Tag Archives: Abalone season closed off Sonoma Coast

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Black Point Beach is located in The Sea Ranch in Sonoma County. It is a lovely stretch of beach with big curling waves when the surf is up. It has dangerous undertows and no lifeguard. I can't think of a beach on the Mendonoma coast that has a lifeguard! Two excellent surfers were out last Thursday. Rick and I, with Huckleberry our golden retriever, enjoyed watching them.

To see another perspective of this beach, here's a link to another post: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/05/08/black-point-beach-is-one-of-the-many-treasures-of-the-sea-ranch/

And then we saw something we have never seen before - the underwater portion of a rock. Visibility here on the north coast is usually not very good, making it a challenge for abalone divers and other underwater fishermen and women. But Thursday the visibility was like a dream come true. Oh, my abalone diving friends bemoaned the fact that the season is closed for the winter but one diver friend found a 7.5 pound Rock Scallop. I will share that photo soon.

My best to you today! Jeanne Jackson, Gualala

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Thunderstorms followed the storm. Early this morning lightning lit up the sky. As the thunder rumbled overhead, hail bounced off our skylights. Then a downpour, nearly an inch in less than a half hour, left us with a flooded garage. The sky was beautiful at sunset yesterday evening, with showers marching down the Pacific Ocean.

Yesterday the Department of Fish and Game closed the abalone fishing season off the Sonoma Coast. The Red Tide isn't to blame for the abalone die-off. The theory is a lack of oxygen caused it but studies are on-going. On a trip down and then back up the coast today the Red Tide was still evident, as the photo below shows.

To see another photo of the Red Tide taken by Craig Tooley, click on this link:
http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/08/09/red-tide-seen-off-of-the-sea-ranch/