The whale carcass was initially found with a rope around its tail at a mussel farm in Long Beach, Ca.
*UPDATE: This post has been updated with input from NOAA Fisheries regarding the likelihood that the whale had been struck by a ship.
A 26-foot humpback whale that was found deceased and entangled in commercial mussel-farming gear this week off Huntington Beach washed ashore Saturday morning just south of the city pier.
On Friday, Planet Whale shared footage of the bloated whale carcass at sea, with a weighted rope wound around its tail section. The juvenile whale might have been struck by a ship and killed before the carcass had become entangled. (Footage posted below.)
“When I saw that rope I got MAD. In the last few years the number of entangled whales I’ve seen with my own eyes has hit double digits,” wrote Erica Page of Planet Whale. “And we frequently see whales with evidence of prior entanglement. THIS IS NOT OKAY!”
On Saturday, images surfaced showing the carcass rolling in the surf.
The image atop this post was shared to Facebook by Keith Wehner, who wrote: “Something I haven’t seen before. If you aren’t doing anything later, removing it may be interesting to watch. South of the pier at Tower 3.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/DFO0Ko6vMxh/
Late Saturday, NOAA Fisheries issued a statement explaining that a necropsy had been performed on the whale and that “preliminary analysis showed significant blunt-force trauma to the right side of its head that could be indicative of a ship strike.”
NOAA Fisheries said it won’t release an official cause of death until necropsy results are analyzed.
Footage shows the mysterious killer whales patrolling a submarine canyon off Monterey, Ca. “There were fins everywhere we looked.”
Researchers out of Monterey, Ca., on Thursday enjoyed a rare encounter with mysterious killer whales known to travel in massive pods and prey on deepwater sharks.
“There were fins everywhere we looked on the horizon,” Capt. Evan Brodsky, of Monterey Bay Whale Watch, told ForTheWin Outdoors. “They were spread out for miles.” (Video posted below.)
It was the first known encounter involving a large pod of “offshore” killer whales, or orcas, in Monterey Bay since November 2021.
Boaters in the region are far more likely to encounter “transient” orcas, which prey on other marine mammals, including gray whales.
Offshore killer whales, as their ecotype association implies, typically range far from shore between Southern California and Alaska. Brodsky’s footage shows them in sub-groups over a submarine canyon as close as six miles from shore.
He was with Tomoko Shimotomai and Colleen Talty of the California Killer Whale Project, and photographer Daniel Bianchetta. They were traveling west aboard a 20-foot inflatable boat when they spotted dorsal fins sprouting from the surface.
“We just kept moving west from group to group for another 12 miles, so at my furthest point we were 18 miles out,” Brodsky said, adding the entire pod included more than 60 orcas.
Nancy Black, co-founder of the California Killer Whale Project, said offshore killer whale sightings, while rare, are more likely to occur during the winter. Pod sizes off California typically number 25 to 40 individuals, but they can be much larger.
Offshore killer whales prey largely on sharks, including deepwater sleeper sharks, which boast large and fatty livers. But the orcas also prey on fish, such as Pacific halibut and salmon.
Brodsky said his group did not witness feeding, but added: “There were a lot of birds around, and a very strong fishy, oily smell. Some of the other vessels in the area reported seeing fish scales in the water.”
He said that observing the offshore killer whales for the first time “was like winning the gold medal at the Olympics.”
The land includes the golf course clubhouse as well as three homes.
STOCKTON, Calif. — The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors is considering turning the shuttered Oakmoore Golf Course in Stockton into a safe camping site for the unhoused.
Supervisors recently approved a notice of intention to purchase two parcels of land, totaling 67.25 acres, located at 3737 and 3801 N. Wilson Way. The land, which is owned by Gurpartap Singh of Oakmoore Properties, includes the golf course clubhouse as well as three homes.
Supervisors have not yet decided on a use for the property. However, they are planning to discuss a short-term plan and a long-term plan for the property, which involves safe camping.
Safe camping provides a dedicated space for unhoused individuals to live in tents, provided by the county, on a short-term basis.
The Oakmoore Golf Course is located at 3737 N. Wilson Way in Stockton on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (Photo: Clifford Oto/Stockton Record)
The 2024 Point-in-Time Count reported a total of 4,732 people experiencing homelessness in San Joaquin County, compared to 2,319 in 2022 and 2,629 in 2019.
The county’s short-term plan is to use a small portion of the property — about three acres — for a safe camping site. The long-term plan includes the possibility of moving the community development, environmental health, and public works departments to the site.
District 2 Supervisor Paul Canepa said the county had been looking for a property for safe camping, and he expressed excitement over the golf course.
If the plans are approved by the board, supportive services will be in place at the camping site, along with rules and regulations to keep the area clean and free of drugs and crime, according to county officials.
“It’s an absolute home run,” Canepa said before the Nov. 12 vote on the property.
District 3 Supervisor Tom Patti commended the board for its willingness to partner with cities to find solutions to homelessness, but also for “really doing more than what a lot of counties are doing.”
The county has set a price limit of $9.6 million. The board is set to make a decision on the purchase at its Dec. 10 meeting.
Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman.
There is something magical about the Lake Tahoe region — crisp air and incredible summer golf.
There is something magical about the Lake Tahoe region — the crisp air, the picturesque mountain views, the world-class skiing and the incredible summer golf.
The American Century Championship attracts top celebrities to the region, and the Barracuda Championship has been an alternate-field PGA Tour event for years.
A home that hit the market highlights the best of the region, including a view of the 17th hole on the Lake Tahoe Martis Camp course that architect Tom Fazio said is one of the best he’s ever designed.
This 9,783-square-foot home, spread over two of Martis Camp’s most coveted homesites, is ideal for those who live large, dream big, and savor small details. With large bedrooms, a spacious terrace, and living spaces appearing throughout, this home embodies Martis Camp’s commitment to families and the power of connection. If you dream in shades of green fairways, you’ll appreciate this home’s location with the practice field out the front door, the 17th green of the Tom Fazio course beyond the back patio, and the Camp Lodge and pro shop a par 5 stroll down the street. That same crescent-shaped patio is enhanced by one of the most pristine settings in all of Tahoe, with forest, flowers and panoramas of Lookout Mountain.
Here’s a look at the hole, which can play up to 227 yards from the tips.
Here’s a look at the home, which is currently for sale for $17,999,000.
Perhaps the only thing [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] is prouder of than being a member of the Notre Dame family is being a St. Louis native. The legendary Irish player-turned-coach made her mark in St. Louis before she accomplished bigger things, and she got to demonstrate how far she’d come when she led the Irish to victory over California at the Enterprise Center in November 2022.
Ivey will be joining such fellow basketball inductees as legendary St. Louis Hawks Bob Pettit and Lenny Wilkens, two of the greatest NBA players ever. That alone makes this a noteworthy honor.
Congratulations to Ivey and all the other honorees for 2024.
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Our hundreds of raters weigh in on the best public-access and private courses in California.
Looking to play the best golf courses in California? Welcome to our annual Golfweek’s Best ranking of public-access and private courses.
Following are the rankings for both types of courses, as judged by our nationwide network of raters. The hundreds of members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them on 10 criteria on a points basis of 1 through 10. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings are averaged to produce all our Golfweek’s Best course rankings.
The courses on the first list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time – no membership required.
KEY: (m) modern, built in 1960 or after; (c) classic, built before 1960. For courses with a number preceding the (m) or (c), that is where the course ranks on Golfweek’s Best lists for top 200 modern and classic courses in the U.S.
* indicates new or returning to the rankings
Best public-access courses in California
Rustic Canyon in California (Courtesy of Rustic Canyon/Tommy Naccarato)
The ACC will include California, Stanford and SMU beginning with the 2024-25 season. That will bring the total number of conference members to 18. With that clearly being too high of a number for its conference basketball tournaments, the conference decided a change was needed.
While Notre Dame’s 16th-ranked women’s team is not expected to slide to the bottom of the ACC anytime soon, the men already are there in a rebuilding season. If the new rules went into effect for this season, the Irish wouldn’t be invited to the tournament.
Hopefully, with a year of experience under their belt, the young men’s Irish team will improve enough that they still will play in the 2025 ACC Tournament. There’s a long road ahead though, and there’s no guarantee of things being any better next year. Best of luck to [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] and his team in reaching this new goal.
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Architect Jay Blasi explains what makes Cypress Point Club special in his rater’s notebook.
Editor’s note: It’s not quite a seismic change in the Golfweek’s Best rankings, but this year Cypress Point in California has passed Pine Valley in New Jersey as the No. 1 Classic Course built in the U.S. before 1960. It’s a matter of decimal points as the top courses jostle each other for position on the various lists, and that’s the case with Cypress Point and Pine Valley as well. In 2023, Pine Valley was No. 1 with a 9.62 average rating, and Cypress Point was No. 2 with a 9.60 average rating. When our lists were extracted from the Golfweek’s Best database this year, Cypress Point averaged 9.62, while Pine Valley came in at 9.60. Below, golf course architect Jay Blasi – who works with Golfweek as a rater advisor and contributes occasional stories – shares his thoughts on Cypress Point and how it stacks up using our Golfweek’s Best rater criteria.
. . .
Cypress Point long has been known as one of the most beautiful and exclusive golf courses on Earth. Golfers from around the world have seen the breathtaking photos in magazines of the coastline stretch and dreamt of playing the course.
Visitors to the Monterey Peninsula cruise through the golf course on 17-Mile Drive to within a few feet of the 15th tee, where the Pacific Ocean crashes hard against the rugged coastline. But only a tiny fraction of golfers will ever play the course. Those who do should understand that while the famed coastline holes are wonderful, it is the totality of the journey that sets Cypress Point apart.
For those guests lucky enough to get the invite, the anticipation is overwhelming. Turning into the driveway and past the sign that reads “CYPRESS POINT CLUB – MEMBERS ONLY” is a seminal moment in any golfer’s life. Players beaming with excitement meet at the tiny golf shop bursting with merchandise. It is a feeding frenzy as each player loads up on logo gear for themselves as well as every golf buddy they have ever met.
After the order of play is set and the caddies are introduced, it is time to hit the first tee shot – one of the scarier propositions in amateur golf. Here you are in the shadow of the golf shop, no warm-up, and you must tee off over 17-Mile Drive. The next four hours offer perhaps the greatest walk in golf.
No. 9 at Cypress Point Club in California (Photo by Martin Miller/MillerBrown)
The journey is like a nature stroll starting with a trek to the dunes on Nos. 1-3. From there you head inland to the forest for Nos. 4-7, then wander back into the dunes at 8 and 9. After looking out to the sea from the dunes, you dip into the forest at 10 and 11 then start a thrilling march out to the sea through the dunes at Nos. 12-14.
From No. 14 green, players cross the famed 17-Mile Drive and walk 85 yards overlooking the Pacific Ocean before arriving at the 15th tee. Nos. 15-17 all play along and over the rocky coastline with seals or sea lions as sleepy onlookers. The 18th plays from the coastline back into the forest uphill toward the clubhouse.
Most golfers know that Dr. Alister MacKenzie designed Cypress Point, and many know Marion Hollins was the developer. However, few know that before MacKenzie was hired, Hollins had engaged Seth Raynor – famed designer of such revered layouts as Chicago Golf Club, Fishers Island, Yale and Yeamans Hall – to design the course. Raynor’s sudden death in 1926 opened the door for Hollins and MacKenzie to become perhaps the greatest developer/designer team of all time.
Following is how I have rated Cypress Point in the 10 categories that Golfweek uses for each course. The hundreds of raters who help compile Golfweek’s annual best-of course lists look at 10 topics, then give each course an overall ranking. Each category is assigned a rating of 1 through 10, then a course is given a non-cumulative overall rating.
No. 18 at Cypress Point Club in California (Photo by Martin Miller/MillerBrown)
1. Routing: 9 (on a scale of 1 to 10) The way the course weaves through the dunes, forests and coastline is a master class in routing. Had the 18th hole turned left instead of right and finished below the clubhouse with the coastline as the backdrop, it would undoubtedly be the best routing in the world.
2. Consistency with original design: 10 Over the past 10 years or so the team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw has worked with the club to ensure the course is presented in line with its origins.
3. Overall land plan: 9 The clubhouse is situated where it can look over the ocean without taking away frontage from the course. The maintenance facility is discreetly hidden amongst the forest. Homes on the perimeter of the course don’t detract from the beauty.
4. Greens and surrounds: 8 With a mix of sizes, shapes and contours, each fits beautifully into the varied landscape. Perhaps the most noteworthy is the uber-skinny ninth set within the dunes almost perpendicular to the line of play.
5. Variety and memorability of the par 3s: 10 The long 16th over the ocean to an isthmus is often considered one of the top par 3s in the world. Its little brother, the coastline-hugging 15th, might be more loved as it plays only about 130 yards. The inland one-shotters at 3 and 7 make great use of the biggest dune on the property.
6. Variety and memorability of the par 4s: 9 The drivable ninth is one of the better short 4s around. The stretch of 11-14 – all playing west and each moving from left to right – sounds repetitive, but each is a brilliant use of natural landforms.
7. Variety and memorability of the par 5s: 7 MacKenzie broke the rules at CPC with three par 5s in the first six holes, including back-to-back at Nos. 5 and 6. A draw off the tee will help at 2, 5 and 6. The bunkering on No. 5 in the forest is some of the most beautiful you will find.
8. Tree and landscape management: 9 The team at CPC has gone to great lengths to restore dune scapes and manage forests. The cypress and Monterey pines add to the allure as players weave from one landscape to another.
9. Conditioning: 9 Jeff Markow, the longtime superintendent at CPC, has the golf course and grounds better than ever leading up to the 2025 Walker Cup. The playing surfaces are firm and true, while areas off the fairway are beautiful and playable.
10. “Walk in the Park” test: 10 In March of 2022 I was lucky enough to join my good friend, Jason Bruno, for a day at Cypress Point. He even had me invite my dad to join us, something I had been trying to do for 20-plus years. As we walked up the 13th fairway heading towards the Pacific, I asked my dad, “So, what do you think?” He replied “I’ve been playing golf for almost 70 years, and this is my favorite round of golf ever.”
Overall: 9.3 One of the greatest golf courses in the world. The breathtaking beauty of the setting and the brilliance of the routing may be unmatched in the game. If ever given the chance to play Cypress Point, the answer is always, “Yes, I’m available.”
Austin Pope, who was a basketball coach at John Burroughs High School (Burbank, California), was charged this week according to a press release from the Burbank Police Department with “theft in connection with his official capacity.”
Following an investigation by the Burbank police, Pope has been accused of having taken “funds he was entrusted with in his official capacity as a coach. The case was reviewed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, who referred it to the Burbank City Attorney’s Office.”
He has been charged with ‘Theft by False Pretenses Exceeding $950.’ There is a court date for Pope in late June where he will be arraigned.
Per KTLA, a CW station in Los Angeles, Pope’s position as a varsity basketball coach “has since been terminated by the School District.”
June officially is upon us, which means we’re one step closer to college football returning. That also means award watch lists are starting to come out, and plenty of Notre Dame players will be on them considering the Irish are expected to be College Football Playoff contenders. We have our first such instance now.
[autotag]Benjamin Morrison[/autotag] and [autotag]Howard Cross III[/autotag] have been named to the watch list for the Lott Trophy, which is given annually the best defensive IMPACT player. It considers character as well as play, the only major college football award to do so. [autotag]Manti Te’o[/autotag] is the lone previous winner for the Irish, taking the award in 2012.
The initial list consists of 42 names, so that obviously means a lot of competition for both players. Hopefully, at least one of them somehow stand out above the rest when the winner is announced during the ceremony Dec. 8 in Newport Beach, California.
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