Unusual Ocean Phenomena Linked to El Niño Bring Marine Markers to California Beaches

Recent storms, coupled with a growing El Niño, have led to powerful swells and rising ocean temperatures along the California coast. These conditions have caused sand erosion and attracted unusual marine life to local shores. Amid these changes, Ventura County officials encountered an unexpected visitor: a marine marker resembling a bomb washed up on a local beach.

The marine marker, identified as a Navy MK25 phosphorus location marker, is designed to produce smoke and flames for locating objects or people at sea. The origin or the exact location of its discovery remains unknown. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department has not commented on the matter yet.

Ventura County Sheriff’s bomb squad shared details about the marker on Instagram. In the comments, the Orange County Bomb Squad noted that recent storm activity might have brought the marker to the surface, mentioning similar occurrences in recent weeks. A concerned passerby noticed the marker at the waterline and, fearing for others’ safety, took it home before contacting law enforcement.

The Sheriff’s Bomb Squad worked with the Navy’s explosive ordnance disposal unit from Point Mugu to manage the situation at the individual’s residence. While the resident acted with good intentions, the authorities cautioned that marine markers remain hazardous. Even when wet and seemingly expended, residual phosphorus poses risks. It can dry out and spontaneously ignite or explode when moved, burning at temperatures up to 3,000 degrees and being highly toxic.

This was not the sole unusual discovery related to recent ocean conditions. Over the summer, the Sheriff’s bomb squad and naval explosive ordnance disposal unit dealt with a more dangerous item—a Super Bazooka round. In July, officials responded to Mugu State Beach Tower 14, situated within Point Mugu State Park along Pacific Coast Highway, assisting state parks police and lifeguards with a piece of military ordnance from the 1950s washed ashore.

Ventura County’s bomb squad explained that prior to its transformation into a public beach, this area functioned as a military training facility. Therefore, changing tides and ongoing sand erosion sometimes reveal military ordnance. The Super Bazooka round, found to contain live explosives, was deemed too hazardous to move. The beach and Pacific Coast Highway were temporarily closed so the ordnance could be safely disposed of.

Ventura County’s bomb squad advises anyone who finds an item resembling a bomb or military equipment to leave it untouched, evacuate the vicinity, and immediately call 911.

In August, sand erosion uncovered two jetties, constructed years ago to counteract beach erosion and protect ocean-side homes near Newport Harbor.

Recent ocean conditions have also brought unusual marine life sightings. Near Malibu Pier, a hammerhead shark was observed circling the waters. Hammerheads typically favor warmer environments than Southern California’s. Additionally, in early September, two olive ridley sea turtles, normally found in tropical waters, crawled ashore to lay eggs on Seal Beach and Huntington Beach. These turtles primarily nest in regions of Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.