean water (endless supply of sea) that I step into next to plastic camping mats and then have a dark coloured towel inside the tent step onto and ...
- 51
4
votes
Why do Sandpipers and Plovers "hang out" together?
You're right that the various species of shorebirds, including in your area, like most of the same types of foods. The diet is primarily comprised of invertebrates such as crustaceans, worms, ...
4
votes
Accepted
Is this sand dollar with barnacles attached to it at all rare?
Sand dollars with barnacles attached like that are very common in the Monterey area. In fact, beaches like Del Monte are considered excellent locations for scientists to study them. The well-respected ...
3
votes
Accepted
How can I tell if there's a living snail in the shell, without picking it up?
If you wanted to pick one up without a live snail inside, I would say finding one on dry sand without a trail that looks like it has been there a while. The signs of that would be, being flipped ...
- 69.2k
3
votes
What would cause sudsy surf?
An interesting article from The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Research lists causes of sea foam, most of which have been covered by all your other answers. It does say that the ...
3
votes
What would cause sudsy surf?
Sea foam is from diatoms breaking up (unless it is from pollution). Normally, it is from diatoms, which are a form of plankton that have a glass-like silica shell (also their broken shells make ...
- 96
3
votes
Why do Sandpipers show off their catch?
Where did you observe the Sandpipers? I ask because the Spotted Sandpiper, the most common in North America expresses unique behavior. The females do the domination and not the males. They use dancing ...
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