Dumbo Octopus Returns!

 

Rare Octopus Sighted Again

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Scientists onboard the Exploration Vessel Nautilus were excited this spring to spot two rare Dumbo Octopuses while currently on expedition in the Central Pacific Ocean. Using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), the octopuses were located at depths exceeding 5,000 feet below the ocean's surface.

In 2019 another Dumbo Octopus burst into the spotlight when the E/V Nautilus made a similar sighting of one of the reclusive octopuses off the coast of California at the same time Disney's live-action movie Dumbo was released. An unexpected coincidence.

The ocean scientists were surprised and charmed when they came upon the rarely seen octopus deep beneath the sea.  

The scientists were treated to the special sight at the end of the 2018 exploration season when they were surveying the deep waters of the Davidson Seamount in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary off California's coast.

The ship was using an ROV to photograph the area when the Dumbo Octopus – with its large fins that resemble the ears of the well-known elephant – unexpectedly drifted into view.

The 2 ft.-long octopus, which was swimming at a depth of some 10,000 feet below sea level, delighted the crew with its twists and turns and other maneuverings.

Dumbo octopuses, who spend most of their time hovering just above the ocean floor, can move quickly, using their fins and eight webbed-together legs to propel themselves. 

Now, with the exploration vessel's 2022 season underway, who knows what other wonders it will find hidden in the ocean's depths? 

SurfWriter Girls

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

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Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given. 

Beach Artist Robin Hiers Shares the Stoke!

 

A Wave of Colors and Retro Vibe

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

The beach and ocean lifestyle shines in vivid colors and retro charm when artist Robin Hiers applies paint to canvas. 

 

Laguna Beach artist Hiers channels her outgoing personality into playful, eye-catching creations that put a smile on your face and make you want to head to the beach.  

 

SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel were immediately captivated by the energy and whimsey in Hiers’ colorful paintings of surfer girls and guys, beach and party scenes, and the SoCal lifestyle.

 

The sun and fun come through big and bright with each bold paint stroke.

 

You can see Hiers' paintings on display at the Laguna Gallery of Contemporary Art and on her website.

Hiers also creates one-of-a-kind, commissioned artwork, custom surfboard designs, jackets, purses, and home décor.

 

And her labels for French Champagne maker Veuve Clicquot put extra fizz into the brand’s vintage bubbly. 

With colors that pop – flamingo pink, turquoise blue, sunny yellow – Hiers' paintings are the perfect combination of retro surf and beach chic.  

 

 SurfWriter Girls

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

Surfrider Fights Plastic Pollution

 

Protecting Oceans and Beaches

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

The Surfrider Foundation has been working to protect the world's oceans and beaches from plastics and other pollution since it was founded in Malibu in 1984.

 

When plastic ends up in the ocean it is particularly dangerous to the environment because it doesn't decompose and virtually lasts forever, injuring marine life and damaging habitat. An estimated 11 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year. 

 

Microplastics, the smallest plastics (less than 2/10 of an inch) are almost impossible to remove from the ocean and often get ingested by sea animals and later by humans who eat the seafood when it enters the food chain.

 

To turn the tide on plastic pollution, Surfrider's worldwide network organizes beach cleanups, educates the public about the harm plastics can do, and gets legislation passed to eliminate single-use plastic containers, bags, and straws.

 

Surfrider’s Ocean Friendly Restaurants program is also helping to keep plastic off the beach by getting restaurants to use plastic-free utensils and take-out containers.    

Surfrider's Plastic Pollution Manager, Rachael Coccia, says, "Each and every one of us has a part to play that will make a difference in the plastic pollution crisis. The less plastic we consume, the less plastic there is to hurt people, animals and our world."

 

Before we buy or use something, we should ask ourselves: "Do I actually need this?" "Is there a better alternative?"  suggests Coccia. "Instead of having more things, let's find happiness in life's many experiences – like walking on the beach at sunset with someone we love – not in our stuff!"  

 

SurfWriter Girls

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

                                                                                                                                        

News Blooms in Japan's Green Newspaper

 

On Earth Day 2022 Read All About It!

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Remember the childhood riddle: "What's black and white and red all over? A newspaper."

For Earth Day 2022 (April 22nd), SurfWriter Girls have an eco-version of the riddle: "What's black and white and green all over?" 

The answer is Japan's largest daily newspaper, the Mainichi Shimbun, called the "Green Newspaper'' because it's not only recyclable, but regenerative.

Printed on biodegradable paper with plant-based ink, it's embedded with seeds that sprout into flowers or herbs when you shred the newspaper and plant and water the pieces. 

 

Founded in 1872, the Mainichi Shimbun, Japan's oldest daily newspaper with one of the largest circulations, launched its "Green Newspaper" on May 4, 2016, to demonstrate the publisher's commitment to sustainability and the environment. 

 

An instant hit with readers and environmentalists alike, the newspaper "that gives back to the planet" is proof that a 150-year-old company can lead the way in innovation. 

 

And, for Earth Day, SurfWriter Girls can't think of a better publishing strategy – all the news that's fit to plant.  

 

SurfWriter Girls

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

               

Pacific Marine Mammal Center

 

Rescuing CA Seals and Sea Lions

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

 

The Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, CA, has rescued sick and injured seals and sea lions for fifty years.

 

Started in 1971 by lifeguards Jim Stauffer and John Cunningham and veterinarian Rose Ekeberg, the center was originally in Stauffer's home and had two patients – a seal and a sea lion found on the beach.

By 1976 the center moved to larger digs in an unused barn on Laguna Canyon Road that was owned by the city.

 

With the help of volunteers, the center has evolved into a state-of-the-art medical, education and research facility that's rescued more than 10,000 marine mammals (including sea turtles and dolphins). 

 

Laguna Beach students have gotten on board at the center, too, helping to treat and care for the mammals, while getting hands-on experience for their marine science classes. 

Each year more than 50,000 visitors come by the center to see its marine patients and participate in nature programs.

Promoting and teaching conservation is one of the center's priorities. Its visitor area, habitat, butterfly garden, and adjacent creek are designated a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Foundation.

 

From its modest start, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center has grown into a place that has helped so many. Not just the animals it saves, but the people who have been given a place to come together, to learn, and to give back to the community.

 

SurfWriter Girls

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

Finding California Surf – Art Exhibit

 

Surf's Up at Huntington Beach Int'l Surfing Museum!

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel 

From San Francisco to San Diego California's iconic surf spots have been celebrated in surf lore, movies, and song, luring a century of surfers to try the storied waves for themselves.

The Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum decided to give these special spots the exhibit they deserve in Finding California Surf.

 

Co-curated by artists Ricky Blake (who created a First Surf Spots Map) and Dave Reynolds, the exhibit includes the works of some of the world's top surfing artists. 

It takes you on a time-traveling journey from the early days of surfing when many spots had yet to be discovered to today. 

When SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel stopped by the museum before the exhibit's opening everything was being put in place.

ISM manager Terry O'Shea was eager to show us around and tell us about the plans to expand the museum's programs, saying, "I am so stoked about the new direction the museum is going in." 

The museum's executive director PT Townend, who was instrumental in conceiving the exhibit, calls the original surfers from California's early days "explorers."

 

Noting that, although the vast, empty spots they discovered – such as Malibu, HB, and Doheny – may be crowded now, there are still other surfing spots waiting to be found. 

 

As the Bruce Brown classic 60s film The Endless Summer showed, there are no lengths that people won't go to find the perfect wave.

 

Finding California Surf reminds us of the diverse array of surfing spots the Golden State has and how the sport evolved from the early 1900s when legendary surfers like Duke Kahanamoku braved the waves on wooden longboards. 

 

The exhibit is filled with discoveries and surprises. SurfWriter Girls were surprised to run into champion surfer Mike Downey (a 2021 inductee into the Surfing Walk of Fame), who came straight from the beach and stopped by the museum on his way home.

 

The ISM is that kind of museum – a welcoming place that brings people together to share the stoke.     

 SurfWriter Girls

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.