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It’s that time of year again, and bait fish abound in the nearshore area. You may have noticed the large flocks of seabirds feeding on the fish in areas that are uncomfortably close to the harbor.
Some schools of fish have been observed in the harbor. Staff is performing regular checks and dissolved oxygen levels remain good; however, aerators are in place in the event oxygen levels dip to dangerously low levels, signifying the onset of a fish die-off.
We wanted to remind boaters and liveaboards to notify staff if they observe the warning signs of an imminent fish kill:
- Large concentrations of fish inside the harbor (i.e., fathometer shows that half or more of the harbor depth has fish);
- Large concentrations of fish near the harbor entrance (i.e., one-half mile in width are at the harbor entrance in the evening)
- Fish under stress, observed jumping in a large area.
If you observe any of the above situations, please contact the harbor:
- Daily, 9 am to 5 pm: Call the harbor office at (831) 475-6161
- After hours: Call Santa Cruz Police Dispatch at (831) 471-1131
- Marine radio: VHF Channel 9 is monitored 24 hours/day
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