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Operational Changes Took Effect on May 1
The Lighthouse Visitor Center is now only open Fridays through Mondays. The Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center will be closed through late December 2013. More »
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2013 Harbor Seal Pupping Season Closures
From March 1 through June 30, the park implements closures of certain Tomales Bay beaches and Drakes Estero to water-based recreation to protect harbor seals during the pupping season. Please avoid disturbing seals to ensure a successful pupping season. More »
Storm Forces 42-foot Schooner to Wreck on Drakes Beach
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Contact: John Dell'Osso, 415-464-5135
Yesterday’s massive southern storm caused a 42-foot Alden Schooner to wreck on Drakes Beach within Point Reyes National Seashore. Heavy rains and strong winds up to 60 mph forced the vessel to be tossed on to the beach yesterday morning. The vessel, Sunshine, is now stranded on the upper beach near the Drakes Beach Visitor Center. The vessel’s home port is Bodega Bay, California and according to reports was on its way to Florida. Park rangers and salvage specialists are now removing approximately 60 gallons of diesel fuel. Today Parker Dive Salvage specialists are on scene recommending to the owner and the Park Service on how to remove the vessel. The vessel may have a cracked hull and removing it from the beach is estimated at $35,000. Costs from the removal will be billed to the owner of the vessel. The vessel was not insured. This is the fourth vessel to strand on National Seashore beaches in the last four months. Drakes Beach receives 300,000 visitors annually and is considered one of the park’s most scenic areas. Point Reyes National Seashore receives approximately 2.5 million visitors per year. -NPS- |
Did You Know?
Elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) regularly plunge to depths of 2000 feet to find food, but even far below the ocean's surface they are affected by warming temperatures and melting Antarctic ice. More...