Z Beach Critters

One more reason the ban on pet dogs on the beach is so absurd is because the beach is home to many different kinds of animals, just as the sea is also home to thousands of species and billions of creatures. The beach is a place for ALL creatures, not just the human ones.

Right now is the turtle laying season, and all up and down the beaches you can see turtle tracks in the mornings. What's sad is that the city has allowed so much construction on the beaches that the turtles are having difficulty finding high and dry sandy places to lay their eggs, so they lay them in areas where the high tides may eventually wash them away or otherwise cause the eggs not to hatch. I didn't see any nests this morning where it looked like someone had removed the eggs to save them in a protected area, so if the numerous wild beach dogs (that ARE a problem) don't dig them up and eat them, they will likely be crushed by unsuspecting beachgoers.

Here you can see a lovely night heron resting on a rock and surveying its realm from La Madera Beach.