Dr. Stephen Leatherman, also known as “Dr. Beach”
EASTHAM _ The coastal science professor known as Dr. Beach has named Coast Guard Beach in Eastham as the 7th best place to grab some sun and surf.
Florida International University Professor Stephen Leatherman ranks beaches based on water and sand quality, safety and management.
Coast Guard Beach gets high marks for its view, bike and shuttle bus accessibility and the nearby old Coast Guard station.
“The two most important criteria are clean water and clean sand. Without that, you don’t have anything and Cape Cod jutting far out in the Atlantic Ocean certainly meets that criteria,” said Leatherman.
He also said the size of Coast Guard Beach is a major attraction. “A huge beach really. You can walk quite a distance along the sea cliffs or down to the Nauset Spit, down to the inlet.”
Dr. Beach says the Cape has a special place in his heart as he once lived on the Lower and Outer Cape. He also wrote a book about the shifting sands here, “Cape Cod Field Trips: From Glaciers to Beaches,” and says there is a long history to our beaches.
“In fact, there are maps of the area going back to the 1600s. Early explorers mapped this area because they thought it was such an important area,” he said. Coast Guard Beach is among six contained within the boundaries of the Cape Cod National Seashore. The others include Nauset Light, also in Eastham, Maconi Beach in Wellfleet, Head of the Meadow in Truro and Race Point and Herring Cove Beaches, both in Provincetown.
The Cape Cod National Seashore was established as a national park in 1961, signed into law by President John F. Kennedy. It has become one of the most popular destinations for summer visitors, attracting more than 4.5 million people each year.
Waimanalo Bay Beach Park on Oahu, Hawaii, received Dr. Beach’s top ranking this year. Leatherman says Waimanalo Bay has the longest stretch of beach on Oahu and boasts powdery white sand with bright turquoise water.
Combined with cleanliness and safety, it beat out Barefoot Beach in Florida as the top pick for 2015. Hamoa Beach on Maui also made this year’s list.
Leatherman has been ranking the nation’s beaches for a quarter of a century.
Dr. Beach’s Top 10 Beaches for 2015
1.Waimanalo Bay Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii
2.Barefoot Beach Bonita Springs, Florida
3.St George Island State Park Florida Panhandle
4.Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii
5.Cape Hatteras, Outer Banks of North Carolina
6.Cape Florida State Park Key Biscayne, Florida
7.Coast Guard Beach, Eastham
8.Beachwalker Park Kiawah Island, South Carolina
9.Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park Naples, Florida
10.East Beach, Santa Barbara, California
