Announcements

The  Port of San Diego and the City of Coronado are hosting a celebration to
commemorate the 25th anniversary of Grand Caribe Shoreline Park and its artwork
“Sheltering Wings” on Friday, July 30, 2021, from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. at the
park, 598 Grand Caribe Causeway, in Coronado.

The event will feature live music entertainment, informational booths, and the
opportunity to learn about the process of creating “Sheltering Wings” from the
artist, Christopher Slatoff.

“The Port of San Diego thanks the members of the Silver Strand Beautification
Committee who worked so diligently with the Port years ago to create this
incredible, peaceful park on San Diego Bay,” said Commissioner Garry Bonelli,
the City of Coronado’s representative on the Port of San Diego Board of Port
Commissioners. “It turned out to be a prudent land use decision that everyone
has greatly benefitted from.”

The event is being held during National Parks and Recreation Month, a recognition
each July that celebrates and promotes the vital importance of parks and
recreation to health and wellness, tourism and economic prosperity,
environmental conservation, and social equity. Recognition of Grand Caribe
Shoreline Park’s 25th anniversary is one of many ways the public can appreciate
the infinite value parks bring to our communities during this Parks and
Recreation Month.

Grand Caribe Shoreline Park, located on Grand Caribe Isle adjacent to the Coronado
Cays, is one of the Port’s 22 waterfront parks. Development of the 3.7-acre
park, which officially opened on July 5, 1996, was a joint effort of the Port
and the Silver Strand Beautification Committee. The objective of creating the
park was to enhance the existing natural and native plant communities and to
provide an educational botanical setting. At the opening, the sculpture
“Sheltering Wings” by artist Christopher Slatoff was unveiled and has become
emblematic of the park and its purpose.

“Sheltering Wings” is a bronze sculpture of two full-size blue herons located in the center
of Grand Caribe Shoreline Park. The idea of a blue heron sculpture originated
with the Silver Strand Beautification Committee. Slatoff created the artwork as
a tribute to the rare birds that can be seen feeding and resting on Grand
Caribe Isle. The artwork’s name symbolizes the idea of protecting the fragile
natural environment. “Sheltering Wings” is part of the Port-owned Tidelands
Collection of public artworks, a popular waterfront collection and regional
cultural asset consisting of over 70 artworks placed throughout tidelands in
parks and piers.

Grand Caribe Shoreline Park was designed to be a
quiet, serene setting where visitors can explore a meandering naturalized path
or sit and enjoy the natural environment with stunning views of San Diego Bay.
When it was first developed, it included six species of native wildflowers and
was the site of a rare and threatened species called Lotus nuttalianus. One
hundred fifty of these plants were identified and transplanted to an
undisturbed area of the park. The majority of the native plants are still there
and continue to thrive, and the habitat continues to be monitored by the Port.