| Avila beach is
just a few miles up the coast from Shell
Beach in San Luis Obispo County, CA. Avila has a unique recent
history in that the entire small town and beach front were closed
down due to ground pollution from the Unocal oil company. The whole
place was dug up, de-contaminated and re-built. The residents worked
long and hard to procure a settlement from Unocal. Now, it
is a wonderful family destination, with a fishing pier, nice beach, kayak
rentals, restrooms, picnic areas, golf
course and playground. Your family
can hang on the beach and/or boogie board while the paddlers can
leave from the beach and take a leisurely paddle around the pier,
over to Port San Luis, or longer trips up or down the coast for rock
garden and cove exploring.
During a recent paddle there (Sept. 1,
2001), I was surprised by a pair of dolphins who surfaced several
feet off my port side.
Everyone
on the water, the beach, and the pier was treated to the sight of
tens of thousands of birds who circled clock-wise over a large school
of bait fish, sometimes turning the water white with diving and
feeding. The bird/fish dance moved like a twister over the water,
at times including awe-struck paddlers into the circle. Humbled
again.
Shark update-
Yes, this is
where a swimmer was killed by a great white in August, 2003. The
available food supply (and relative safety) for marine mammals in
this area means that there are many seals and sea lions, which in
turn makes it a preferred hunting ground for the whites. Our hearts
go out to the family of the woman whose commune with nature turned
disastrous.
|
