McKinleyville, Calif. -The Coast Guard has arranged for the removal of Humboldt Bay Buoy Nine from the Big Lagoon Spit by a commercial heavy-lift helicopter on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008.
The buoy was reported adrift January 30, 2008 and discovered on Big Lagoon beach on February 3, having drifted about 20 nautical miles. The buoy is about 17 feet long, seven feet in diameter and weighs about eight tons.
The Coast Guard delayed the recovery of the buoy until now to limit the possible disruption of the Western Snowy Plover and California Brown Pelican that are known to live in the area.