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Pithy_heart t1_j7vmy8w wrote

Those are absolutely no joke. Watch out folks! A close friend almost certainly would have died had he not seen a series off swells coming it that filled the little beach (OR coast) with a boiling stew of huge snapping logs and debris

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thx1138- t1_j7wl74o wrote

Can someone explain what we're even talking about here? Grew up next to the ocean, but in Southern California, so I have no frame of reference.

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Solmors t1_j7wo48l wrote

Downed trees are incredibly heavy/massive and yet still float in water. If one is in the water near you get away from it because if the waves push it towards the shore it could trap and crush anyone who gets under it.

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thx1138- t1_j7wp9c3 wrote

Well that's horrifying.

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plantmic t1_j7yb23o wrote

Have you ever heard of foreign driftwood? It’s what you call the bits that turn up that aren’t a good match to any nearby tree species. Beyond that there’s also what’s called alien driftwood and those are the bits that are unable to be matched to existing tree species on the planet.

Alien driftwood didn’t show up on a meteor obviously, and it wasn’t planted by ETs, but it probably comes from an ancient sunken forest somewhere in the depths of the oceans. The thing about a lot of alien driftwood is that it still shows signs of active nutrient circulation when it surfaces meaning that it has only died recently!

Somewhere on the bottom of the sea there probably is a living forest. Questions have arisen about the sunken city of Atlantis or other lost civilizations. The problem is, the driftwood bits often contain nested animals - underwater birds and sea-tree frogs. These animals are vicious and super strong and as soon as they’re disturbed they come raging out of their nests and fend off researchers. Soon after that, without fail, a team of elite scuba beavers emerges from the ocean and cuts up the wood and drags it back to sea. We’ve never been able to learn much about these wood pieces because of the elite scuba beavers’ ability to dismantle it so fast.

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/j3d6g2/comment/g7bzrdr/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

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goatofglee t1_j7znfc7 wrote

Aw, I was getting so excited and was eager to go down a rabbit hole of ancient, underwater forests.

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earth_worx t1_j82s0l9 wrote

There's also something called a deadhead log - one that has gotten waterlogged so that it floats vertically. You can't see them in the water, but when they move with the swells if you're traveling over one in a boat, it can punch a hole right through the hull.

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bingbano t1_j7zkbkj wrote

One if them took out one of our ferries last year I think.

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NotThreeLeafCasaba t1_j8emhcs wrote

Does it matter where you are though and if you're far from the beach? Like if you were far out to see I bet you could grab one as a life raft.

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mtntrail t1_j80495p wrote

“Sometimes a Great Notion” excellent film, a few very scary scenes.

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BurntRussianBBQ t1_j7xtpff wrote

Wow I've never thought of this hazard and been surfing many times in areas like Big Sur. What's the best defense? Know the area and spot sometimes with binoculars? Don't surf after big storms?

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Frankishism t1_j7y08qj wrote

Pretty sure the best defense is stay away from logs in ocean surf. It’s not going to sneak up on you, but if you get tempted to get too close just for a better look, it actually might.

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BurntRussianBBQ t1_j7y0dmt wrote

Sounds like you've never surfed in rough weather, or even been at a beach trying to look at things in the water. Thanks for wasting my time tho.

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Frankishism t1_j7y0qcl wrote

I’m from San Diego, been surfing for over 20 years. But ok. Enjoy surfing your heavy weather log runs spots dude.

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bingbano t1_j7zkhs1 wrote

Shi shi Beach near Neah Bay is washington is amazing surf

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Frankishism t1_j80eokp wrote

Dude! That beach is gorgeous. I just want to visit now, but surfing there would be awesome (and freezing)! I’d be sure to keep an eye out for sneaky logs.

As a side note, I’ve wanted to visit that area for a few years to check out the Elwa River restoration efforts, which is such a cool project.

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bingbano t1_j80h3f2 wrote

That's what drove me to live out here actually. My family has been involved in the restoration for the past 6 years or so. My prego wife still is working in restoration, so we joke even our kid is involved.

I even grow native plants to guerilla plant out. 84 tree saplings, hundred lupin seedlings, trailing blackberry starts, ex..

Next time you go up to the upper dam. Hike out to Boulder creek on the west side of the river. There is a terrace that is extremely bare, mostly just pebbles and sand. It's the control plot for the restoration project and wasn't planted. Pretty cool to see the science of restoration biology at work. Without the native plantings, nature can take a while to recolonize. Native plantings really do help in this massive restoration projects.

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Frankishism t1_j80lk0w wrote

It’ll be a few years before I can make it out there, but when I do I’ll remember this. Glad I mentioned Elwa - was speaking to an EXPERT. Hopefully the research from this will lead to unleashing other rivers, bringing back even more fish runs and restoring a bunch other habitats.

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bingbano t1_j80m56g wrote

Pretty sure they have more dam removals planned. Can't have fish without flowing rivers

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BurntRussianBBQ t1_j7y0srx wrote

And yet, you had absolutely nothing to add. Again, thanks for wasting my time.

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stayshiny t1_j7yv8e1 wrote

Neither do I but this is kinda funny now.

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[deleted] t1_j7y0y25 wrote

[removed]

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BurntRussianBBQ t1_j7y116r wrote

Literally anything beside your comments. Now run along.

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Frankishism t1_j7y1jun wrote

“What’s the best defense against a massive floating tree in the ocean?” Listen you asked a stupid question. It’s ok, that happens to the best of us champ. Don’t let this get you down!

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Chiksea t1_j7y6lo7 wrote

Growing up in Oregon, I remember most injuries or deaths occurring when someone on the beach walked on or near a large log or stump that was just on the edge of the tide. People don’t realize how easily the waves can make them roll.

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