EASTHAM – For the third straight year in a row, Coast Guard Beach in Eastham has been ranked in the top 10 beaches in the United States by Dr. Stephen Leatherman.
The professor from Florida International University is also referred to as “Dr. Beach” and has been making the list for over 30 years.
Dr. Leatherman says that his first teaching position was at Boston University and he quickly learned about Cape Cod and how impressive their beaches, including Coast Guard Beach, can be.
“Coast Guard Beach is just an idyllic place, it’s very scenic, very historic. I do take off points because the water is a bit chilly, but I still go swimming. A good warm day I won’t stay more than 10 or 15 minutes at a dip, but it’s refreshing as they say,” Dr. Leatherman said.
Through his process, Dr. Beach has attempted to avoid the “red carpet” treatment as he wants to get the truest version of each beach, which he feels his methods reveal.
On a more serious note, Dr. Leatherman noted a few things that dock points from his scores, including shark sightings and smoking.
“One of the things I do now is give extra credit for “no smoking” beaches, I want to emphasize that. I’m pretty sure the National Seashore is doing that now in Cape Cod and other places,” said Dr. Leatherman.
The rise in the regional seal population is one of the main causes for larger amounts of shark sightings, says Dr. Beach.
The sightings were not enough to knock Coast Guard beach out of the top 10, but Dr. Leatherman believes in time things would change if beaches need to be closed down.
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