While floating across the bay the other day we came across a patch of sea foam. When its rough out there the sea foam is blown into the shore.
Dave (pictured above) is laying in a pool of spume on the rocky shore.
It smells pretty funky, tastes gross (don’t try it folks, yuk!)…here’s what wikipedia has to say:
Sea foam, ocean foam, beach foam, or spume is a type of foam created by the agitation of seawater, particularly when it contains higher concentrations of dissolved organic matter (including proteins, lignins, and lipids) derived from sources such as the offshore breakdown of algal blooms.
These compounds can act as surfactants or foaming agents.
As the seawater is churned by breaking waves in the surf zone adjacent to the shore, the presence of these surfactants under these turbulent conditions traps air, forming persistent bubbles that stick to each other through surface tension.
Due to its low density and persistence, foam can be blown by strong on-shore winds from the beachface inland.
