The huge ocean swells that occurred last week (week starting January 15) has resulted in an unprecedented amount of kelp washing up on Manning Point beach.
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Brian Shoesmith, who has lived at Manning Point for the whole of his 75 years, said he has never seen so much of the seaweed collect like this in his lifetime.
“It’s 50 feet long and five feet high.”
He explained that the two breakers rolling in either side had created a channel that the kelp funnelled through towards the beach.
“There was a drain coming in like a tunnel and stacking it.”
And while it isn’t unusual for kelp to be washed onto the beach, the amount of it is unlike anything he has seen before.
Brian added that the waves were breaking 100 to 200 feet out and it was lucky for the big tide that kept the sand “way out to sea”.
The kelp continues further down the beach for some distance.
Brian’s wife Joan went down to the beach on Saturday morning, January 20, to photograph the phenomenon.
Lauren Green
Lauren has been a journalist with the Manning River Times since 2001.
Lauren has been a journalist with the Manning River Times since 2001.
