![]() ![]() The granite piers have a divisionary distance of 315 yards (288 m) permitting navigable transit passage from the brackish water of the Laguna Madre to the easterly Gulf of Mexico horizon. ![]() The breakwater jetties were constructed with granite boulders situated as an eastern protrusion of 580 yards (530 m) and 825 yards (754 m) from the Padre Island shoreline into the Gulf of Mexico continental margin. In 1962, the United States Army Corps of Engineers devised an expansive coastal engineered jetty system resiliently controlling coastal sediment transport, longshore drift, and shoaling during diverse gravity wave, wind wave, and inimical oceanic wave dispersion. The breakwater structure was severely dilapidated during the 1957 Atlantic hurricane season with the Bay of Campeche spawning Hurricane Audrey and Tropical Storm Esther engulfing the existing jetty harbor entrance on Padre Island. The marginal sea inlet was defined by wave-dissipating concrete blocks similarly referred to as tetrapods protracting into the Gulf of Mexico at Padre Island. The navigable waterway was channeled during the late 1950s ceremoniously cresting the intertidal zone of the Gulf of Mexico by September 1957 on the Texas Gulf Coast. During Post–World War II, the tidal inlet was dredged as a private channel differentiating North Padre Island better known as Padre Island National Seashore and South Padre Island. (Note that driving behind the dunes is STRICTLY prohibited there are delicate ecosystems here.Port Mansfield Channel or Mansfield Cut is an artificial waterway encompassing the Laguna Madre positioned at the 97th meridian west on the earth's longest barrier island known as Padre Island. This is where South Beach begins-from this point, there are 60 miles of open beach waiting to be explored. To get to the part of the park where you can drive on the beach, continue on Park Road 22 (the main paved road) until the pavement ends. If you have a high-clearance, 4-wheel drive vehicle, exploring the island’s most remote areas by car is a uniquely thrilling experience. You can take your own kayak or canoe, or rent one from the park’s concessionaire. One of just a few hypersaline lagoons in the world, the Laguna Madre offers great kayaking and canoeing opportunities. Or go beachcombing along the seashore-there are always treasures to be found here. Is there anything better than a leisurely hike or bike ride along the ocean’s edge? Bring your bicycle and ride it along South Beach, where you’ll likely have most of the shores to yourself (depending on how far down you go). Visitors may fish along the entire length of the Gulf, in the Laguna Madre, and at Bird Island Basin and Yarborough Pass. To fish anywhere in the park, you must have a valid Texas fishing license and a saltwater stamp, both of which you can acquire outside of the park at a local tackle shop or gas station. Call the Malaquite Visitor Center (36) to schedule a tour with a volunteer birding guide. ![]() There have been more than 380 species of birds sighted at the park, which represents nearly half of all the documented bird species in North America. Padre Island is an important destination for migratory birds, and as such, it’s an exceptional place for birdwatching. (Because the park can’t predict when a sea turtle will hatch, check their Current Nesting Season page and the Sea Turtle Program Facebook page for up-to-date info on releases.) Most hatchling releases occur from mid-June through August. During the summer, staff members release sea turtle hatchlings from nests laid in the park and along the coast, and visitors can sometimes catch these if the timing is right. Since 1978, the park has been a participant in the effort to save the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. Never swim alone and always use extreme caution when swimming currents can be strong. Visitors can swim in the recreation area at Bird Island Basin or in the Gulf, but do note that there are no lifeguards on duty.
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