183 



two figures are given for travel time, the first figure in 

 all cases is the minimum time. The second figure is not 

 always the maximum, but represents the highest significant 

 travel time , for it would be misleading to include additional 

 figures for cards whose recovery was obviously delayed for 

 reasons not directly associated with the currents themselves. 

 Cruise of September 8, 1955 



When returns from the first drift card cruise were plotted, 

 it was obvious that the cards released within 3 miles of shore 

 behaved in a manner quite different than those from the 5- 

 and 7-mile stations. Accordingly, the region has been divided 

 into Areas I and II (Fig. 81). Area I is the more offshore 

 and Area II the more inshore portion of the bay. 



Points of release and recovery of cards from Area I are 

 shown in Figures 82 and 83. Most of these cards drifted for 

 a relatively long time, 5 days to 3 weeks, before they were 

 recovered on beaches which, at this time of the year, were 

 still well populated by late-season swimmers. Conclusions 

 as to the early paths of flow from these stations might be 

 uncertain were it not for a few cards which were picked up 

 only 2 to 4 days after release, A detailed time-sequence 

 of recoveries of cards from Area I indicate a current which 

 flowed north along the central coast and then west past 

 Malibu, depositing a few cards along the shore as it went. 

 However, the path of flow after leaving the vicinity of Point 

 Durae is uncertain. After many days, the cards, now widely 

 scattered, drifted back into the region between Zuma Beach 

 on the north and Palos Verdes on the south. One card appears 



