Domingo Beach, Fish Pen, and Red Tides

DOMINGO BEACH SHELL HUNT TRIP

December 22, 2009




Good Morning, World.

Another nice suprise at Coyote Cove.


Today has come and I remind Co-pilot that today's the day I promised to take her shell collecting on one of the remote pristine beaches of Conception Bay Peninsula.



In particular, I had decided on Domingo (Sunday) Beach just at the entrance to Bahia de Concepcion.

After the last few days of strong 4-6ft northerlies, I knew that stretch of north-facing beach would be littered with new shell arrivals, brought ashore by the crashing big waves. And...I had been shore-bound for over a week and cabin fever was eating at me. You can only drive to town so many times.



First thing to do was..bring the boat in close enough to the sea wall so she could get in without wading through the cold..frigid..dangerous..stingray-ridden..ideal great white attack zone...what just brushed my leg?....water!

Okay, all loaded aboard and ready? Off we go then.

It was a warm, sunny day. We were wearing smiles and little else. Ah..a gorgeous day to be out on the Bay. I used just enough throttle to get the hull planing nicely, then trimmed her to ride comfy and steady. Co-pilot, you ravishing beauty...pour me a cup, por favor. Ah..this is more like it! Life is good.







Hmmm..? Look there, gorgeous.

Dead ahead ..and on a possible collision course.. comes a fast towboat pulling a board-skier. A great day for it on the calm bay..but I'm thinking it can get a little hairy when the driver is alone and is keeping his eye on the skier and not on his course ahead. Naturally, I gave him a wide berth before he finally turned around, spotted us, and swerved off. He waved ... thankfully, and we waved back. Hey, no sweat, it's a big sea and I had lots of room to manuever. I just wanted to show my boating expertise to impress my Co-pilot. Never miss a chance to make points with the chief cook if you want your huevos done just right.


On past Escondido, where it's still deserted..no campers, lots of room. Just a really bad entry road.



Taking a shallow run between shore and an island, we see hard to port the Posada community of homes. It's constant changes have always caught my eye since it was just a cluster of trailer palapas started by Herman, Sr. back in the day.


Crossing Coyote Bay beyond Santispac Point I notice the same solitary camper..a fifth wheel...on this relatively unused stretch of camping beach. I doubt many people know of it's existence. You can reach this nice spot by driving all the way through on the Santispac beach road...continueing on out towards the point, then taking the left turn that will take you over a slight rise and onto the beach. Your home for the vacation's duration.



Keeping on course, we come upon one of the hundred or so reasons I love being on the water: you always see something unusual out there.





The first unusual thing today was a red tide slick. "This will bring us some great fireworks at the sea wall tonight," I thought. "I'll set us up some chairs, a table, some soft music, and a little vino."

Note: Don't gather or eat shoreline clams during a red tide. No bueno for your gut. But you all know that....right?





Now we pass Punta Arena y Naranjos..then Bob-Susan's lighthouse...then Mace's spread ahead. Nobody outside to wave at today, so we motor on past enjoying our coffee and the sunshine.


I cruised lazily at half throttle, but still making about 20 knots by trimming up to stall angle....over to the far shoreline of the peninsula to visit some known beaches for 'jingles', those valve covers of the murex conchs that make such great wind chimes...or whatever..they're just damn pretty and not that easy to find. Makes for a fun hunt.


Now get set for unusual sighting No. 2




As I get closer I see a fish camp has set up there with a couple of palapas...and a new sight for me, a fish holding pen anchored out front.




We slow down to a slow pace and slowly motor around the fish pen, hoping to spot some captures, but saw only some swirls and lots of fat pelicans making things white.







As we take our leave we are hailed !Hola! by the fishermen at thier shoreline palapa. Hola amigos, mucho pescado? No? !Ah Carumba!..mucho viento! Too much for sure! Oh well, Adios y buena suerte manana.


We plane off around the corner and boat on down the calm shores of Conception Bay's peninsula. Co-pilot refills my hot drink cup with her robust and delicious Kona coffee...a wee drop of Kahlua as a sweetener. Well okay, a hefty dallop then.




We are finally at our destination for the day. Domingo Beach..a nice slice of sandy bay just inside Conception Bay entrance. The photos above are from the microndas hilltop across the bay.

DOMINGO COVE AND BEACH






Co-pilot gets quickly onto the beach and finds...hundreds and hundreds of sea shells. Windrows of them. All descriptions and colors.




I anchor out in about 3 feet to clean some bird deposits off the engine and rear bulkheads. The pelicans and gulls had done a number on the boat.
Co-pilot had asked about the mess earlier.
I told her, "It's a lot like fertilizer, it stinks for while, then you get used to it."
She said clean it, so I got busy. Remember what I said about making points?



Meanwhile she gleefully sees seashells by the sea.



Co-pilot gets a couple hundred yards down the beach. A little too far for my comfort level. I use my binocs to keep an eye on the surrounding countyside as she gathers some treasures. Things being what they are these days it's prudent to be careful, even though this is my backyard and I feel it is very safe. But still....









Not wanting to ruin her moment, I use the loudhailer to tell her that the shelling is much better near my anchorage.

We'll be going back to Domingo many times. It's also a great spot to shorelunch or swim after a summer day out fishing. Great sandy cove and cooling waters for those blistering HOT summer days. You owe it to yourself to hang out in this cove at least once.




Co-pilot's treasures of the day

Now you may be asking yourself..What to do with all these seashells?

Answer: Lots of things. Go buy some glue. Go nuts.

Here are the most recent shell projects made from Coyote Cove seashells.







Me?...I keep a couple big plastic totes full of them in the garage. I sprinkle a hundred or so of the pretty ones on the beach in front of the house the day before grandkids come to visit. I used to buy bushels of them from the Oregon Coast shell shops for that purpose, but got tripped up by the little 'Phillipines' and 'Hawaii' tags.



Say this really fast: '..sowing seashells by the seashore surely shall show sheesh I can't believe you are actually doing this...'


And that's what happened in the Bay today. Hope you enjoyed the boat ride and shelling with us. See you next time.

Feliz Navidad!...and to borrow Nena's expression...Weeweechu a Merry Christmas!

I am Soooooooooooooooo jealous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:.It looks beautiful

Depends on which drugs you are talking about

Could you post a list of organics, pharmaceuticals, and head injuries....we can take it from there....

merry Xmas and Feliz Ano Nuevo

Close enough NOT to be hallucinating.

Looks like a nice remote place to find shells, since it is unprotected from the northwinds...

North Winds...

Exactly, and nice music...

...whoever added it?

[Edited on 12-26-2009 by Pompano]