Powerful swells driven by recent storms and the escalation of El Niño are impacting ocean waters around California. These conditions are causing sand erosion and attracting rare wildlife to the shores. However, Ventura County officials were surprised when these unusual ocean conditions brought a ‘bomb-like’ marine marker to a local beach.
The Navy MK25 phosphorus location marker is designed to create visible smoke and flame signals that aid in locating objects or people in the water. Its origin and exact discovery location last week remain unclear. The Ventura County Sheriff’s department has yet to respond to requests for comment. The Sheriff’s bomb squad shared information about the marker through an Instagram post.
In the comment section of the post, the Orange County Bomb Squad suggested that recent storms might have contributed to the appearance of this marine marker, mentioning that similar markers have washed up recently.
A concerned citizen noticed the marker at the waterline and, worried about the safety of other beachgoers, took the marker home before contacting law enforcement. The Sheriff’s Bomb Squad and Navy explosive ordnance disposal unit from Point Mugu were summoned to retrieve the device from the citizen’s home.
Officials approved of the citizen’s intentions but cautioned that marine markers are dangerous, even if wet or used. Residual phosphorus can dry out once removed from the water, potentially reigniting or exploding when handled. These markers can burn at temperatures reaching 3,000 degrees and are highly toxic.
It wasn’t the sole unusual discovery due to the current ocean conditions. During the summer, the Sheriff’s bomb squad and Navy explosive ordnance disposal unit responded to another hazardous event at the beach involving a Super Bazooka round.
In July, officials were called to Mugu State Beach Tower 14, located within Point Mugu State Park along Pacific Coast Highway, to assist state parks police and lifeguards with a military ordnance from the 1950s that had washed ashore. According to the Sheriff’s Instagram post, this area was previously a training site for the U.S. military.
The changing tides and ongoing sand erosion can reveal military ordnance at this location. Officials determined that the item was a Super Bazooka round containing live explosives, posing a significant danger, necessitating immediate disposal on site.
Ventura County’s bomb squad urges anyone discovering items resembling bombs or military equipment to leave them untouched, leave the area, and contact 911.
In August, sand erosion exposed a pair of jetties built decades ago, intended to prevent beach erosion and shield oceanfront homes near Newport Harbor.
A hammerhead shark, preferring warmer waters, was observed near Malibu Pier, a rare occurrence for Southern California waters. Furthermore, two olive ridley sea turtles made history in September when they emerged to lay eggs in the sands of Seal Beach and Huntington Beach. These turtles are typically found in tropical regions of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans. Their significant nesting sites include Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.