BEACH DRIVE, Ala. -- On a beach near Biloxi, James W. Smith swears he has found evidence of the Deepwater Horizon undersea oil gusher, but he admits no one believes him.

Authorities called to investigate the oily ring left around the Jet Skis he anchors offshore scoffed at the idea it came from the well blowout below the now sunken rig:

"They're like, 'That's from boats,'" Smith said. "That's not from boats."

For 16 years, Smith said, he's worked the Get Wet Inc. concession on the long, sandy beach that stretches for tens of miles along U.S. Route 90, and the that's-from-boats stain has never before shown up on the Jet Skis left anchored offshore from his portable office and a nearby storage shed. Smith is convinced the oil is residue from Deepwater crude that's been broken down by dispersants and mixed into Gulf of Mexico waters.

"Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not out there,'' he said. "It's out there."

Scientists admit Smith is at least partially right. The dispersants have helped mix some part of an estimated 1 to 3 million gallons of Deepwater crude into the water column. It will eventually be broken down by microbes. But until that happens, it will drift in the currents as microscopic droplets of oil.

Smith swears he not only found this oil on his Jet Skis but got it on his glasses when he was driving a Jet Ski offshore. Normally, he said, when his glasses get wet with spray, he can just shake them off and they're fine. But when he shook the glasses off this week, there was a nasty residue left.

On the other hand, he admitted, it could be worse. Real oil could show up, forcing the state of Alabama to close the beach. The state has already contemplated that a couple of times.

"It's kind of hard to operate like normal," Smith said. "If they close the beach, we have to remove everything."

And it takes at least several days to do that, he added.

Contact Craig Medred at craig(at)alaskadispatch.com.