The City of San Diego
has a Scenic Drive. One of the areas in that Drive is Sunset Cliffs Boulevard.
Sunset Cliffs is one of the few areas of San Diego where the ocean can actually
be seen from a public street rather than hidden by a bunch of expensive houses.
Of course, the major reason for this is the relentless pounding of the cliffs by
the surf continues to erode the cliffs. Every effort by the city to stop the
erosion is ultimately futile.
The pictures on this
page were taken on Friday, February 19, 1999. According to the local media, the
waves at Sunset Cliffs were to be among the highest for the season. So,
naturally, I just HAD to get some pix... and here they are. Obviously, I
wasn't the only one out to enjoy the view. People actually took their lawn
chairs out on the rocks to get a clear view and listen to the roar. Note the
Ocean Beach pier in the upper right hand corner.
Of
course, because of the high surf, there were also surfers to take advantage of
it. Here you see a guy coming in with his board. Notice the bridge of rock in
front of him caused by the unceasing pounding ocean. Within a few years, there
will a new island until it too gives way to the ocean. I've been told that
there are caves along the cliffs but I've never actually gone down to water
level to look for them. Note that the City has posted signs along Sunset Cliffs
to warn you to avoid many areas because the rock is NOT stable nor as strong as
it would appear. It is also slippery where seawater splashes up on the rocks.
This last picture
shows one of those island after the ocean has had its way. The birds love it
because they have a roost without any predators to hassle them. You can also
see the tons of rock that the city has dumped at the base of the cliffs to try
to slow down the erosion. Take a look at the houses behind the birds. The view
is great... and they are all significantly away from the cliffs--separated by
the boulevard and deep front yards... but as some time in the future, they will
give way to the surf.
This website and all contents ©1999
Mike Nelson, San Diego, CA
Last
update to this page was on 02/20/1999