DEL MAR, Calif. — A recent bluff failure of a sea cave in Del Mar is raising concerns among some residents about erosion and the potential effects of high tides and storms.
Chris Frydrych said he made the unsettling discovery while walking along the beach north of Dog Beach two Sundays ago.
“I was walking on the beach, and I noticed the top of the cave has fallen in,” Frydrych said.
As he took a closer look, Frydrych said he saw more debris inside the cave.
“Then I noticed in a corner, where it looks like the entire ceiling has come down,” he said.
Frydrych described the sea cave as roughly 8 feet tall and 20 feet deep, making it one of the deeper caves in the area. A photograph taken about six months earlier showed what the cave looked like before the recent damage.
“This is the first time we’ve seen the sea caves actually collapsing inside themselves,” Frydrych said.
He said the caves have been documented in books dating back about a century. Now, with the possibility of strong El Niño storms, Frydrych and other nearby residents are concerned about how high tides and additional water could affect the network of sea caves in the bluffs.
“You’re putting water into a hole,” Frydrych said. “If the hole is connected to another hole, it’s going to keep going deeper and deeper within the bluff.”
He worries that as the tide recedes, that water could contribute to additional erosion inside the cave system.
There are homes near the area, including a condominium complex where Frydrych lives, but no homes are directly above the damaged cave.
The site is also the focus of an ongoing court battle between the City of Del Mar and a developer over a proposed housing development. Frydrych said he is concerned about the potential effects of adding more weight above a bluff containing an eroding cave system.
He compared it to placing increasing pressure on an eggshell.
“Put a raw egg in a shell on a counter and start putting dish towels on it and see how many dish towels you go through before the eggshell breaks,” Frydrych said.
With the potential for El Niño conditions to bring stronger surf and storms, Frydrych said his concern is rising.
“This makes me worry a lot for the safety of our community and the safety of our people as we look to develop on top of these bluffs,” he said.
In a statement released Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson for the City of Del Mar said officials are aware of the recent bluff failure and have been monitoring the area.
The city said lifeguards and other staff members inspected the location over several days and surveyed it by drone last week. Based on those observations, officials characterized the incident as a “minor failure.”
According to the city, several large pieces of the upper sandstone layer fell near the cave opening, but staff do not believe the cave itself collapsed.
The city also warned that coastal bluffs are naturally fragile and can fail without warning, particularly during and after rain. Warning signs are posted in the area, and officials are urging beachgoers to remain alert and stay well back from the bluffs.
This article was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed and edited by a journalist before publication.
