It’s Been a Busy Week for the Atlantic Ocean

There has been an unusually large amount of news going on in the Hamptons lately that has to do with the Atlantic Ocean. Last week, just about all of us were shocked when we heard that a headless body was discovered in Amagansett, not too far down the street from Paul McCartney’s house. Who was this body? Was there foul play? Could it be the Mafia? Was it a suicide?
It turns out that the headless body in Amagansett is still very much a mystery, but foul play seems to have been ruled out by investigators. And it is not one of the Gilgo Beach murders that have been sweeping the news on Long Island, because the body has been identified as a male, a very small male, but a male nonetheless. We are following this story closely as it develops.
Then last week, it was reported that there has been an enormous decline in the amount of striped bass in the Atlantic Ocean. More ocean problems, seems to be the problem, yet nobody is too sure what has caused the decline in striped bass. Does it have to do with the oil spill in the Gulf? The Japan nuclear disaster? Over-fishing? It can’t be over-fishing, the fishermen are tied to new and very strict rules.  Well don’t worry too much, the striped bass may be in decline, but they are not disappearing. Even still, it is bothersome that such a mighty fish in the Atlantic would suffer in population. Perhaps in the future the striped bass population will increase.
The Atlantic Ocean news continues.
There was a massive boat fire in North Haven that caused an entire boat to be completely destroyed about two weeks ago. Nobody was injured in the incident, except for the boat of course, and the North Haven Fire Department successfully put out the flames. It was very dramatic though, a boat in a ball of flames, in the middle of the Hamptons.
And then just about a week later, the Ditch Witch, which has been a local food stand at Ditch Plains beach for 17 years and is legendary in Montauk, didn’t win a concession bid to operate the stand again this summer. This caused a hailstorm of anger among locals in Montauk, and trust me, you don’t want to piss off locals in Montauk. In the end, the Town relented. The Ditch Witch got its place back again.
And the Ocean news continues. Main Beach in East Hampton, known for the summer fireworks, may have trouble pulling off a Labor Day Fireworks event this year if donations to the fireworks program do not pick up. The organizers of this annual event on the beach, which is sort of a Hamptons summer-goer’s birthright, may not have the necessary funds to hold this wonderful event. How is this even possible? This is one of the most important events in the summer and we can’t get enough money to shoot off a few fireworks into the air?
Could it be that this is the year of bad Atlantic Ocean news?
Think I’m done? I’m not, there are still more news stories that has to do with the Atlantic Ocean.
Last week, a woman paddler rescued a clammer from the sea in a very dramatic fashion. The clammer, who nearly died by drowning if it wasn’t for the paddler who was in the nearby area, had never had a close call with the sea, and has been clamming for years. But for some reason, THIS was the year that he nearly bit the dust.
And then there was the recent police report of an injured seal on the beach, which was rescued by the Riverhead Marine Foundation last week. Thanks to their efforts it will be sent back out into the Atlantic Ocean when it is rehabilitated.
Hopefully, the Atlantic Ocean news will stop, and the headlines for next week will be the normal stuff about how nice the ocean has been for everybody.