The new moon of Saturday, March 29 coincides with very low early-morning tides. If you are beachcombing amid these low tides, you may see “by-the-wind-sailors,” or Velella velella, piled up in the tide line. Each year, these blueish hydroids are pushed up onto West Coast beaches. They are reliant upon wind and ocean currents for movement and thus become stranded ashore as wind patterns change each spring. As they dry out, they resemble clumps of cellophane.
With the equinox of today’s printing, spring has officially opened wildflower season. Poppies are blooming in the sunnier areas, as are pink, heart-shaped bleeding hearts. Chocolate lilies are one of the first flowers to bloom at Chimney Rock, along with pink mallow. Blooming shrubbery includes red-barked manzanita adorned with pale-pink, bell-shaped flowers.
As the larger northern elephant seals continue to leave park beaches and complete their breeding season, the smaller, spotted harbor seals return to begin their breeding season. It’s very common for pups to be left alone on the beach as parents forage nearby, so always give resting animals a wide berth. Annual harbor seal protection measures are in place, with Drakes Estero closed to boating through June. Find a list of closed areas at nps.gov/pore.