Scuba Diving in Jamaica 2014, at Beaches Negril
My daughter had just received her open water certification the day before, and this was our first time diving together.

By: John Jewczyk

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Scuba Diving in Jamaica 2014, at Beaches Negril - Video

A search of beaches by DOC rangers and Project Jonah members this morning has found no sign of 45 pilot whales refloated off Puponga yesterday.

DOC Takaka Conservation Services Manager John Mason said this was an encouraging indication the whales may have moved safely into deeper water and possibly out of Golden Bay.

"We have searched the area of Farewell Spit where they stranded over the weekend and the beaches between there and Collingwood and not found the whales stranded on the beaches which is good news.

"We are optimistic they may have swum out to sea but they could still be in the bay. If anyone does see the whales we ask them to call the DOC emergency number 0800 DOCHOT/0800 36 24 68 to let us know."

Mr Mason said if the whales were still in the bay there was a risk they could re-strand.

Forty-six whales were refloated yesterday morning with the help of more than 100 volunteers, from Project Jonah and others who came from surrounding areas to assist. One of the whales was found dead this morning on Farewell Spit.

Mr Mason said DOC was extremely grateful for all the help given by Project Jonah volunteers and the dozens of other people who assisted with the whales over the past 3 days.

The whales were first found stranded on Saturday morning off Triangle Flat near the base of Farewell Spit. The whales were refloated around high tide on Saturday and then Sunday but each time re-stranded. Yesterday morning 49 whales were found stranded off Puponga, one of which was dead and another two died.

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Whales may have moved safely into deeper water

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) Southern California beaches were busy on Monday as beach-goers were warned to be extra careful due to above-average surf and rip currents.

KNX 1070s Ron Kilgore reports that Jetty fisherman are at risk, due to surf that is up to two feet above normal as a high-surf advisory will be on effect through Wednesday.

Warm temperatures are sending people to the coast to escape unusual winter heat.

Isnt that amazing, beach-goer Jennifer Koken said. Weve been out here almost every day for the last week. Its been beautiful.

On the beaches, lifeguards are making certain that those who are surfing, body boarding, or swimming stay relatively close to the shore.

Veteran surfers, meanwhile, are warning that conditions out on the water are not currently ideal for beginners.

Not during this time of year, one surfer said. Not during the Winter. During Summer, definitely.

We had twenty-two physical swimming rescues where we pulled twenty-two people out of the water today, LA County Lifeguard Capt. Chris Linkletter said on Monday. The tide is changing, the surf is coming up and down, the lateral current is moving, so the conditions are constantly changing, and we want people to be aware.

Linkletter says the warm temperatures, larger swells and holiday brought 100,000 visitors to the beaches of South Bay on Monday, with six to eight foot waves in Manhattan Beach.

The largest surf through the advisory will take place at West-facing beaches between Manhattan Beach and Cabrillo.

Read more:

Above-Average Swells, Rip Currents Trigger High Surf Advisory Along Beaches

The West Australian Top spot: Turquoise Bay.

Every summer, hundreds of thousands of people swarm to WA's famous beaches to escape the heat.

Scarborough. Cottesloe. Cable Beach. Locals love them. Visitors love them.

According to the Tourism WA website, West Australians are not known for their modesty when it comes to discussing beaches.

"Naturally, WA has the world's best beaches - and you wouldn't want to argue with the occupiers of Australia's biggest State, most of whom live by the coast," it says.

"Indeed, it would be rare to find a beach in WA that does not excite all the senses.

"In the capital of Perth alone, there are 19 pristine beaches that never seem overcrowded - even on a busy summer's day with the mercury hovering in the mid-30s.

"Spoilt for choice, surfers and sun lovers weigh up the attractions of the best surf break versus the best swimming areas. Or a seafront restaurant against ease of parking for a quick swim after work."

Beautiful beaches abound along most of WA's 12,000km of coastline. But there are many hidden bathing gems . . . beach havens that are tranquil, safe and - best of all - often unheard of.

The Weekend West has found 10, including one that lies inland.

See the article here:

In search of a special beach

No news is good news for whales

A search of beaches by DOC rangers and Project Jonah members this morning has found no sign of 45 pilot whales refloated off Puponga yesterday.

DOC Takaka Conservation Services Manager John Mason said this was an encouraging indication the whales may have moved safely into deeper water and possibly out of Golden Bay.

We have searched the area of Farewell Spit where they stranded over the weekend and the beaches between there and Collingwood and not found the whales stranded on the beaches which is good news.

We are optimistic they may have swum out to sea but they could still be in the bay. If anyone does see the whales we ask them to call the DOC emergency number 0800 DOCHOT/0800 36 24 68 to let us know.

Mr Mason said if the whales were still in the bay there was a risk they could re-strand.

Forty-six whales were refloated yesterday morning with the help of more than 100 volunteers, from Project Jonah and others who came from surrounding areas to assist. One of the whales was found dead this morning on Farewell Spit.

Mr Mason said DOC was extremely grateful for all the help given by Project Jonah volunteers and the dozens of other people who assisted with the whales over the past 3 days.

The whales were first found stranded on Saturday morning off Triangle Flat near the base of Farewell Spit. The whales were refloated around high tide on Saturday and then Sunday but each time re-stranded. Yesterday morning 49 whales were found stranded off Puponga, one of which was dead and another two died.

After the whales were refloated yesterday they had swum strongly out into deeper water but in the afternoon remained in fairly shallow water off Farewell Spit and were still there when rescuers left for the day.

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No news is good news for whales

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) - In 2010, a small part of the Willamette River's edge south of the Hawthorne Bridge was a wasteland of concrete chunks. Now, it looks more like a beach.

"There was a beach waiting to happen but it was just littered with concrete chunks so over the last three years we've moved more than 140 tons of concrete by hand and the result is that we've created a new beach," said Will Levenson with the Human Access Project.

He wants the city of Portland to follow his organization's lead and develop more beaches, swimming areas and other water recreation spots in downtown.

It's possible now because the Willamette River is cleaner because of the city's $1.4 billion Big Pipe project.

Since that project was finished in 2011, the combined storm water and sewer runoff volumes dumped into the river have been reduced by 94%. Samples taken from eight different downtown locations for E.coli are monitored regularly and all are consistently within the state standards for water pollution.

"It takes a lot of creativity in Portland to view the Willamette River as a river because it is so heavily urbanized," he said. "You have seawall, you have riprap, there's very little opportunity to get to the water's edge to even recognize that it is a river."

Many downtown beaches still have boulders and little to attract people. Levenson hopes to change that.

"Thirty years from now there's going to be 15 to 20 awesome places to swim in downtown Portland," he said. "Portland's summertimes are about to be transformed. It's going to be magical to watch it happen."

See the article here:

Beaches sprouting on Willamette River

Ventura Countys west-facing beaches are expected to see moderate to high surf Monday through Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

The surf will reach 4 to 6 feet with local sets up to 10 feet. The long-period swell is expected to create hazardous conditions for Ventura, Los Angeles and southern Santa Barbara counties.

The high surf will likely create strong rip currents and sneaker waves that can wash people into the ocean from rocks, jetties and beaches, especially during high tide.

The National Weather Services is advising beachgoers to stay near an occupied lifeguard tower and swim parallel to the shore if caught in a rip current.

Low humidity levels and warm temperatures prompted the National Weather Service to warn of hazardous conditions Monday that could bring elevated fire danger to Southern California.

Gusty northeast winds are expected to elevate fire danger for Ventura and Los Angeles counties Tuesday through Wednesday, with the possibility of returning later in the week.

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High surf expected at local beaches through Wednesday