Blue Water Monterey: Why the Dune Gooneys Show Up
Every flyable day, you'll find local paragliders soaring above the dunes between Sand City and Marina. To many, they're just colorful wings dancing above the coastline. To the Monterey Dune Gooneys, they're something more.
Join a Beach Cleanup!
They're neighbors.
They're volunteers.
They're stewards.
The Dune Gooneys, Monterey Bay's local paragliding community, have been flying this iconic stretch of coastline for decades. From a bird’s eye view, they witness something few people ever experience: the incredible beauty, and the incredible fragility, of our coastal dunes.
They watch king tides reshape the shoreline. They see sensitive Western Snowy Plover habitat being overrun with encampments, the wandering public, and unleashed pets.
And most of all, from the aerial view emerges the growing impact of litter and piles of garbage strewn over our precious beaches, from abandoned encampments and the public, all on its way into Monterey Bay.
That's why, twice each year, the Dune Gooneys proudly partner with the Surfrider Foundation Monterey Chapter Beach Cleanup for a community beach cleanup. One around April, then again around September to avoid disturbing the Snow Plover Nesting Season.
This is more than just a beach cleanup. It's about protecting the place we live and love. A place we moved here for, to, and with intention.
In just two hours on February 22, 2025, Surfrider volunteers, the Dune Gooneys, and community members removed more than 600 pounds of trash from the Sand City dunes. And the only reason we couldn’t remove more was time and manpower. Every Sand City, Ca beach cleanup produces 100’s of lbs of garbage removed from our beach in just two hours with much more and no way to retrieve it.
This is garbage that could have otherwise been swept into Monterey Bay. Whether you're a surfer, photographer, beach walker, paraglider, birdwatcher, or simply someone who loves our coastline, you can make a difference. We need everyone’s help on our Sand City, Ca beach cleanups.
The Dune Gooneys believe that being local means acting local. Together, we'll help protect our dunes, our wildlife, and the clean water that connects every one of us.
After all, keeping a Blue Water Monterey blue starts right here on the beach.
📍 Join the next Surfrider Monterey Beach Cleanup
Next Sand City, CA Blue Water Beach Clean up is in Sand City, CA, End of Play Avenue. September 19th, 2026.
Sign up HERE and spend a couple of hours making a lasting impact on one of California's most remarkable coastlines.
Want to learn more about the Dune Gooneys and why this coastline means so much to them? Read, “Why we call ourselves the Dune Gooney’s.”
Harry Parker is an Executive Committee Member and The Blue Water Task Force Program Director with the Monterey Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. Harry works on documenting our events, article writing, and helps with our digital infrastructure for the Monterey Surfrider Chapter. A local photographer and marketer, Harry's long term goals in the non profit space are to become a Development Director and Legacy Giving Consultant.