F.M.L.

Filth.Muck.Litter

My usual post of a Featured Creature is being postponed this week for a different, but just as equally important topic....TRASH!!!

I have mentioned several times that I live at the ocean, and I have the benefit of going to the beach everyday. Everyday I bring a sand bucket with me and make it a point to pick up a full bucket of trash on the beach either before or after I go in the water. I don't do this for praise, or recognition, I do this because it is the RIGHT thing to do. I am an active surfer and swimmer and I don't like swimming in filth. A good day to pick up trash, is when I can't fill my bucket...this is rare. A bad day is when my bucket over flows with other people's trash...yesterday was a bad day.

Going down to the water I could already see the trash before I even made it there. Because the tide was rising, I decided to pick up the trash before going into the water. It only took a matter of minutes to fill up my bucket, and I hadn't even moved 10 feet away from where I laid down my surfboard. Usually I just stick to picking up a bucket full, but I couldn't stop. There was still SO much trash left. Needless to say, I picked up a total of 3, overflowing bucket fulls and 2 large hand fulls of trash. Included in this were 3 spray paint cans, at least 15 plastic bottles, 1 balloon, 1 glass bottle and countless other pieces of broken plastic and styrofoam.

As I threw away the last bucket full, for the first time ever, I was thanked by a fellow surfer. As I stated, I don't do this for the praise, but I have to admit, it felt really nice to be thanked for my efforts to not only make my beach experience better, to help make others experience good as well. Feeling pretty happy with myself I walked back down to the water and started to swim and catch some waves. As I got out, I looked down the beach and there....Litter. I became so dishearted. I started to think to myself, "Why do I even bother?" Every time I go to the beach, I pick up a bucket full just knowing that the very next day I will have to do the same. I started to feel that things only get worse, they don't get better. No matter how many bucket fulls of trash I pick up, there will always be at least 3 other bucket fulls that I didn't get to.

Over the years I have some pretty disgusting things...bottles (plastic and glass), balloons, condom wrappers and needles...YES, hypodermic needles, with needle still attached!! I started to leave with my husband and was thinking that what I do doesn't make a difference. There will always be someone throwing their cigarette out the window, leaving their trash at the beach, park, etc. But then, I turned around to take one last look at the beautiful water, and saw that the small area I was in was clean. Just sand, shells, seaweed and the occasional piece of drift wood. And as I looked I realized I do make a difference! I may not be able to clean up every piece of trash, but for a time being this small stretch of beach is how it's supposed to look...clean.

EVERYONE can make a difference! It doesn't take much effort to pick up a single piece of rubbish you see and throw it away in a trash can, or recycling bin. My back hurts after bending over so much and picking up trash, but when I know that that piece of trash will not end up in our waters, it is totally worth it. I may not be able to change everyone's mind, but if I am able to convince someone, either by them seeing me pick up trash, or reading this blog, to pick up at least one piece of litter, I will have made another difference for our oceans!

PLEASE, pick up after yourselves! Throw things away where they belong. Recycle whenever possible. EVERYONE makes a difference in this world, whether it is for bad, or good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YShGVggcHf4

Photo by Surfrider Foundation
Video by Paulphin Photography

Sea Otter

Enhydra Lutris

Status: ENDANGERED

The sea otter is one of the smallest marine mammals. Males typically weigh between 50 -100 lbs. and femals weigh typically 30 -75 lbs. They live in the Northern Pacific Ocean, off the coasts of California, Washington, Canada and Russia, usually inhabiting offshore areas seeking shelter in kelp beds/forests.

The sea otter does not have blubber to stay warm, but has a thick pelt with long waterproof hairs that sheds gradually. Their fur is usually a dark brown color with a lighter head and face. The sea otter is able to close it's ears and nose and uses it's webbed, hind feet and thick, flat tail to propel it underwater. It uses it's sensitive whiskers to find prey at the bottom of the sea floor.

It's diet consists mostly of molluscs, sea urchins and crustaceans. The sea otter will lay on it's back and use rocks or stones as a tool to smash it's food against so that it can enjoy the soft, tasty morsel inside. Although sea otters forage alone, they will form rafts (which can contain a couple of hundred individuals) to help prevent them from drifting out to sea when they are sleeping.

The sea otter is considered a "keystone" species. This means that their presence affects the ecosystem directly. Sea otters keep sea floor herbivores (such as sea urchins) in number and therefore protecting the kelp beds/forests.

Humans are the main threat to sea otters. Sea Otters do not have too many natural predators although they are occasionally attacked by orca and sharks, it is believed that they do not have an appeasing taste to most predators. The sea otter was widely used in the fur trade and at one time was actually believed to become extinct due to such low numbers. Sea otters were also hunted because some people believe that they are the reason for the decline of certain shellfish (which are also consumed by humans). No longer allowed to be hunted, the sea otter is still threatened by fishing line and nets. Oil spills are also another major threat to this beautiful creature.

Fun fact: The sea otter is my spirit animal.

Fun fact: Although the sea otter is a rarer sight in Southern California, many places in Northern California thrive on the tourism that sea otters bring in.

Striped Dolphin

In honor of the 40+ striped dolphins that were slaughtered yearly this week, I hope my post can help bring an awareness to this absolutely beautiful creature!

Stenella coeruleoalba (blue/white oceanic dolphin)

Status: Least concern

Found in temperate and tropical waters around the world, the striped dolphin is easily recognized by it's distinct black bands that circle the eys and run across the sides to the pectoral fins. The dorsal (back) side is usually light blue to gray in color with a white or pink ventral (belly) side. The fluke, pectoral fins and dorsal fin are all black in color. Males can reach the length of 8.5 ft. and females reach the length of 8 ft. Their main diet is fish and squid.

Striped Dolphins are Pelagic dolphins which means they live in deeper waters. They move in large groups which often mix with common dolphins. They are active swimmers that are oftn seen leaping and breaching. Due to the fact that they are deeper water dolphins, the Striped dolphin does NOT do well in captivity. Most Striped dolphins die within 2 weeks of capture due to stress and refusal to feed.

Although the Striped Dolphin is covered/protected by several acts, it is still exploited in certain parts of the world. Japan still "drives" this dolphin and uses the meat for food. Up to 8,000 - 9,000 individuals have been killed at the height of the hunt. Japan has voluntarily lowered this number as it is not a good canidate for captivity and the want of dolphin meat is actually on the decline. Water pollution and drift nets are also a major threat to this species.

Things you can do to help the Striped Dolphin are quite simple! Please, clean up your trash on the beach, pick up other trash you may find. Everytime I go to the beach (which is every day) I bring a sand bucket with me and pick up a bucket full of trash either before or after I go in the water. This not only helps the ocean and its inhabitants but it makes for a much more enjoyable time at the beach. After all, wouldn't you want to take a walk on the beach with only sand and shells and not have to worry about stepping on a sharp piece of glass?

Also, if you eat seafood, make sure it's coming from a sustainable company. Please be aware that some "dolphin safe" tuna products are NOT dolphin safe. Do your research and find companies that make sure they are using the oceans resources properly.

Last but not least, make others aware that dolphin meat is high in Mercury. It is poison! I will not use my blog as a debate over pro-captivity vs. anti-captivity, however when the dolphin drives are being used and the dolphins are being butchered, this meat is distributed to school children. It would be the same thing if your child went to school and they were handed rat poison at lunch. I will never say to boycott Japan as I have read many people trying to do. First, it is not ALL of Japan that supports these hunts, it is a select, greedy few. We need to EDUCATE people on this serious matter, not turn our backs on them. You can write to your Japanese Embassy and POLITELY express your concern(s).

Please enjoy the video below of some Striped dolphins in the wild!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI6pUxTQ_Zs