Ocean Waves at Molera Point

I'm not a surfer, though perhaps I would like to be. I like the ocean. Every time I drive out to the coast there is that moment of the first smell of it. Sometime, if the wind is just right, you can be fifteen miles away when you sense the first hint of salt and seaweed. And then there is the thrill when you rise over the hill or curl around the bend and are presented with the far-off horizon.

I'm a sucker for the sea and I really can't explain it. On a clear day it is this immense, monotonous expanse of blue. One could think of it as the most mundane and boring thing and then wonder at how something so large and mundane can evoke such a feeling... at least for me. Then again, I'm just a sucker for such a thing... I once bought 80 acres of ocean from a fellow, but lost it when a current came along. Last time I saw it, it was headed up towards Alaska.

Yes, it is a big, flat, sometimes blue thing that I just love being around. And I figured that, as long as I am hanging out there, I should probably make a recording of it. And so I have. Lots of them. And they are all different... sometimes it thunders, occasionally it whispers.. In some places it clatters and clunks, in others it crackles or recedes with a shoosh.

This particular recording was made In Big Sur, California. Right where the Big Sur river meets the ocean at Molera Point. I began recording about 45 minutes before high tide and it ends about 45 minutes after. The microphones were facing the cliff wal of the point with the river coming in from the right and the broader ocean out to the left.

I chose this specific location because, number one, there are very few people there, it is a very long walk to the beach, and two, it is really interesting sounding. While you have the river gurgling away, the cycle of waves and the constriction of the point cause the water level where the river and ocean meet to vary by 20 inches or so (about a half-meter) every 8 - 15 minutes.

Also it was a beautiful day, the ocean wasn't overly loud. On many days I have gone out because the ocean is so exciting... big waves crashing making a magnificent racket... However, when you are standing there watching the waves, your brain is filtering the sounds so you are hearing the waves you are looking at better. Unfortunately, the microphones hear it all. They hear the roar of that wave a hundred yards off and the one a quarter mile or so away so you can end up with this huge mosh pit of sound. This day was not one of those... it was warm. fairly calm. and really, quite a pleasant day to do something as arduous as making a nature recording.

About 15 minutes into the recording a pair of terns make their arrival. They hang out for a bit and then you might hear them bathing in the fresh water of the stream before they make their exit.

What are you supposed to do with a 90 minute recording of ocean waves? Have it looping while you sleep to create a restful environment. Play it quietly in the background when you have guests over for dinner... when there is a lull in the conversation it will fill those awkward silences and perhaps create a paoint of departure for the next topic of conversations "Is that the ocean I hear?"