PORT ANGELES — Hollywood Beach is open again, as are the touch tanks at the Feiro Marine Life Center on City Pier.
Water samples taken Thursday and analyzed Friday revealed that enterococcus bacteria had fallen below the thresholds signaling a threat to human health.
Enterococcus is found in the feces of warm-blooded creatures, including humans.
The beach had been closed Thursday due to tests taken on Wednesday, just more than a month after
it had been closed over the Fourth of July weekend.
In both events, origin of the bacteria was unknown.
“It’s one of those environmental mysteries,” said Carol Creasey of the Clallam County Health and Human Services Department, Environmental Health division.
“I wish we did know what caused it.”
Craig Fulton, Port Angeles public works and utilities director, said the city has no leads on the cause of the rise in the bacteria.
“We are looking into anything that occurred along Peabody Creek, which releases into the harbor/Hollywood Beach vicinity, but so far there are no solid leads yet,” Fulton said.
At the Feiro center, director Melissa Williams was happy to share the news with visitors.
“The 25 people in the facility immediately went over to get ‘hugged’ by some sea urchins,” she said.
