PACIFIC BEACH, Calif. (KGTV) — We all know high tides, they happen twice a day, but King Tides only happen twice a year.
These seven-foot tides change our coastline in a way that must be captured. Areas we know and love are completely under water. Kendall-Frost Marsh is one place where you can really see the difference. These are huge changes for us, and even more so for birds.
RELATED: California King Tides Project
“A lot of the birds that would normally be in the marsh come around the edges, and birders can see them,” said Nigella Hillgarth, a bird conservationist.
Plenty of bird watchers came out to get a better look.
“We go out and try to estimate how many birds we hope will be part of the breeding population,” said Isabelle Kay, Manager at the Kendall-Frost Mission Bay Marsh Reserve.
They are keeping an eye on these birds because some of them are becoming extinct. And this marsh is one of the last homes they had in Mission Bay.
“Mission Bay used to be like this all over the place. But now we have nothing left for this habitat,” said Andrew Meyer, Director of Conservation with the San Diego Audobon Society.
Meyer says this marsh also protects our coastline from flooding and erosion.
“This is the type of coastal infrastructure that we need and need to restore throughout San Diego,” Meyer said.
These beautiful waters are a warning of what could come with rising sea levels.
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