A fragment of this natural coast remains, however, a 76-mile stretch of coastline north of Santa Barbara that the Spanish called the Gaviota Coast, from their word for seagull. There, in the last large, mostly untouched stretch of southern California shoreline are 200,000 acres of sweeping vistas, wild rugged beaches, and untamed beauty. Gaviota Coast rounds the bend in the California coastline, past Point Conception and Point Arguello where the gate by which souls leave the earth is found, according to traditional Chumash tribal beliefs. This area once supported more Native Americans than any other spot along the California coast, and it is rich in archeological sites, particularly the buried ruins of Chumash villages. The area is remarkable not only for its relatively pristine condition but also for its biological diversity.
Scientists consider it an ecological meeting place for northern and southern California species.
The landscape, climbing from dunes and high bluffs along the ocean s edge up into the Santa Ynez Mountains, varies from salt marshes and grasslands to forest, deep canyons, and free-flowing mountain streams. Offshore, warm ocean currents from the south mingle with colder ones from the north to create rich feeding grounds that attract gray whales, endangered blue whales, dolphins, and seals. Onshore wildlife is equally abundant. Mountain lions and black bears are featured species, while golden eagles and the rare California condor soar overhead. But private lands in the region face the same development pressures as the rest of southern California.