Recent powerful swells, driven by storms and an emerging El Niño, are warming ocean waters, leading to significant sand erosion along California’s coast. Unusual marine life is appearing, but there are unexpected consequences, such as a ‘bomb-like’ discovery on a Ventura County beach.
A Navy MK25 phosphorus location marker, designed to emit a visible smoke and flame for locating objects or people in water, has turned up. Its origin and precise discovery location remain unknown. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department has not released a statement, but their bomb squad has shared the news on Instagram.
In the post’s comments, the Orange County Bomb Squad mentioned that recent storms might be causing such markers to wash ashore, as they have in recent weeks. When a concerned beachgoer found the marker, they took it home and alerted law enforcement out of concern for public safety. The Sheriff’s Bomb Squad, along with the Navy explosive ordnance disposal unit from Point Mugu, handled the situation at the resident’s Ojai home.
Officials acknowledged the good intentions of the resident’s actions but highlighted that such marine markers, even if wet, remain hazardous. Residual phosphorus can dry and spontaneously ignite or explode upon movement. These markers can burn at extremely high temperatures and are very toxic.
“Marine markers, even if wet and expended, are extremely dangerous. Residual phosphorus can dry out once removed from the water, then spontaneously reignite or explode when moved.” – Ventura County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad
It was not the only dangerous item revealed by the ocean’s shifting state. In the summer, a Super Bazooka round was discovered at Mugu State Beach. Officials responded to State Beach Tower 14 to assist with a military ordnance from the 1950s that surfaced. Initially used as a military training site, the beach occasionally reveals ordnance as the tides change and sand erodes.
The Super Bazooka round contained live explosives and had to be neutralized on site, leading to a temporary closure of the beach and Pacific Coast Highway. The Ventura County bomb squad urged the public to avoid tampering with military equipment found on beaches and to contact authorities immediately.
Additional changes in ocean conditions exposed long-hidden jetties constructed to protect oceanfront properties near Newport Harbor in August. Also, sightings of marine creatures like a hammerhead shark near Malibu Pier and olive ridley sea turtles laying eggs in Seal Beach and Huntington Beach have occurred, marking rare appearances from warm-water species.