Spiny Purple Sea Urchins in Sea Isle City, New Jersey

I have the pleasure of being beside the waters of the Intercoastal Waterway throughout much of the summer and some brief stretches during the winter. This is a great place to really appreciate the Sea isle City bay wildlife and learn a thing or two about nature.

One of a number of interesting species I see along the Sea Isle City (SIC), New Jersey bay are sea urchins. They are usually suspended just above or just below the water surface as they hang onto the sides of a dock or bulkhead.

I am not an oceanographer so you may need to give me a little leeway here (lol) but after some rudimentary research it seems that I am looking at the purple sea urchin. I has one to two inch long spines and purple color. I’ve heard people refer to it as a sea anomie but I think they are more poisonous and not the ones I (may or may not) have identified here. Regardless don’t step on or tough these these as the points are meant for protection and will stick you.

Apparently, the purple sea urchin is comfortable resting on these docks as they mainly eat decaying matter. Old kelp, algae, decaying ocean life, plant matter, they eat all of this.

Good to know something helping to keep the bay water clean.

Sea Otters Sighted In Sea Isle City New Jersey?

On March 17, 2012 Sea Isle City hosted its annual St Patrick’s day parade and celebration. The weather was unseasonably warm (mid sixties). While the St. Pat revelry was going on in downtown Sea Isle, I was getting reports of sea otters swimming in the bay (Intercoastal Waterway) in the vicninity of 44^th street just across from Larson’s boat rentals.

I was about 10 blocks away on foot so by the time I got over there the sea otters were gone. I’m not sure if anyone reading this has ever seen a sea otter in sea isle? I am not an oceanographer but I wonder if they could have been possibly river otters as my rudimentary research seems to indicate these otters are common to New Jersey?

I wish I saw it. I have heard rare reports of seals sunning themselves on people’s docks along the bay but maybe these claims are incorrect? Maybe they were otters (sea or river) instead?

Sea Isle certainly supports prey that otters enjoy such as clams, crabs, and mussels. Another prey they enjoy very much are sea urchins. I did notice in the area of the otter sighting that there were plenty of purple sea urchins hanging on the bulkheads. Perhaps this abundance of prey enticed the otters?

I wish someone was able to snap a picture. Maybe this is just another bigfoot sighting just on a smaller scale

2012 Saint Patricks in SIC NJ Review

I’ve been attending the Saint Patrick’s Day celebration in Sea Isle City, New Jersey for years now. As a Pennsylvania resident it is nice to shake off the winter cabin fever and head to Sea Isle City for a nice weekend away from town. The 2012 celebration was held on Saturday, March 17^th.

St Pats is much easier than other huge events like Polar Bear Plunge to find rental housing for a comfortable place to stay. We were fortunate to rent a place that we have used in the past and it felt like coming home again.

The weather was very, very warm for a March day at the shore. Weather was in the comfortable 60’s during the day and I felt most comfortable walking around in a sweatshirt.

What made this St. Pats different from other years in SIC is that I did not visit the parade and post parade party up at the south-end of the island (63^rd street). Instead, for the first time I focused my entire time further north in the central, downtown section of Sea Isle up around JFK plaza.

All of the local establishments were open and fully committed to a St Patricks day theme. The OD, La Costa and Pour House were decked out in St Pats regalia and had the usual great offering of food and drink.

The crowd was very friendly and mostly stayed inside instead of reveling on the street. The only outdoor event was the parade up around 63^rd, afterward most people went into the more comfortable St Pats parties inside. That said, there were still plenty of people enjoying the ocean breeze strolling on the promenade and I did notice a few boaters on the back bay taking advantage of the nice weather.

On a side note, there were reports of sea otter sightings on 44^th and the bay though by the time I got there they had left. I hope those otters make this a St. Pats tradition so I can see them next year.

The warm weather, friendly crowd and fun Irish themes made SIC St Pats as fun as any I’ve been to before. I was glad I went and I’m looking forward to next year.

St Pats in Sea Isle City New Jersey

Sea Isle City, New Jersey offers a number of winter time events that help folks to forget their winter blues and to give local business a chance to cash in on much needed off-season business.


Saint Patrick’s day in Sea Isle City (SIC) is a popular event. The crowds are not as massive as the epic Polar Bear Plunge but it is still a good time and a chance to catch up with friends.


Typically the party in Sea Isle is located toward the north, central end of the island in the region of JFK plaza. This is where the local restaurants and watering holes are occasionally open in the off-season for special events. What makes St. Pats different from other SIC events is that much of the fun is concentrate at the south end of the Island. Much of the festivities occur near Kixx-McNutley on 63^rd street. The SIC St Patrick’s parade begins on 93^rd street and works its way north. The parade is far from spectacular but if you feel part of Sea Isle it is a fun way to spend the middle, late afternoon. The parade features local police and firefighters, bag pipes and local politicians and personalities.


The parade ends at 63^rd street but the fun keeps going. The party is just beginning as revelers head into Kixx McNutley on 63rd to imbibe in warm refreshments and food. One Kixx tradition I love is when the bag pipe band finishes the parade they usually march inside and continue to play to the delight of the crowd.


For those who do not want to stroll all the way up to 63^rd, there are plenty of places with food and drink open near the center of town close to JFK. All the establishments host some sort of St. Patrick’s day fun. The OD, LaCosta, and Pour House all deck out in St Pats themes and stay open for the weekend.


I enjoy this event every year. It is a nice alternative to the big crowds of Philadelphia. SIC holds a nice festive event that I hope continues for years to come.

2012 Sea Isle City SIC Polar Bear Plunge Review

The 2012 Sea Isle City Polar Bear plunge was yet another hit. This annual event reached its 18th consecutive season on February 18, 2012.

The plunge featured the usual thousands of bathers running into the very cold Atlantic Ocean waters. This follows a terrific costume contest. It is estimated that 50,000 other souls came out to support the event by watching the swimmers and participating in the numerous events surrounding the 2012 Polar Bear Plunge.

All in all I thought the plunge was again another big hit in Sea Isle City (SIC). The plungers ran into and out of the ocean to everyone’s delight. It hurts me (who never goes into the winter water) to watch these folks do this but they seem to love it. They all went in bravely and came out laughing, shivering and with skin as pink as a baby girl's bedroom.

The events surrounding the 2012 Polar Bear were as solid as usual. There were plenty of local and regional vendors selling various goods and food. There were plenty of police on hand who seemed to do a great job keeping things from getting out of hand without spoiling any of the fun.

The entire LaCosta campus was under a giant tent to accommodate thousands of people. Revelers swarmed there to watch the great bands, embrace the festivity and imbibe for a while.

Find Roommates For Shore House You Rented in Sea Isle Avalon Etc

OK, you have committed to renting an entire shorehouse for the summer in Sea Isle City, New Jersey (or Avalon or Wildwood, or wherever.) You've committed yourself to tens of thousands of dollars. You need to find roommates or you'll be broke.

The bane of anyone who takes the responsibility of running a shorehouse is finding roommates and then getting them to pay. There is a lot of pressure to find people because your money, and often the money of others, is on the line. The closer you get to the number of roommates you want, the less you'll have to pay for the house.

There are a number of ways to find beach roommates. Here are some suggestions for finding beach roommates

1. Ask other "shore-people" within your network of aquaintences. People who spend summer weekends renting at the shore are die hards. They also switch homes like baseball players switch teams. If you've spend summers at the shore, you'll know these people. Find out if anyone is looking to leave last summer's house for a new beach house. Finding another shore person is good because 1) You might already know their personality 2) You might be able to ask their last shore house what kind of person they are and if they pay on-time 3) This person is familiar with the shore culture and knows what to expect

2. Ask friends that have visited but never 'did' the shore. Visit a shore house once and your hooked. Ask these people who've been down the shore before. They might say 'no' but I assure you they will wish they could. Everyone who comes to the shore as a guest has told me they wish they could spend the summer like I do. This is what makes them a good lead to ask.

If they say 'yes' you've scored big! Getting friends in your summer home is always more comfortable than rolling the dice with strangers.

3. Ask friends and acquaintances outside the shore. Just like in #2, it always is better if you get someone you know.

4. Ask other people who run shore houses. Very similar to #1 except you are focusing on the so-called 'leader' or 'leaders' of other beach houses. These are the people who collect the rent, sign the lease and otherwise tend to take the most responsibility. They tend to have their finger on the pulse of not only their house but other homes as well. They can tell you if they are losing roommates in their own home or know of people leaving other shore houses.

5. Ask real estate agents that are located at your shore point. I've actually never done this when looking for people to fill 'my' beach house. I have done it when looking to get into some else's beach house. That said, it is worth a try. Ask a local realtor if they know of anyone interested in being part of your shore house. If they don't know of any, leave them your number in case they come up with someone.

Keep in mind, you'll likely be bringing on a stranger (rather common at the shore) so be sure this person is a right fit for your house. .

6. Social Network. FB etc. Do it. Use social network sites to get the word out.

7. Craigslist, etc. Posting vacancies on internet sites like Craigs list does work and sometimes really well. Be sure to keep in mind there are risks in doing this since you are bringing in a total stranger. Make sure they are right for your group.

Have any other ideas? Let me know in comments below. Would love to hear from you.

When you start meeting these people be sure to ask them lots of questions to make sure they are the right fit for your shorehouse.


Be sure they can pay too! Get a deposit.


If you are someone who wants to be part of a shore house. That is, you are not looking to fill a house with people rather you are searching for a group already in a house. Check out this article I wrote How to Get in on a Shore House.

If you want more insight into getting the best roommates, especially if you are walking into a home full of people you may not know, check out these tips.

Find Best Beach Roommates in Sea Isle

If you are looking to get in on a beach house this summer and you are not sure where to start, check out my post Get in On Sea Isle Shore House For Whole Summer. I wrote this article with Sea Isle City, NJ in mind but it can apply to a lot of other shore points.

If you already have a few leads on people looking for shore house roommates, you will want to make sure that you find people that you will make you happy.

I highly suggest after making first contact, set up a meeting. It will be unlikely you will meet the whole group at once but at least get some face time key people.


Ask These Questions:

1. What is the total price of the shore house for the summer?

2. How much will it cost me?

3. How many people are in the shore house? Find out if you are comfortable with that number of people. For some, crowds mean a great party and social life. For others, just a few people allow for good one-on-one and comfort..

4. How many bedrooms are in the shore house? Very important question. Make sure you understand if you'll be 'guaranteed' a bed, or at least space on one, every time you are down. Will you be spending time on the floor at night? Very possible. Some houses have 3 bedrooms and 20 people. Other homes have 5 bedrooms and 5 people. Find out.

5. What does everyone like to do? Another big question. Think about your personality and then think about these potential answers:

"We are all big drinkers, up all night."
"We're pretty quiet. The guys fish and the girls lay out all day."
"We get up real early in the morning."
"We are single and looking to make out"
"All of us are married"
"We don't want people over at all hours"

Make sure you understand what personalities you are getting involved with first.

6. What is the guest policy? Ask if you can have guests come over or not. Often this policy changes as the summer progresses but not always. Some shore roommates don't care how many guests you bring down and how often. Others put restrictions on the amount of times you can have the same person over. Some insist on having guests pay every time they visit. Find this out and then consider what this means to you and those you have relationships with who are not 'in' on the shore house.

7. How long do we have the house for? Can we use it any time we want? Typical shore house summers last the weekend before memorial day to the weekend after labor day but not every house has this policy. Find out.

8. Is there a lease? Especially if you do not know these people, it never hurts to make sure this is all legit. Heck, I've never done this, but it wouldn't hurt to contact the realtor to make sure the lease is real and so are the names of these people.

9. Where is the house? I did a whole article on locations in Sea Isle City for beach house. Regardless of which beach you are staying, be sure to find out where the house is. Location says a lot. Do you want the house to be close to the beach or the bay? Close to the bar? Is the house in a flood zone? Close to town? Close to restaurants? Ask.

10. Pets? Allergies? Do you have any? Do They have any? Important stuff

11. Attitude and expectations. This is related to number 5 above. Think about the qualities you most admire and least admire in a person. Don't think so much about your own personality, rather think about what makes you happy or upset when you meet others. Then find out if any of the 'happy' or 'upset' qualities are rooming in the same house. For example, if you loathe the aggressive in-your-face types, ask if there are any in the house. That sort of thing.

12. Is the house nice? I can only speak for Sea Isle City, New Jersey but I can say that most houses are really nice. Modern appliances, great carpets, spacious rooms, central air conditioning, nice beds, etc. Others beach homes are more worn out. Torn screens, old furniture, dirty carpets, limited or no air conditioning, etc. Get an idea of what the house is like

13. What days do people come down? Some beach homes are only in use during the weekends. People drive down Fri night or Sat morning and then leave on Sunday. Others, especially homes with a lot of teachers, stay during the week or even for the whole summer. Some folks work odd hours and just come during the week. See if this works with your schedule.

The bottom line is be specific about what you want. There will always be surprises, good and bad, when you get involved with a group. Try to eliminate as many bad surprises as possible.

If you are looking to rent a house for the whole summer and want to find good people to split the rent and the summer fun with you, check out these tips as well.