Our New Jersey Volcano

Once upon a Jersey time

Sure, New Jersey had volcanoes. Our modern New Jersey once had an active volcano roughly the size of Mount St. Helens.

The site is now known as Rutan Hill in Wantage, NJ, but if we could go back to 430 million years ago, the Beemerville Volcano would be 10 to 20 miles across and spewing lava and ash for millions of years,.

Geologists say that the Beemerville Volcano is an extinct volcano and what we call Rutan Hill is what remains of the “volcanic neck.” The Sussex County location is 7 miles south of New Jersey’s highest elevation at the High Point Monument.

No worries about an eruption but a study from Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory identified a new unmapped fault line that runs through Sussex County. On April 5, 2024 a magnitude 4.8 earthquake rocked New York City and shook sections of New Jersey. That's a bit more frightening for our time.

The hill and volcano neck is on private land but there is a road leading up the volcano called Volcanic Hill Road.

Lack of Rain Delays Fall Trout Stocking

 

Due to low flow conditions in many of New Jersey's trout-stocked rivers and streams and the long-term forecast not predicting any substantial rainfall soon, NJDEP Fish & Wildlife has delayed Fall Trout Stocking.  

Lakes and ponds scheduled for October 15 and 16 will be stocked as previously scheduled as water level/temperature will not be an issue.  Rivers scheduled for October 8-11 will be postponed 2 weeks to the week of October 21.

Beginning October 15, NJDEP Fish & Wildlife will stock approximately 20,000 two-year-old Rainbow Trout, averaging 14-16 inches over a two-week period.

In addition to these trout, up to 1,000 Broodstock trout (three-year old Rainbow Trout, averaging 18-22 inches) will also be stocked. Broodstock trout are mixed in with each truckload of fish to provide exciting fishing opportunities throughout the state.

All fall-stocked waters may be fished as soon as they are stocked.  There are no “closed waters” during fall stocking.

Complete 2024 Fall Trout Stocking Schedule

Fall Trout Fishing in NJ

2024 Freshwater Fishing Digest

The New Jersey Fall Foliage Updates

Autumn at Duke Farms, Hillsborough

Although New England gets more attention, New Jersey offers plenty of locations for great autumn colors. This past weekend, travelers throughout the Garden State could see early changes in foliage. After a dry month, the needed rain will knock down some leaves but it should be minimal.

Some areas of NJ, including Long Pond Ironworks State Park in Passaic County and the Wharton State Forest are already at mid-peak conditions. 

The NJ Forest Service's Facebook page at facebook.com/NewJerseyForests posts a weekly foliage update on Fridays.

Take in the striking foliage at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (Skylands Region), where you can hike part of the iconic Appalachian Trail. At High Point State Park in Sussex (Skylands Region), trek to the summit of the Kittatinny Ridge for sweeping views of the Poconos, Catskills and the Wallkill River Valley. Allamuchy Mountain State Park in Stanhope (Skylands Region) offers several waterways, so you can enjoy the reflections of dazzling fall colors in their glassy surfaces.

Earth's Largest Living Animal Visits the Jersey Shore

My post title almost sounds like something from a sci-fi horror film, but it is true and quite wonderful.

On Sept. 12, a blue whale surfaced in the Atlantic Ocean about 50 to 60 miles off the coast of Cape May, New Jersey. This endangered species is the world's largest animal and isn't often spotted in that part of the Atlantic Ocean. 

Example of a blue whale - NOAA Photo

Blue whales can be found in every ocean in the world, but they're most populous in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Atlantic Ocean, they're most often spotted in waters east of Canada, including the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In the North Atlantic, blue whales can measure up to 90 feet long and sometimes weigh more than 100,000 pounds. Antarctic blue whales can grow even larger, reaching 110 feet in length and weighing up to 330,000 pounds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

Blue whales are listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act and like other endangered species are protected in the waters off NJ. The World Wildlife Fund estimates only 10,000 to 25,000 blue whales remain in the world, down from as many as 250,000 before whaling decimated their populations. They were the industry's most sought after whale species due to their size and economic yields for blubber oil and food. The species remains threatened by ship strikes, fishing gear, exposure to toxins and environmental change. 

Whale watchers off the coast of Cape May with Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center got a rare glimpse during a wildlife research trip. NOAA previously recorded three blue whale sightings near Montauk Point, New York in 2008, and this sighting illustrates the incredible ecosystem off our coast.

The center shared photos  on their Facebook page showing the blue whale in the water, in addition to other wildlife spotted during the trip. 

An NOAA spokesperson confirmed to the Asbury Park Press that the creature seen off the coast of Cape May was a blue whale. They can be distinguished by a small dorsal fin on the lower part of their bodies and the aquamarine appearance of their skin underwater. Laurino said the whale was in an area about 200 feet deep. It was alone and retreated underwater after it had surfaced for about 15 minutes. Cape May Whale Watch & Research Center has conducted ecological tours of the Atlantic Ocean since 1987. The American Star is usually out on the water about 200 days per year. The researchers often spot a wide variety of wildlife — from dolphin and whale species to manta rays, sea turtles and birds — but the people aboard the boat earlier this month witnessed a first.