Martok log: quarantined with my humans day.... who knows.
So this having my humans around all the time is pretty nice. I do miss my peanut butter Kong though, I usually only get one when I’m left alone.
What is really exciting is that I got to go to dog beach instead of our usual morning walk the other day! It felt so good to stretch out and run and play chase with other dogs. I have to say that it smelled and looked different than usual.
What’s that smell?
Where we live in southern California there has been a new smell on the wind coming from the ocean. It is hard to describe, kind of earthy and fishy at the same time. Turns out it is from a population explosion of phytoplankton which create a red tide.
Red Tide Side Effects
- Low oxygen – the numbers of these phytoplankton get so high that they use up all the oxygen. At some point there isn’t enough for the fish and invertebrates, the guys without backbones, and they die. Which they did around here.
- Bioluminescence – some species flash light when they get agitated, if there are enough of them they light up the waves and the sand when you walk on it.
- The other smell my humans didn’t like was the black sand along the river channel. The rain dug out so much sand it exposed the deep sand that has no oxygen and smells like sulfur. I guess that is why all the humans had masks on their faces.
Is it dangerous to dogs?
Whether the red tide is dangerous depends on the dominant species causing it. Here in Southern California they are not dangerous as long as you don’t eat the shell fish. The red tides that occur on the Atlantic coast can be dangerous for dogs. I don’t recommend drinking the seawater in any case. Every time we go to dog beach I’m told by my humans not to drink it, when I do it never agrees with me the next day.
You must all be thinking I’m one smart Great Dane since I know all this stuff. Well I cheated, all the information came from these pages:
Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System
Sea Grant California
Off-leash Beaches in San Diego
There are 4 off-leash dog beaches in San Diego county. All sites are leash free year round except Del Mar.
The seasonal regulations for Del Mar allow for off-leash dogs the day after Labor Day till June 15th between 29th Street and Solana Beach. However dawn to 8 AM is always leash free on North beach and in the off season between 25th and 29th Streets.
