A powerful type of wave referred to as “sneaker waves” are expected to hit the Monterey Bay coastline Thursday. The National Weather Service has issued a high surf advisory through 7 p.m., and the Santa Cruz Harbor will be prepared with rescue boats and staff in case of emergency. The warnings come as a heat wave brings temperatures as high as triple digits to Santa Cruz County.
Coast Life
Posted inCoast Life
Researchers monitoring dead gray whale calf at Seacliff, but cause of death likely to remain a mystery
The dead whale calf found on Seacliff State Beach continues to move south with the tide, said Long Marine Lab Marine Mammal Stranding Network lab manager Juli Limon. Scientists are likely unable to perform a necropsy on the carcass because it has decayed significantly since it washed up last week.
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Forged by chilly waters (and some tears), recent Santa Cruz grad heads to international surf rescue competition
Santa Cruz High graduate Sae Ackerstein, whose junior guards experience was the subject of a Lookout opinion piece that caused some social media ripples earlier this year, is off to Texas this week, where with Soquel High senior Madalyn “Munchie” Price she will compete with Team USA at the International Surf Rescue Challenge.
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The sights, the sounds and the smells: Wallace Baine takes you on a tour of the Santa Cruz County Fair
Go inside the 2023 Santa Cruz County Fair, running through Sunday at the fairgrounds in Watsonville, with Lookout’s Wallace Baine via video shot by Lookout photojournalist Kevin Painchaud.
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Santa Cruz Skateboards hits its 50th anniversary as a crucial component in the history of skateboarding
This year, NHS Inc. — the Seabright-based parent company of Santa Cruz Skateboards — marks its half-century anniversary in the skateboard business. In the immense but imaginary skatepark of today’s skateboarding industry, Santa Cruz Skateboards is that legendary skater that all the other kids stop to watch. It has shaped what the industry looks like today. And it has built a brand that has spilled out beyond the world of skateboarding, becoming a touchstone in the world of commercial art.
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After a stormy offseason, Zeke Fraser is hustling to get the Santa Cruz County Fair up and running
Less than three months into his tenure as Santa Cruz County Fair CEO, the pressure is on for Zeke Fraser to pull off this year’s version, which runs Sept. 13-17. The longtime local talks about getting up to speed, what’s on tap for this year’s fair and bridging the North County-South County divide.
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Santa Cruz Harbor’s anchovy invasion is over — for now
Thousands of anchovies have found their way back into Monterey Bay after they swarmed the Santa Cruz surfline and small craft harbor near Seabright Beach. Though harbor staff is not sure why this phenomenon occurs, they are glad this iteration was quick and that they do not have to oversee any large-scale cleanup efforts.
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Otter 841 still roaming free as Fish & Wildlife struggles to capture her
Otter 841 remains free in the Santa Cruz waters, even as state and federal fish and wildlife workers continue to try to capture her. They could halt attempts if ocean conditions like visibility and water clarity worsen, or if surfers stop reporting run-ins.
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Boardwalk could have a new Ferris wheel soon, pending planning commission approval
The Chance Wheel is expected to replace the spinning Rock & Roll ride and give the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk its first Ferris wheel since 2017, when the previous 60-year-old wheel was retired following routine winter maintenance. A vote is expected Aug. 17 after being delayed Thursday.