We often find these looooong pieces of vegetation along the shore.

They’re Bull Kelp, so-named because they resemble bull whips.

They are an annual plant that loves to grow in the boisterous coastal surf, and they can manage to grow as much as 10 inches each day!

This one was young or stunted…they grow to be 30 to 60 feet long (tall).

The end closest to the camera is the top, a ball that is hollow and functions as a float to keep the head of the plant floating on the surface. The dozens of narrow blades that grow from the top and form a canopy on the water have been torn from this one.