As if Sunday’s quake weren’t enough to remind us of the instability of our world, the San Diego Union’s article yesterday about the ongoing shrinkage of Bird Rock in southern La Jolla provided another jolt. I drove to the end of Bird Rock Avenue this morning to take a good look at the offshore landmark and the hole that appeared in its north side, reportedly late in 2007. The crew of shore birds parked on the rock looked unflappable (sorry!), but it’s not hard to imagine that continuing erosion and collapse could make the outcropping much less of an avian attraction, before too long.
I also appreciated some of the other factoids served up by the report, including these:
– The developer of this subdivision originally called it Bird-Rock-by-the-Sea, apparently to overcome the area’s barren scrubby charmlessness.
– Charles Lindbergh ate at the Bird Rock Inn before setting off on his historical 1927 flight.
– The first wartime sinking of an American submarine took place just off the rock — where the sub lies on the ocean floor.
I’d never heard about the sub before. Can divers see and explore it?
I’m sure they must be able to. There’s probably a whole guidebook to be written about Underwater Offshore San DIego!