Cal Poly Pier opens to public for first time in 2 years after COVID hiatus

Clear skies greeted visitors to Cal Poly Pier in Avila Beach on Saturday as Cal Poly’s Center for Coastal Marine Sciences held its first open house there in two years.

About 1,450 people attended the event, which returned after a coronavirus-related hiatus, according to Tom Moylan, Cal Poly Pier manager.

“We’re glad to be able to bring it back,” Moylan said.

Held at the end of the 0.6-mile-long pier, the open house featured touch tanks full of live sea urchins, hermit crabs and other ocean creatures.

Visitors enjoyed 360-degree views of San Luis Bay and frolicking sea life including California brown pelicans and sea lions.

They also viewed tiny marine species through microscopes, learned about whale migrations and red tides, and, in the case of younger attendees, tried their hands at fishing.

“We really want to have our visitors today experience their local marine environment.” Moylan said. “A lot of folks, even if they live next to the ocean, they may not get the opportunity to see the things like, some of the intertidal animals we have out on display.”

According to Cal Poly, the pier was donated to the San Luis Obispo university in 2001 by Unocal, now Chevron Corp., and supports field research for the marine sciences program.

This story was originally published October 30, 2022 at 2:48 PM.