A Day at the Beach

The Ventura pier is the oldest pier in southern California, and has been designated as Ventura Historic Landmark №20.

When it was built, in 1872 it served as a major transportation hub, known the Ventura Wharf, bringing merchandise, lumber, and other goods to the area. Crude oil and agricultural products were the main exports. It has been partially rebuilt many times — the most recent renovation project was completed in 2000.

The Ventura Pier is now owned and operated by the City of Ventura, purchased from the State of California in 1993. It is no longer a commercial wharf, but is a favorite spot for local fisherman and tourists.

The pier must be maintained to fight the elements, but also damage from shipworms (boring clams) and gribbles (tiny crustaceans) that can destroy the wood pilings. Many of the old wooden pilings were replaced with steel pilings.

Marine ‘wrack’ (seaweed that washes up on the shore) attracts insects, sand crabs, and other invertebrates, providing shorebirds with plenty of food, and creating a thriving ecosystem. Up to 40% of the animal species who live in these beaches depend on seaweed wrack.

However, many California beaches are groomed (mainly for tourism), sometimes involving huge machines, which causes destruction to the biodiversity there. Ventura beach cleaning techniques now usually avoid removing seaweed wrack, and only clean up trash, debris, and other items.

The beach is great place for birdwatching, as many species can be observed throughout the day.

It not only attracts water sports enthusiasts, but also artists, and those who feel a spiritual connection to the ocean…

Photographs by Lin Rhys

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