Advisory doesn’t slow down beach enthusiasts

Stefanie Frith

NEWPORT BEACH -- As huge, dark rain clouds hovered overhead and

visitors shivered in the cold at the Newport Aquatic Center, marine

microbiologist Rodolfo Iturriaga marveled at the amount of debris people

throw into the ocean.

“It’s no wonder why places like here [North Star Beach] are reported

as having too much waste and have warning signs up,” said the USC

professor. “But really, it’s not as bad as they say because this area

washed out to the ocean every six hours so it stays pretty clean, even

after the rain.”

After this weekend’s rain, parts of Newport Dunes and North Star Beach

were given health advisories by the Orange County Environmental Health

Division, stating that the level of bacteria exceed state levels. The

health department could not be reached for further comment.

At North Star Beach, however, Iturriaga said that perhaps the health

division should reconsider.

“I don’t see the problem, and I have worked with the sanitation

department for years and studied this,” he said. “Of course after the

storms the water is carrying disease and runoff, but here, it’s all

washed out to sea.”

Billy Whitford, director of the Aquatic Center, said all the health

department is trying to do is say that people shouldn’t swim in the ocean

after it rains.

“I will get a call from the health department and let me know that

this area has [a health advisory] and then the lifeguards come out and

put up the signs,” Whitford said. “Incidental contact is OK, but it says

no swimming. But if he [Iturriaga] says it’s OK, then I think so too.”

Newport Beach Fire Department Lifeguard Lt. Mitch White said despite

warnings in other areas of Newport Beach, such as 43rd, 33rd to 37th

streets and at the Harbor Marina at West Coast Highway and Newport

Boulevard which had long-term advisory warnings, there were still a lot

of surfers in the water Sunday morning.

According to the Heal the Bay’s Southern California Beach Report Card

for the week of Feb. 5, these beaches, including Newport Dunes, receive a

grade of F when it rains.

“Mostly, we have pretty smart beach-goers who stay out of the water,”

White said. “But there have been lots of surfers and the waves are

getting better. They don’t care. Even though they say not to swim in the

ocean after the rain because of all the runoff from the streets.”

Michel Faris of Corona del Mar, who was at the Aquatics Center Sunday,

said he didn’t even know there were warning signs up around North Star

Beach. This is not surprising, as the two signs posted were falling apart

and rolled up from the wind and rain.

“I don’t see any signs,” Faris said, getting ready to go out kayaking.

“I was in the water doing a [kayak] race yesterday too but I didn’t see

anything in the water. It looks fine and the birds were out and nesting

too.”

And while Sunday’s weather didn’t keep everyone away from the beaches,

it did produce a fairly small water spout about two to three miles off

Balboa Island at noon. It lasted from five to seven minutes, said Sgt.

James Thomas, of the Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol.