Swiss Cheese Beach

We found the coolest beach today (thanks to our favorite sport of geocaching!). The name of the geocache is Saltwater, Sandstone, and Swiss Cheese - and it's a very apt name. There were all these swirling sandstone formations on the shoreline. Turns out this natural sculpting phenomenon is called "honeycomb weathering." It can be observed throughout the world on shorelines, in deserts and in the Antarctic.

Honeycomb weathering results from the effects of salt and water. In storms and high tides, the rocks above the shoreline get splashed with salt water. When the water evaporates, salt crystals form inside crevices and the force of the expanding crystal can break the rock, creating a small hole that becomes larger as the process repeats itself over time. Honeycomb patterns can appear as soon as 25 years after a rock is placed in a vulnerable spot. After centuries, a strip about three feet above the shoreline can recede as if a giant had bitten into the rock face.

It was definitely a great beach! Although one of the muddiest/messiest ones we've ever been to - stepped in mud up to our ankles several times... Good thing the water was nearby to wash us off.

Lots of barnacles and mussels clinging to the rocks at low tide. These rocks look like weird mushrooms...

Another successful geocaching adventure! Look at that smile. :-)