Coastline Must Be Available for All

I was walking along the bluffs in Rancho Palos Verdes some weeks ago when I came upon a fantastic sight. In one of the small bays below Berryhill Drive I saw pelicans diving for fish. Not just a few pelicans but dozens and dozens of them. The sky above the bay was filled with circling and diving pelicans. The surface of the bay was dotted with more pelicans splashing, diving, surfacing and trying to swallow their catch.

What a sight! I had never seen so many pelicans in one small bay before. It was difficult to count, since scores of pelicans were arriving as others were leaving . . . but I would guess there were about 80 to 120 pelicans in this feeding frenzy.

It was an incredible and absorbing show, and I stood and watched for perhaps 15 minutes as the feeding went on and on. This spontaneous bird show is a key reason why all citizens must have easy access to our coastline. In addition to sheltering whales and dolphins and seals and cormorants and gulls and many other sea and shore creatures, the coastline is a bountiful resource which must always be available for kids, adults and seniors. Fantastic sights and marvelous bird, fish and mammal sightings may be lost if we allow the coastline to be overdeveloped and do not allow for hiking and biking trails and coastal roads. Be sure to tell your city council members that coastal access for all comers must be guaranteed.

GAR GOODSON

Palos Verdes Estates