Tag Archives: Bull Kelp

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Robert and Nancy Scarola were walking the public access bluff trail at The Sea Ranch when they saw a Gray Whale.

Robert swears the whale was smiling at them. The whale's head is on the left and its flipper is on the right. The small round objects in Robert's photo are Bull Kelp. There are just a few strands left in the ocean now as recent storms have ripped them from their holdfasts. Some sink but others are tossed up on the beach where they provide food and shelter for various creatures that live on the beach.

A big storm has just passed through. Our seasonal creeks are doing their best impression of mighty rivers this afternoon. We've had 23 inches of rain so far this season, which is an amazing amount.

Thanks to Robert for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

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When the storms come, they rip the Bull Kelp from its holdfasts in the ocean and toss much of it on the beach. It provides food and shelter for various critters that live on the beach. Patty Stornetta Woodruff recently photographed Kelp on the beach by the Botanical Gardens in Fort Bragg.

Thanks to Patty for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

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Siegfried Matull captured a photo of two Harbor Seals that surfaced under a mat of kelp. The photo looks as if they had been crowned by the kelp. Many thanks to Siegfried for allowing me to share his photo.

And here is a description of what it's like to dive in kelp, from diver Jack Likins:

"When I dive under the kelp it is like being under a very thick redwood forest canopy. The sunlight filters through the matted kelp on the surface and down the stalks with schools of small fish glistening as they swim through the sunbeams.”

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Bull Kelp, Nereocystis leutkeana, grows as forests in the Pacific Ocean off the Mendocino and Sonoma Coast. Right now the waters close to shore are showing healthy forests. Bull Kelp is an annual and its growth rate is phenomenal. Winter storms will rip the holdfasts from the ocean floor and waves will fling many onto beaches. Once Rick and I went to Bowling Ball Beach after a big storm. There in the mounds of kelp were many beautiful abalone shells - a gift from Mother Nature!

Kelp needs nutrient rich waters to grow. The upwelling that occurs here is necessary for the Kelp's growth. Many creatures depend on this plant. Small fish hide in the kelp from bigger ones. Seabirds have been seen to rest on the surface mats. It's believed CA Sea Lions and Harbor Seals feed on it. And it's known that Sea Urchins feed on it.

Tomorrow I will show you a cute photo of Harbor Seals draped in kelp and you will read about what is it like to dive amongst kelp.