THE HARBOR COLUMN:

Ahoy,

Is it just me, or did anyone else notice that the front page of Wednesday’s Pilot showed Temple Isaiah congregants releasing latex balloons into the air from an area directly next to Newport’s Back Bay, which is an ecological reserve and California Fish and Game Department’s Ecological Reserve System? Now, I am not one to stop tradition, but releasing balloons that are known to harm wildlife is not the usual Tashlich ritual.

When I am at skippering yachts on the ocean, I constantly have to keep diverting my course due to objects floating in the ocean; many are strings of rubber or Mylar balloons. It is really amazing the number of balloons I see while out on the ocean, including on the way to Hawaii, too. The damage these balloons cause on the waterways is significant because the sea creatures eat these floating objects thinking that the balloons are food.

Please do not release balloons in the air for any reason. Any event that releases balloons into the open air is doing a major disservice to our environment.

While we are on the topic of balloons, I remember when boating in Newport Harbor also meant stocking up on a supply of water balloons to defend yourself while sailing around the harbor. Well, unfortunately, the art of simply tossing a water balloon has been enhanced as some water-balloon launchers are so powerful they can severely injure someone’s eyes. And I have been told that even a hand-tossed balloon hitting the face damage eyes.

Most everyone knows that water balloons have been banned on the harbor for a while, yet you still see the lone water balloon flying through the area at an unsuspecting target. Usually, only the boat is hit and the sailors might get a little spray. However, things can turn bad. In the Aug. 10 to 23, 2001, issue of the Log Newspaper, there is an article about a deputy sheriff receiving injuries to both eyes from a water balloon launched from a 47-foot Coast Guard vessel while both units were patrolling a part of Lake Michigan.

Who remembers years ago when we would throw rotten oranges that were swept down the creek into the bay after rain storms? So, keep in mind that water balloons that get into the ocean will harm any sea creature that thinks it is lunch.

MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating columnist. Send marine-related thoughts and story suggestions to [email protected] or go to www.boathousetv.com.