This is very sad. Via the Point Reyes Light: "The pandemic has claimed another local business: Danny Morrissey's barber shop in Point Reyes Station. Mr. Morrissey cut hair next door to the Old Western Saloon for 22 years. Next door, Anne Kehoe is still cutting hair in her salon, Studio A, by appointment." Photo by David Briggs.

Fine. Today is sunrise and rainbow day. Dakota Whitney captured this colorful arc over Inverness on her way in to work. Happy Wednesday everyone. Be safe.

Nice way to start the day. Sunrise over Tomales Bay. Looks like back to sunshine for awhile.

I was putting out the trash the other day and heard quite a ruckus down by Tomales Bay. A local explained why, "There were more harbor seals in the bay than I've ever seen. I stopped counting after 60! They were so active catching spawning herring that they came very close to me numerous times." (Thx PJ)

Resident wildlife photographer Carlos Porrata went down and shot these photos of the herring feeding fest.

We were at North Beach in Point Reyes today with a medium size but solid swell in the water and a very strong current. Two young children were playing in the shore pound getting knocked down by waves. One big surge could have easily taken them out into the rip.

My wife ran down and told the parents how dangerous this was and that a girl died on Thanksgiving in the surf in Point Reyes.

They listened and got their kids away from the water.

There are no lifeguards. Do not go near the surf on the ocean side. Do not be afraid to tell people to get away from the surf. It will save lives.

(🏆 DW and Lu)

WMF has struggled for years to keep raccoons out of our garbage cans in Inverness. The worn out bungee cord just does not work plus it hurts your hand when it slips and snaps back at you. So I took a chance and bought this "Doggy Dare" device and it has completely solved the problem. Simple to use, no screws or messing with cans. Has an easy snap top. And best of all, it has been 100% raccoon proof so far.

If you have a better solution, leave it in the comments, would love to hear it.

Unfortunately they Doggy Dare doesn't have a web site. You can buy them on Amazon, but we're trying to cut down that. So here is another link: https://www.ospreybay.com/dogg...

Or better yet, see if Ken will stock them at the hardware store.

WMF has no affiliation with Doggy Dare and receives no financial benefit from this post. But we do accept GameStop stock.

Here are the top stories from the Point Reyes Light this week. Be sure to grab a copy to read more:

State lifts stay-at-home order as third surge subsides
California's stay-at-home order was lifted on Monday as the latest and most severe surge subsides. Yet Marin public health officials warned that the vaccine rollout remains too slow to prevent a fourth wave of Covid-19. Counties have returned to a four-tiered system and, like the vast majority of the state...

Meet Adam McGill, sheriff candidate
After a quarter of a century and only one contested election, Marin County Sheriff Robert Doyle will retire from his post in 2022. The race for the seat has begun: Undersheriff Jamie Scardina, who was endorsed by the sheriff after two decades with the county department, announced his run against...

Marine lab gets permits
The abandoned college lab in downtown Bolinas is one step closer to being demolished and rebuilt, following the issuance of county permits last month after years of planning. The College of Marin now has the coastal permit, design review clearance and use permit necessary to raze the three structures and...

Sue Baty, 1931 to 2020
Sue Baty, a teacher known for her keen mind, adventurous spirit and inner strength, died in her home of over six decades in Point Reyes Station on Nov. 15. She was 89. Sue arrived in West Marin after her husband, David, took a job serving as a judge in a...

WEB: https://www.ptreyeslight.com/

Current power outages in Inverness and Inverness Park. Go to https://m.pge.com/#outages for more info.

Fir tree took out power lines and smashed a van on Laurel Ave in Inverness Park. Everyone ok but power out in the area. Stay off the roads if you can. (Thx AN)

A large branch blocking both lanes was just removed from SFD in Inverness near Drakes View Dr. Cars driving fast almost ran into it. Another tree down on Laurel Ave. Be safe, drive slow. Storm just picking up. Great work by Marin County Fire Department clearing things up quickly.

STORM COMING. BE SAFE. BE PREPARED. The atmospheric river is inching across the Pacific. It hit Hawaii yesterday with flash flooding and is heading right towards us. Be sure you're prepared for power outages, trees down and flash flooding. The wind and rain is forecasted to start this afternoon and pick up intensity into the night.

805 Weather:
https://twitter.com/805Weather...

NWS Bay Area:
https://twitter.com/NWSBayArea...

The very cool bridge on Inverness Way in Inverness was destroyed by that tree that came down yesterday. That's a bummer. (Thx SC)

A big tree fell down on Inverness Way in Inverness taking down power lines and knocking out power in Inverness. Not sure how that affects power in Seahaven, but it does. From PG&E "PG&E Alert: Outage including addr#45 affecting 109 customers Expect restored Jan 24 at 9:30PM"

A dramatic sunrise over Tomales Bay portends a dramatic week of weather. Rain is on the way. Be prepared. Drive safe. (Photo by Edison Anthony)

The last big rain storm didn't really manifest, but this one seems like it could be a solid one. So a good time to get prepared for stormy weather. "The biggest storm of the season so far is expected to soak the San Francisco Bay Area Tuesday into Thursday, with rainfall amounts in urban areas ranging from two to four inches.

Meteorologists are calling the system an atmospheric river, a wet storm pulling a long plume of water vapor in the atmosphere "” 250 to 375 miles wide on average "” and often referred to as a river in the sky. On the West Coast, atmospheric rivers most often originate in the South Pacific, and as they travel from the tropics across the ocean, they collect incredible amounts of moisture."

LINK: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea...

Rumor has it a rare alpha goat is now leading the elk herd by Drakes Beach in Point Reyes. We spotted it yesterday at sunset.

Rumor has it a rare alpha goat is now leading the elk herd by Drakes Beach in Point Reyes. We spotted it yesterday at sunset.

Point Reyes/Petaluma Rd. is closed north of Novato Blvd. due to a car hitting power lines. The driver is trapped in the car because of downed power lines. Probably going to be closed for awhile. Plan accordingly.

Local wildlife photographer Sarah Killingsworth captured these incredible photos of a shark attack out at Chimney Rock in Point Reyes today.

IG: https://instagram.com/skwildli...

Via Point Reyes National Seashore "Drakes Beach and Drakes Beach access road is temporarily closed midweek to all vehicle, foot, and bicycle traffic due to increased elephant seal activity.

More info on safe elephant seal viewing and the temporary beach closure here: https://www.nps.gov/pore/plany..."

"Fifty years ago this week, Marin County and San Francisco residents woke up to one of the worst environmental disasters ever to occur in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In the early morning of Jan. 18, 1971, two Standard Oil tankers collided in dense fog several hundred yards outside the Golden Gate and spilled more than 800,000 gallons of thick bunker fuel oil. Hours later, oil began to wash up on San Francisco and Marin County beaches and smothered more than 7,000 birds in the toxic fuel. All but a few hundred birds died despite extensive efforts to save them over the next several weeks.

Tens of thousands of volunteers "” from local residents to farmers to hippies and doctors "” flocked to beaches to attempt to protect cherished habitats such as Bolinas Lagoon and to save as much of the wildlife as possible.

"So it was up to an army of volunteers to figure out how to respond to this stuff," said Burr Heneman of Point Reyes Station, who was among the thousands of residents who volunteered.

"Responding to Tom D'Onofrio's urgent calls, resourceful locals, like boat builder John Armstrong, brought logs, trucks, boats, cable, lumber, wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes, and gloves, while hundreds more gathered on the Stinson Beach side of the channel," Haworth wrote. "Toby's Feed Store and local horse owners rushed tons of hay and straw to the beach for boaters to pack along the boom, and others spread it along the shore."

FULL STORY: https://www.marinij.com/2021/0...

Photo by Ilka Hartmann/Associated Press

We have had many unusual weather events recently. Last night was another one on the list. The strong, dry winds are forecasted to last throughout the day today and taper off this evening. Power is off in some parts of Inverness and Point Reyes Station.

Any reports of damage from the wind? Just a lot of debris in our yard.

Here is the PGE outage map:
https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.c...

Hard to say how much wind West Marin will get. But be prepared for trees and power lines coming down and power being out. "Strong, damaging winds possible from later today into Tuesday morning. Warning sign Wind gusts of 80+ mph have already been reported in the peaks this morning. For complete details, visit http://weather.gov/BayArea"

Traffic is absolutely bonkers in the Point Reyes National Seashore right now. So many cars. Good chance it will result in a massive traffic jam later this evening when everyone leaves. Plan accordingly. Shelter in place.

At least one local in Inverness felt the 4.5 earthquake centered by Gilroy, CA. Anyone else?

Earthquake: https://twitter.com/KSBWChrist...

Local: https://twitter.com/SharronDra...

Wildlife cameras set up on a beach just north of Shell Beach in Inverness captured a very large male mountain lion on Thursday night around midnight. This was the same spot the cameras captured a mountain lion a few months ago. Other residents reported hearing a mountain lion screaming around 5pm on Wednesday evening. The sightings have been reported to the state and national parks. Be sure to use caution when hiking in the area around dusk or at night. (Thx SA)

Curious what a mountain lion scream sounds like? Listen to this: https://youtu.be/EfnTdF7ja9E

(UPDATE: The hats sold out. I'll let folks know when there are more) -- Want to support The West Marin Feed and a local shop at the same time? Head over to See to Sea in Point Reyes Station (next to the West Marin Pharmacy) and buy one of these very limited edition West Marin Feed 'beaches of West Marin' baseball hats. Or just say hi to the awesome owner, Maggie, and she'll hook you up with a free WMF sticker for your car, laptop or fridge.

The once stranded Limantour Beach faux military plane leaves the beach and passes through Point Reyes Station on its farewell tour. Goodbye plane.

Via Point Reyes National Seashore: "Drakes Beach in front of the Ken Patrick Visitor Center is temporarily closed due to a large number of male elephant seals. Beach access will be restored as soon as the males move elsewhere. That could be tomorrow, a week from now, or longer. Check our social media feeds for up-to-date info."

TWEET: https://twitter.com/PointReyes...

The plane is finally leaving Limantour Beach in Point Reyes and going home. The extraction crew made some custom wheel sleds and got it near the parking lot for moving out tomorrow. (And thx to Dane for rescuing my camera.)

Drakes Bay (Coast Miwok: Tamál-Húye) in Point Reyes lit up by commercial crab boats staying protected from a big swell this morning.

Going to go with sunrises and sunsets for awhile. A quick flash of orange this morning on Tomales Bay by Chicken Ranch.

Via Marin County: "Join us for a conversation with Marin Public Health regarding the status of the Stay Home Order for the Bay Area and an update on COVID-19 Vaccine progress in Marin County.

Today at 2pm on Facebook and via zoom. More information can be found at http://marincounty.org/townhal..."

Annie Duncan spotted this deer motoring along in Tomales Bay by Inverness yesterday. #aquadeer #submariner

Seems like a good day for a stunning sunrise. Tomales Bay in Inverness.

Via Point Reyes National Seashore "Pierce Point Road is temporarily closed due to reaching capacity. The park is seeing heavy visitation on this New Year's Day. Please be patient and look for less crowded park areas to explore. Some locations are subject to intermittent closures due to parking availability."

Goodbye 2020. Last sunset in of the year Point Reyes. Thank you all for your support. Here's to a safe, healthy and happy 2021. Wear a mask. 🙏 ❤️

"Earthquake this morning just off the coast of the SF Peninsula at 5:41 AM. Did you feel it?"

Those huge cranes parked off of Limantour Beach in Point Reyes made their way under the Golden Gate Bridge today. Amazing. I think the plane is still out there however.

Video: https://abc7news.com/business/...

Ask a Ranger: What it's like to be a marine mammal ecologist at Point Reyes.

SFGATE: What's one thing you wished everyone understood about Point Reyes that no one seems to get?

CODDE: I just wish people understood more about how their actions affect wildlife. A big thing that makes me sad is people running after birds or letting their dogs run after them. People don't realize the effect this can have, how stressful it is for the birds. They need rest just like we do.

The consequences of wildlife disturbance are a big emphasis for me and for this park. We're trying to pass on that message. I want people to enjoy Point Reyes and viewing the wildlife here, and to do it safely and responsibly.

FULL STORY: https://www.sfgate.com/califor...

Accident on SFD in Samuel P Taylor, expect delays. (Thx KM)

This is what it looks like when a car hits a cow. This happened in the dark before sunrise by Drakes Beach in Point Reyes. The driver was fine, the cow wasn't. Please drive safe.

Magnificent storm sunrise in Point Reyes today.

It was a crazy weekend and the West Marin Freed contributors showed up. Thanks to everyone who sent in photos and commented on various channels. Besides 'don't land your plane on the beach in the park', here are two other things we learned from WMF users:

About the giant ship with cranes off Limantour Beach:
Jennifer Megan: The 3 cranes are going to be delivered to the port of Oakland. Check out my IG: shipspottingsweetie and my Facebook page (shipspottingsweetie). I'm keeping daily updates on when the ship will go under Goldie and the Bay Bridge. They are going to be delivered to the Port of Oakland.

About the low flying and very loud jet that went over West Marin around 1:30pm on Saturday:
Justin Rubovits: That was an L-39 - a czechoslovakia military jet that can be bought and flown by civilians in the US. Saw it from the top of Tam. It flew low of the coast going south and then turned east and did a low fly looping pass over tam where we were parked. Amazing!

(Crane photo by Jennifer Megan)

Maria Bennett was on Limantour Beach yesterday when the plane landed. She shot some video and photos of them trying to get it back in the air with no luck.

LINK: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ...

Heard a report of a plane that landed on Limantour Beach this morning (thx RD) so we headed out. Sure enough, there was a fairly large airplane way down by the spit by the dunes. On the way back we saw the pilot and his wife talking with the rangers. It was unclear why they landed there, possibly engine problems, but it was clear they weren't going to be able to fly away. Sounds like they'll have to get a permit and have the plane removed by a helicopter. Did anyone else get a better picture of the plane?

Lots of big swell on the way. For a reminder of how dangerous and sneaky these swells can be, here is another intense video from the mouth of the Tomales Bay showing one brave boat making it past the waves, and two other boats re-evaluating their life choices. Be safe everyone. Make good decisions.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. Be safe. Stay well. Wear a mask. 🙏

"We're monitoring 2 upcoming rainmakers: 1st one starts Christmas Day, 2nd starts Sunday. Here's a look at forecast rain totals. (red outlines are 2020 burnscars)."

Link: https://twitter.com/nwsbayarea...

Do you need help paying for rent between September 2020 and January 2021? The Marin County's Emergency Rental Assistance Program is currently open and accepting applicants. (Thx EB)

PR/Petaluma Road blocked south of Hicks Road near The Cheese Factory. Will be blocked for hours. Plan accordingly. (Thx SD and EF)

No pets means, no pets. A park employee reiterating that message today in Point Reyes.

"Happy Winter Solstice! It's 2:02 AM PST on December 21 and the sun's rays are now directly over the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere. Today is the shortest day of the year for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. More info at: https://weather.gov/cle/season..."

From the International Space Station: "Hello San Francisco - video captured live from the @Space_Station 90 minutes ago from 260 miles above. #NiceWeather"

LINK: https://twitter.com/ISSAboveYo...

"The first coronavirus vaccinations in Marin will take place on Thursday, but a surge of new cases still threatens to overwhelm hospital intensive care units, the county's public health officer said.

"We know that community transmission is accelerating exponentially," Dr. Matt Willis told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. "Our hospitals are at or near full capacity, and case rates in Marin are four times higher than one month ago."

The county reported Tuesday that all the fully staffed intensive care unit beds at Marin's hospitals are now in use. Twelve of the 29 beds are occupied by coronavirus patients.

Across the Bay Area, 82.2% of the ICU beds at hospitals throughout the Bay Area were occupied Tuesday, Willis said. Statewide, 94.3% of ICU beds were in use.

"Historically when there were surges in one area or another we were able to redistribute resources from across the nation to meet the needs of those hard hit areas," Willis said. "That is no longer the case. Every jurisdiction is essentially on its own because they are all experiencing surges simultaneously."

Willis kicked off his presentation with a message from Dr. Laura Eberhard, chief of the critical care department at Kaiser Permanente San Rafael Medical Center.

"As an ICU doctor I'm not scared by much," Eberhard said, "but I find the prospect of having a hospital and an ICU overflowing, and concern about not being able to take good care of our Marin residents, scary. Only our community can stop this epidemic."

LINK: https://www.marinij.com/2020/1...

MARIN COVID DATA: https://coronavirus.marinhhs.o...

LA Times Tracker: https://www.latimes.com/projec...

If you want to know what $2.5 million will buy you in Inverness, here you go.

LINK: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/1...

Amazing photos by local wildlife photographer Carlos Porrata in Point Reyes: "So today I am in the middle of the field checking out a Weasel when ,all of a sudden I looked up and two Coyotes are chasing a third Coyote out of their territory and they are coming my way at full throttle! They came by at full speed, although one of the two Coyotes doing the chasing saw me and stopped the chase and turned around. The other kept it up until the Coyote being chased crossed the road to safety. Exhilarating? It was a rush!! I had not seen a territorial dispute among Coyotes in a few years and I was never this close. These are the surprises that keep us wildlife photographers always coming back for more..... 🙂"

The dependable Geminid meteor shower is happening right now. Apparently there were lots of meteors to be seen last night. Be on the look out tonight!

LINK: https://www.imo.net/viewing-th...

"King tides" will be be happening from Dec 13 - 15. Fortunately no major storms hitting at that time, but Tomales Bay gets extremely high and bay beaches like Chicken Ranch all but disappear. It will also be interesting to see how all that new road work they've done on SFD in the park will hold up. Particularly at Schooner Bay (pictured here).

You can contribute photos to the California King Tides Project and learn more about it here: https://www.coastal.ca.gov/kin...

Twelve new cases of COVID-19 reported in Inverness over the last 14 days.

LINK: https://www.latimes.com/projec...

"Our dear friend, and community member, Jessica Raffo (Quattlander), needs your help. She was suddenly diagnosed with colon cancer December 4th, and just underwent major surgery to remove the blockage. The surgery went better than expected, but the healing process is taking longer than expected, and her additional results have not been received. She is recovering in the hospital currently. When we have more details on her her status, we will post them, but her and her family will need support in the next few months, which will be vital to her recovery.

The family asks at this time, to PLEASE DO NOT contact Jessica while she is in the hospital, she needs this time to rest.

On top of it, we are in a pandemic, which is tough on everyone, and makes it hard to visit. However, if you can help, it is needed. Use this site to curate and deliver a meal, or donate to help the family bridge the gaps in meals, groceries, childcare, or medical expenses. No gifts cards please. If you would like to donate funds outside of this platform, contact Justine or myself directly.

Jess has been a community member her entire life. Many of you know her from working at the Coast Cafe, the Sand Dollar, Hog Island, and the Western. She graduated from Dominican, and is now a 4th grade teacher in Rohnert Park, but has been on extended leave with the arrival of baby Cooper last February, and with the pandemic. She was married in 2016 to a Sonoma local Ernesto Raffo of Bosch Automative. They have two children (Enzo, 3 and Cooper, almost 1 in February). She will not be able to work during this time, or pick up her children, and Ernesto and the family can use your support."

If you are able to offer support: https://www.mealtrain.com/trai...

On December 3, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that all sectors other than retail and essential operations would be closed in regions of the state where less than 15% of intensive care unit (ICU) beds are available under a new Regional Stay-Home Order.

MORE INFO: https://coronavirus.marinhhs.o...

Rather than waiting until ICU bed availability reaches critical levels and delaying closures that are inevitable, the Public Health Officers for the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and Santa Clara, as well as the City of Berkeley, jointly announced they will implement the state's Regional Stay-Home Order right away to slow the surge and prevent our local hospitals from being overwhelmed.

Beginning at noon Tuesday, December 8, the following sectors in Marin County must close:
Indoor and outdoor playgrounds
Indoor recreational facilities
Hair salons and barbershops
Personal care services
Museums, zoos, and aquariums
Movie theaters
Wineries
Bars, breweries, and distilleries
Family entertainment centers
Cardrooms and satellite wagering
Limited services
Live audience sports
Amusement parks

The following sectors will have additional modifications (in addition to 100% masking and physical distancing):

Outdoor recreational facilities: Allow outdoor operation only, without any food, drink, or alcohol sales. Additionally, overnight stays at campgrounds will not be permitted.
Retail: Allow indoor operation at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.

Shopping centers: Allow indoor operation at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.

Hotels, motels, short-term rentals, other lodging: Allow to open for critical infrastructure support only.

Restaurants: Allow only for takeout, pick-up, or delivery.

Offices: Allow remote use only, except for critical infrastructure sectors where remote working is not possible.

Gyms & fitness studios: Indoor operations must close. This includes yoga and dance studios. This order includes any other industries that follow the state's guidance for gyms & fitness studios, such as youth sports.
Places of worship and political expression: Allow outdoor services only.

Entertainment production including professional sports: Allow operation without live audiences. Additionally, testing protocol and "bubbles" are highly encouraged.

The following sectors are allowed to remain open when a remote option is not possible. Those that remain open must have appropriate infectious disease preventative measures in place, including 100% masking and physical distancing:

Critical infrastructure
Non-urgent medical and dental care

A report from a resident in Inverness: "We were walking the road that passes over the creek at beach (north of Shell Beach) when we noticed a disturbance of the soil at the bank of the creek. A large paw print was evident and a lot of drag marks which continued up the road for at least 50 yards, with gouge marks on each side. We passed these clues on to Sarah Allen our neighbor. She and another neighbor went and confirmed the implications of this. The cat must have surprised a buck deer, and the horns made the gouges in the road as he dragged it off into the woods. Sarah put a motion camera up, and within a couple nights got a full on shot of the mountain lion back on the prowl."

You may want to pass this info on to others, who are regulars in Tomales Bay State Park, particularly around Shallow and Shell Beach and on the Johnstone Trail. Please be careful - especially early morning or early evening hikes. Very difficult to see more than 10 to 15 feet along the trail. Don't use headphones; keep alert.

Thank you MO, SA, FC, DP, SK

Bonus trivia, last time there was a resident mountain lion, its name was 'One Eye Jack'.

Via the Lawson's Landing Fishing Report: " So here's video of a good way to cross the Tomales Bay bar if you are tired of living. The fact that it worked for these guys is no way an endorsement. Luck is something that's difficult to copy. The proper way? When it is breaking, don't go. A hard landing can kill the engine. Then what do you do? Swim, if you're lucky. Have you seen the crab pots on the bar? Get one of those in the wheel while you're trying to cross. I find it unlikely that these guys didn't break bones or the boat. Thanks Wrybread for posting this."

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Report:
http://fishlawsons.blogspot.co...

In spite of the ongoing pandemic, lots of holiday activity happening. Be sure to support your local shops and vendors during this very challenging time. Be safe. Be well.

Cabaline is having a there famous holiday sale with everything 20%-50% off through December 6th.
LINK: https://www.cabaline.com/

San Geronimo Valley Center is having a Annual Holiday Art Faire on Saturday, Dec. 5 from 2-5pm.
LINK: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/v...

Whitman Shenk has his pottery at the Toby's Gallery for December.
LINK: https://www.tobysfeedbarn.com/...

Other great shops:

Sea to Sea
LINK: https://shop-sea-to-see.com/

Point Reyes Bookstore
LINK: https://www.ptreyesbooks.com/

The Little Store
LINK: https://www.instagram.com/thel...

Brickmaiden
LINK: https://www.brickmaidenbreads....

Vita Collage
https://www.vitacollage.com/

Monk Estate
https://www.instagram.com/monk...

Did I miss an event, shop or vendor? Let me know.

These lights were spotted in the sky tonight. Anyone else see them? Apparently they are a part of Starlink, which is a satellite internet constellation being constructed by SpaceX providing satellite Internet access? (thx SC)

LINK: https://twitter.com/MorganBren...

Two events coming together that can cause very dangerous conditions. Two huge swells are coming (this Thur/Fri and next Tuesday) plus there is no rain forecast for the first half of December. This means nice weather and lots of people at the beaches. Please be safe and stay away from the ocean.

"Warning signDangerous sneaker waves Water wave, increased rip currents and moderate to large breaking waves will impact W to NW facing beaches Wednesday-Thursday. These type of events claim lives each year along our coast so extreme vigilance is advised if visiting area beaches."

LINK: https://twitter.com/NWSBayArea...

"Dry-cember. The outlook through the 16th. You've got to be kidding me."

LINK: https://twitter.com/RobMayeda/...

I hate when that happens.

A quiet calm falls over West Marin with a gorgeous full moon rising above Tomales Bay. Our hearts are so heavy. Be safe. Be well.

As you probably know, the waters off Point Reyes are home to a lot of great white sharks. What you might not know is that there is a small group of extremely dedicated shark researchers who live and work here and are world renowned for their work tracking these sharks. One of these researchers, Scot Anderson, took these photos of a massive female great white shark out at the Farallon Islands just a few weeks ago.

Sadly, the research funding to do their critical work has dried up due to Covid-19. They've created a GoFundMe campaign to support their fieldwork this fall/winter in the waters off of Point Reyes and Año Nuevo Island so they can continue monitoring California great white sharks. This funding will help them capture photo IDs of individuals and deploy electronic tags.

If you're interested in helping keep this important work going, here is their GoFundMe page:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/whi...

And if you haven't seen the movie 'Near Miss' about local urchin diver Ron Elliott (by local filmmaker Josh Berry) and his great white shark encounters, you should watch that too:
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/nea...

Thank you!

Our hearts our broken. "A 4-year-old girl drowned after being swept off by a wave while walking with her family at a Marin County beach Thursday, the CHP confirms. Her father reportedly jumped in the water to save her and was transported to the hospital for hypothermia."

Please be careful at the Point Reyes (or any) beaches, especially when there are large waves.

LINK: https://www.nbcbayarea.com/new...

This evening a young girl was swept off the beach at McClures in Point Reyes, but somehow got back to land despite huge surf. First responders applied CPR. We saw a Reach helicopter land on the beach and which we were told transported her to a local hospital. No further word about her condition. We send her and her family all our love. The West Marin emergency response teams are incredible. On a Thanksgiving no less.

Water rescue happening right now, near McClures Beach.

Water rescue off Drakes Beach in Point Reyes. Kayaker in distress. They're still sorting it out. Hopefully everyone ok.

SUV rolled over on SFD by Drakes View Dr. in Inverness. Went into the deep shoulder and over corrected. Looked like everyone was ok. Scary though. Expect delays.