We apologize for the misprint of an old story earlier today. new story:

Jumbo Humboldt squid wash up minutes after 4.0 earthquake hit off the coast of La Jolla

It was an odd start to the morning in La Jolla. First residents were jolted out of bed at 7.34 a.m. by a 4.0 magnitude earthquake that was centered 19 miles out to sea.’

“I was having coffee up on the balcony and I felt it shaking,” Kate Lutkemeier said.

She wasn’t the only one.

“I heard my doors and windows rattling, thinking that somebody was trying to get in my front door actually,” La Jolla resident Mary Skeen said.

The quake was felt all over the county, which isn’t uncommon in San Diego — but what happened just minutes later was a little fishy.

“We just got here about 15 minutes ago and Lilly, what did you see on the beach?” John Feher asked his little daughter. “Squid, squid, squid, squid, squid.” she replied.

Dozens of dazed Humboldt squid which were roughly three-to-four feet long and weighed close to 40 pounds were flapping around on La Jolla Shores beach.

“It’s like their equilibrium is all messed up and they don’t know what they’re doing and they can’t back out there,” Bill Baumann said. “It was like they got  — I don’t know  — all shook up.”

It didn’t take long for the seagulls to swoop in and start feeding on the squid, so beachgoers ran to the rescue and tried frantically to save them by throwing them back in the water. That proved to be a difficult task for several reasons  — they were extremely heavy, very slippery, and when the good Samaritans did manage to get them back them in water, the squid didn’t know where to go and kept washing back up.

“Some people were saying it was the earthquake this morning that caused them to get disoriented but who knows? Feher said.

He wasn’t the only person to mention that theory.

“A state guy was out and said the earthquake caused (it),” Baumann said.

Lifeguard Sgt. David Rains said that is one of several possibilities — there are a lot of fishing boats in the area so there is a lot of fish activity and those kind of creatures always follow the food supply. He also said there have been a lot of water inversions and the water has turned from warm to cold  — but he doesn’t know for sure.

“Why are they here? Why are the squid here? I can’t honestly tell you,” Sgt. Rains said. “I don’t know if it’s tied or not to the earthquake.”

According to the lifeguard, swimmers should be wary of the creatures and keep their distance.

“The Humboldt squid can be very big and very powerful and they may be dangerous,” Sgt. Rains said. “It’s just something I wouldn’t mess with until you’re sure that it’s dead. They’ve got a lot of suckers and claws and a parrot like beak and they can inflict some damage.”

A spokesman for Scripps Institution of Oceanography said at this point they do not see a connection between the squid and the earthquake, but plan to look into it. Dozens of squid washing up at the same time is unusual but it has happened before, according to Sgt. Rains. But Mary Skeen said it is a first for her.

“I have never seen squid in the 42 years that I’ve lived here on the shores in La Jolla,” she said.

For now there are more questions than answers; did the earthquake cause the squid to wash up or was it simply a coincidence? Just ask the little girl who helped daddy push some alien looking creatures back out to sea.

“Is it a mystery?”  Feher asked his little daughter Lilly. “Yeah,” she replied.

original story at nbc

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Forced to go further inland in search of food and shelter, sick sea lions are invading the Central Coast, including one popular surfing spot.

Too weak to fight for a spot on seal rock, many seal pups are finding refuge on the cliffs and rocks of Steamer Lane.Scientists aren’t exactly sure why so many young sea lions are being found sick and starving, but one theory is that early signs of an El Nino weather pattern may be to blame.”Maybe there’s been so much upwelling, nutrients are carried further offshore,” said Guy Oliver, of the Institute of Marine Sciences at UC Santa Cruz. “It’s literally impossible for young to get to where normal prey is.”Some of those who surf at Steamer Lane said the sea lions have taken over certain jump-off points on the cliffs, forcing sea lions and surfers to co-exist at the beach.”We just jump from whatever part of cliff we can, to try and not disturb the sea lions,” surfer Guillermo Yanez said.John Hunter said that in his 20 years of surfing he has never seen the sea lion population migrate so close.”(We) respect them because it is their ocean,” Hunter said. “Hopefully, they get better and clear and as the season changes and it gets better for them and surfers.”Even though they are residing on the rocks, and within an arm’s reach of humans, Oliver said people should keep their distance since the proximity puts extra stress on the sea lion pups.”We can’t help them — we can help a small population, (but) we have to recognize that a significant number of last year’s pups are going to die,” Oliver said.Many marine sanctuaries up and down the coast, meanwhile, that have been taking in sick and hungry sea lions said they are now over capacity.

original story KSBW

David Rastovich To Attend Al Gore Climate Project

Billabong Freesurfer David Rastovich has been selected from more than 2000 Australasian applicants to be trained by former US Vice President Al Gore at The Climate Project – Australia Asia Pacific Summit (A-P Summit) in Melbourne in 11 – 13 July.

Building on the work of The Climate Project – Australia, the A-P Summit will bring together 300 people representing a diverse cross section of industry, advocacy and broad social groupings from Australasia and the Asia Pacific region. Mr Gore and a panel of international experts will provide the training hosted by the Australian Conservation Foundation.

Rastovich will have the chance to help focus and re-invigorate the Asia Pacific’s regional response to climate change in the lead into the critical UNCCC Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009. It’s a big opportunity for the passionate environmentalist, who was selected based on his work protecting the marine environment and the foundation of his own organisation Surfers For Cetaceans.

“I think anyone passionate about protecting the environment and the issue of Climate Change would jump at the chance to listen to and learn from Al Gore,” said Rastovich.  “Part of attending this summit is to become an advocate for climate change and to pass on the messages through my own activities.”

“I feel Climate Change plays a large part in the issues I’m passionate about, especially the protection of marine mammals such as Whales and Dolphins.”

“The A-P Summit has a specific focus on the unique window of time to act on climate change. Together A-P Summit delegates will inspire people from the region to make a difference at global level,” said Angela Rutter, Manager of The Climate Project – Australia.

One in seventy five Australians have now seen a presentation delivered by one of the 250 Al Gore trained Climate Project presenters working throughout communities in Australia.

original story surfersvillage