Slippery, Not Smelly

As if the stingray “attacks” of a few weeks ago weren't enough, now we have the beaches of La Jolla Shores getting slimed by green algae.

A roving La Jolla lifeguard told me on August 13 that this neon-green muck "has been offshore for about a week now," sighted on beaches in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

According to experts from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Tetraselmis algae is not hazardous to swim in (but I can tell you, it is not a pleasant experience). In the morning, the green patches float off the beaches, but as the afternoon rolls around and the wind picks up, the algae invades the shoreline. It is slippery but not smelly.

I noticed tourists gazing curiously at the latest oddity to strike San Diego waters. Many tourists and visitors seemed put off from enjoying a swim.