The Seal who came to Lunch!?!

Arnold Schwarzenegger recently announced a proposal to close 80% of the Californian State parks, and ALL the State beaches after Labor Day. Maintenance had been cut off on many places even earlier. Though this news was treated with protests from passionate nature conservationists, state park employees, and good samaritans, little did I know that a first hand realization would hit me hard.

In our series of introducing our favorite spots/ places to Shivani, we had been to Montara State Beach a few weeks back. This place has always been intriguing and special for us with its picturesque cliffs and wave-carved caves - a true beauty. When there was a choice between the crowded Half Moon Bay and this (just a short drive from each other), I've always stuck to Montara Beach - quiet, small groups of locals (families/ kids/ youngsters/ pets). You can always find your own corner and watch the waves, play frisbees, or take a walk in the sand. This time, Prem, my sister, and in-laws were also with us.

It started out like an ideal Californian sunny weekend- a subway picnic lunch in the beach, and then a stroll along the roaring waves. Sai was, preceding us, carrying Shivani in hand, almost well ahead of us, when, all of a sudden, he said: "Now, when you cross this area, just don't mind a stink for a minute, walk past it and join me".

So, how bad can it be? - haven't we seen fish-stinking beaches in coastal India, and driven through dried fish markets? We walked, casually, till we got that wretched stink, that stunk all cells in your body. In a gentle slope down the sand, we spotted a dead seal on the beach; dead for who-knows-how-long.
Though "The Seal who came to Dinner" episode of Fraiser was hilarious, one needed strong perseverance to be in the vicinity of one such deceased animal.

So we headed the other direction towards the caves. Again, a beautiful day, and a lovely walk along the beach - Screech! Halt! Yikes!! only to be found amidst a swarm of flies and fleas; all along the corners; devouring the infected dead pelicans, gulls(?) and some other birds that were randomly lying on the sand; or, insects catching the sun from out of the dark; the waters were discolored and brown-foamy in some places. Well, we fled from the beach.

I don't know if I will ever go the beach again, at least till this memory fades out. Many more parks in Bay Area including Angel Islands, Big Basin, Mt. Diablo, Big Sur parks are all going to be closed, and there is no maintenance scheduled. Will we and our children and the future miss the pure, serene splendor of nature? Are we already falling off the cliff?