malaspina galleries

we found a community trail called James way....not st James way....and that took us to malaspina drive and then down to the gallery. it was windy. a local told us there was a westerly blowing and there were actual waves for a change. the galleries were very cool. a great ledge to walk on and this overlying rock Crest shaped like a wave that protected you. its caused by a different rate of erosion of the sandstone and also the salts that accumulate in the sandstone. partly due to ocean spray and partly due to water percolation in the soil. some of the sandstone has iron in it so makes it more resistant to erosion and forms the cap like structure. apparently Malaspina wrote about them in his journals in 1792 and the artist on board his ship did a sketch.....which is now in the naval museum in Madrid!Read more