Hey, guys! I’m going to give you Your Week in Ocean in two parts today, because yesterday I experienced some particular gross grossness at the beach and want to highlight this problem as its own thing. It’s that important!

Now, we love the beach for various reasons, right? Some of us like to surf, some of us like to stroll, some of us like to toss a ball for our dogs, some of us like to bone in the dune hollows, some of us may like all the above. Great. Fine. No judging. The beach is one of the great gifts of living in California. 

Given that so much pleasure takes place out there where the Pacific meets the shore, let’s keep it a place where happiness can manifest without the distraction of plastic, human and canine waste – please?

Based on my interaction with the peninsula yesterday, a quick refresher on how to do this is in order. 

2 Simple Things You Can Do To Make the Spit Less Gross

Lesson #1: If you’re going to have sex in the dunes – and god knows, some weird shit goes on out there – please at least then take your used condom with you to dispose of properly. You’re thinking ahead enough to have condoms, right? So go on and take this next step. 

Invasive species. (Note: I gotta good zoom on my camera. I did not get close to the nasty.) By Jennifer Savage.

Lesson #2: If you’re going to go to the trouble of putting your dog’s shit into a plastic doggie poop bag, don’t leave the bag on the side of the road – or anywhere but the garbage can. What do you think is going to happen to it? Some magical dog poop cleaning fairy is going to come gather it up for you? No. What happens is, now not only do we have a pile of dog shit on the beach, but we have a plastic bag that will last forever and ever on the beach and eventually into the ocean. Again, we applaud your forethought in putting the poop into the bag – but encourage you to complete the action by taking the step that most matters. 

Poop into bag, good. Leaving on side of road, bad. By Jennifer Savage.

Thanks.