The Bay Head Beacon

Anyone who has ever visited the beach has held a sea shell to their ear so they can hear the ocean. No matter how far away a person is from the beach, they can put the shell to an ear and hear sounds reminiscent of waves and sea breezes. This tradition has existed for countless generations, but something has changed recently. Some people are reporting that when they put a shell to their ear, they are picking up phone conversations. Lifeguards on Point Pleasant and Bay Head beaches reported that people were coming up to them and saying there was something wrong with the shells. The lifeguards verified the problem and collected some of the shells to bring to their managers. That's when Dr. Tia Mowbuhl of Seton Hall University's Audiology Department was contacted. "When people hear the ocean in shells, it's actually an auditory illusion," said Dr. Mowbuhl. "The surrounding noises resonate in the shell creating the familiar ocean sound. What people have been ex

New Jersey beachgoers have noticed a sharp rise in the number of biting flies at the shore. Unlike years ago when insects at the beach were an occasional nuisance, biting flies have become a persistent pestilence. Some beaches are plagued by creepy "greenheads" with their painful bites that can make it almost impossible to stay outdoors. In Ocean county, it is usually black flies that scrape a person's skin and then drink the blood like a mini vampire.  As local resident Dawn MacMantis put it, "These flies really suck! All these sand flies, and sand fleas on our sandwiches! You swat at them and they just bite you more. And repellents barely work. You can almost hear the bugs laughing at you when you're putting it on." The question that arises is, what is causing this sudden spike in vicious bugs? A researcher at the Eastern Entomology Knowledge Base University Group Science (EEKBUGS) thinks she knows the answer. "Modern Americans are just too tasty,&quo

There is nothing more heartbreaking than losing something that is very dear to us. Maybe it is a family heirloom, or something with great sentimental value. Bay Head resident, Iona Yaht, recently suffered such a loss. While walking on the beach her favorite bracelet was lost. She searched frantically, but without success. "When you have something you really treasure," Iona said, "losing it can feel like the end of the world. When I realized it was missing on the beach, I tried so hard to find it. I mean, I didn't touch the sand with my hands or anything. You never know who has been walking on it and there's always something gross. But I did walk back and forth a couple of times hoping I might spot it." The Yaht's insurance policy would not provide full restitution for the bracelet. "I couldn't believe they wouldn't cover it," said Iona. "Just two weeks prior I had paid $12K American dollars for the bracelet while we were in Monaco.