Perdido Pass, Coastal waterway in Orange Beach, Alabama, US
Perdido Pass is a coastal water passage in Orange Beach, Alabama, that connects Perdido Bay to the Gulf of Mexico, flanked by two rock barriers rising from white sandy shores. The channel runs between these barriers, and tidal currents shape the flow of water through it at all times.
The pass was cut in 1906 when local residents dug a new channel through Point Ornocor, and a hurricane that struck soon after widened it considerably. Those changes sealed off the original inlet and left the waterway in its present form.
The pass marks a natural boundary between Alabama Point and Florida Point, and local boaters and fishermen from both states pass through it regularly. Standing at the shore, you can watch a steady flow of vessels moving between the bay and the open gulf.
Water depth in the channel shifts with the tides and weather, so boaters should check local conditions and tide times before heading out. Visitors on foot can walk along both shores, but the ground near the rock barriers is uneven, so sturdy footwear is a good idea.
The pass drifts slowly westward because of longshore currents, with sand piling up on the eastern side while the western edge gradually wears away. Over time, this shift changes the navigation routes that boaters rely on and reshapes the banks on both sides.
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