Point Dume

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Point Dume State Beach
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Location Malibu, California
Nearest city Malibu, California
Coordinates 34°0′3.14″N118°48′24.62″W / 34.0008722°N 118.8068389°W / 34.0008722; -118.8068389
Governing body California Department of Parks and Recreation
Reference no.965 [1]

Point Dume is a promontory on the coast of Malibu, California that juts out into the Pacific Ocean. The point, a long bluff, forms the northern end of the Santa Monica Bay. Point Dume Natural Area affords a vista of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and Santa Catalina Island. Zuma Beach lies to its immediate northwest.

Contents

History

Point Dume viewed from the northwest on Zuma Beach. Point Dume from Zuma Beach.JPG
Point Dume viewed from the northwest on Zuma Beach.
View north from the bluffs at Point Dume State Beach, California View north from Point Dume State Beach.jpg
View north from the bluffs at Point Dume State Beach, California
Pelicans flying in formation - Point Dume, Malibu - Los Angeles, California, USA Point Dume Pelicans.jpg
Pelicans flying in formation - Point Dume, Malibu - Los Angeles, California, USA

Point Dume was named by George Vancouver in 1793 in honor of Padre Francisco Dumetz of Mission San Buenaventura. [2] The name was misspelled on Vancouver's map as "Dume" and was never corrected. [3] On a plat map of the Rancho Topanga Malibu Sequit finally confirmed to new owner Matthew Keller in August 1870, the point is marked on the map as "Point Zuma or Duma". [4] In the early 1980s, real estate development interests began pronouncing the name "du-MAY" and spelling it "Dumé"; this did not catch on. In the mid-1930s, the 900-ton steam-schooner California, of the California Whaling Company, would anchor in Paradise Cove about a mile offshore, near Point Dume, and process whales caught by her two "killer boats", the Hawk and Port Saunders. She spent about four months there each winter (December–April), mostly flensing gray whales on their annual migration from Alaska to Baja California and back. Emerson Gaze, a reporter who spent a day with the fleet, said they had caught over fifty whales up to late January 1936, nearly all gray (with the exception of a few humpback and sperm whales). [5] Nial O’Malley Keyes, in his book Blubber Ship, reported large numbers of whales were caught within a mile of Malibu (in or before 1934), a reference to the Point Dume operation. [6]

..... Point Dume Monument at sunset.jpg
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Up until the 1940s, Point Dume was a windblown, treeless bluff covered by native chaparral. Post-World War II the bluff became slowly settled by independent-minded people, who planted trees and other non-native flora among their single-family homesteads. In 1968, Point Dume Elementary School opened, but closed in 1980. It reopened in 1996 and remains open today, now known as the Point Dume Marine Science Elementary School. By 2007, many of the simple homesteads were torn down to make way for mansions and mega-mansions behind walls, many with expansive ocean views, while other large homes were surrounded by mature trees.

State preserve

California Historical Monument 965 Point Dume Monument.jpg
California Historical Monument 965

The northwesternmost tip of Point Dume has been designated Point Dume Nature Preserve. [7] Located along Cliffside Drive, very limited parking is available. Its beach is protected by the Lifeguard unit of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The cove, located just south of the point, was a popular clothing-optional meeting spot in the 1960s and '70s.

Rock climbing

Point Dume viewed from the air, facing northwest Point Dume.jpg
Point Dume viewed from the air, facing northwest

Point Dume is home to a handful of very moderate single pitch rock climbing routes that are usually climbed on top rope from established fixed anchors. [8] It is a common place to take novice climbers due to the ease of access, ease of routes, as well as the beautiful and unique setting for rock climbing.

Wildlife

There is a wide variety of wildlife located at Point Dume.

Along the shore, the weathering of the volcanic rock creates an intricate and extensive system of shallow tidepools. These tidepools serve as concealed shelters for a variety of marine creatures such as crabs, urchins, mussels, octopus, and small fish like sculpin and juvenile garibaldi when the tide ebbs away. [9]

During the daylight, a diverse array of wildlife emerges. This includes the presence of coyotes, skunks, raccoons, ground squirrels, and rabbits. Additionally, the region hosts a rich biodiversity of smaller creatures, with five species of butterflies, six varieties of snakes, and various lizard species, among them the distinctive silvery legless lizard. There are over one hundred species of birds, including brown pelicans, plovers, wrens, roadrunners, burrowing owls, falcons, and hawks. [2]

Offshore, the nutrient-rich and frigid waters of the Pacific enhance the entire marine food web, from primary producers such as algae and zooplankton to apex predators like sand sharks, bottlenose dolphins, and gray whales. Within the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), the diverse seafloor topography encompasses hills, valleys, grooves, and channels, creating optimal habitats for species such as white seabass, giant sea bass, kelp bass, and lobster. Commonly, harbor seals, sea lions, and dolphins frequent these areas. From February on into the spring, humpback and gray whales, particularly newborn whale calves, are frequently observed as they undertake their coastal migrations. [9]

Geology

The offshore faults west of Point Dume in southern California are part of a regional fault system extending about 200 kilometers from Los Angeles to the Channel Islands. This system poses a significant earthquake hazard to Los Angeles due to multiple active fault strands. [10]

Some of the primary offshore faults have experienced 3-5 kilometers of cumulative displacement, with evidence of current activity through seafloor deformation. The primary offshore fault is the Dume fault, showing Holocene displacement. [10]

Onshore, the Malibu Coast fault is active and has a steep northward dip with left-oblique slip. Its likely offshore extension disrupts shallow sediment layers, indicating Holocene activity. A structure near Sycamore Knoll, transverse to the main faults, may be significant for regional earthquake hazard analysis, potentially acting as a rupture segment boundary. [10]

Filming location

With its close proximity to the film and television industry location, Point Dume's Westward Beach continues to be a popular filming location for films, television, advertisements, and videos, appearing frequently whenever a beach scene is needed.

Jackie Treehorn's beach party in The Big Lebowski was filmed near the cliff face.

Important scenes in the Planet of the Apes series were filmed at Point Dume's Westward Beach, including the ending of the first film.

The 1974 cult horror film Messiah of Evil was shot on location in Point Dume.

In the Iron Man films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the protagonist Tony Stark's huge seaside mansion was set on Point Dume at the edge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and was given the fictional address of 10880 Malibu Point, 90265. [11] The interior shots were filmed on real sets, but the mansion itself is fictional, instead being created as a 3D model and digitally placed on the cliffs in post-production; Point Dume is a protected area, so construction on its cliffs is strictly prohibited. [12]

The ashes of American horror movie actor Vincent Price were scattered here in 1993. [13]

The music video "Sandcastles in the Sand" for the TV show How I Met Your Mother was filmed on Point Dume State Beach.

The season 3 finale of Angel was set on cliffs above Point Dume State Beach, but was filmed to the west at Leo Carrillo State Park. [14]

The TV series Son of the Beach was frequently filmed on Point Dume State Beach.

An episode of the television series Modern Family was filmed on Point Dume State Beach.

The pilot episode of I Dream of Jeannie was filmed at Point Dume, which served as the deserted South Pacific island where astronaut Tony Nelson's (Larry Hagman) capsule washed ashore and he released Jeannie (Barbara Eden) from 2,000 years of imprisonment.

The wedding in the season 2 finale of Chuck was filmed on Point Dume State Beach.

The season 1 episode "Dominoes" of the television series Scorpion was mostly set at Point Dume.

In 1984 and 1988, Point Dume stood in for Stefano DiMera's underground cliff base on the daytime drama Days of Our Lives.

In season 2 of The Last Man on Earth, the home in Malibu where the characters live is (fictitiously) set on Point Dume. [15]

Point Dume was featured in season 5 episode 8 of baywatch when two contestants have to be rescued by Matt Brody

For the film 2017 Dunkirk, Fionn Whitehead and Harry Styles underwent training sessions at Point Dume to enable them to become acclimatised to the cold water scenes.

California Historical Landmark

California Historical Marker on the site reads: [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Malibu is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, about 30 miles (48 km) west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate, its strip of beaches stretching 21 miles along the Pacific Ocean coast, and for its longtime status as the home of numerous affluent Hollywood celebrities and executives. Although a high proportion of its residents are entertainment industry figures with million-dollar mansions, Malibu also features several middle- and upper-middle-class neighborhoods. The Pacific Coast Highway traverses the city and has led most residents to settle anywhere from half a mile to within a few hundred yards of it, with some residents living up to one mile away from the beach in areas featuring narrow canyons. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 10,654.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Monica Mountains</span> Mountain range of the Transverse Ranges in California, United States

The Santa Monica Mountains is a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area encompasses this mountain range. Because of its proximity to densely populated regions, it is one of the most visited natural areas in California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fitzgerald Marine Reserve</span> Marine reserve in California on the Pacific Ocean

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is a marine reserve in California on the Pacific Ocean, located just north of Pillar Point Harbor and Mavericks in the San Mateo County community of Moss Beach. Moss Beach is located approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of San Francisco and 50 miles (80 km) north of Santa Cruz. The reserve is a 32-acre (0.13 km2) holding which extends from Montara light station at the north to Pillar Point on the south. The reserve consists of a three-mile stretch of beach, tidepool habitat, marsh, erosive bluffs, clifftop trail and cypress and eucalyptus forests. The property is owned by the State of California and managed by San Mateo County as a county park and nature preserve. The reserve is administratively assigned to be part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Adjacent to and possibly within the reserve is an endangered species of butterfly, the San Bruno elfin butterfly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Monica Bay</span> Bight in the Pacific Ocean

Santa Monica Bay is a bight of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, United States. Its boundaries are slightly ambiguous, but it is generally considered to be the part of the Pacific within an imaginary line drawn between Point Dume, in Malibu, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Its eastern shore forms the western boundary of the Los Angeles Westside and South Bay regions. Although it was fed by the Los Angeles River until the river's catastrophic change of course in 1825, the only stream of any size now flowing into it is Ballona Creek. Smaller waterways draining into the bay include Malibu Creek, Topanga Creek, and Santa Monica Creek.

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Topanga is an unincorporated community in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located in the Santa Monica Mountains, the community exists in Topanga Canyon and the surrounding hills. The narrow southern portion of Topanga at the coast is between the city of Malibu and the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades. As of the 2020 census the population of the Topanga CDP was 8,560. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Topanga as a census-designated place (CDP). The ZIP code is 90290 and the area code is primarily 310, with 818 only at the north end of the canyon. It is in the 3rd County Supervisorial district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mulholland Highway</span> Road in Los Angeles, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area</span> Protected area in Southern California, US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonoma Coast State Park</span> State of California property in Sonoma County

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors</span>

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References

  1. "Point Dume". Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks. Retrieved 2012-10-08.
  2. 1 2 Point Dume Brochure California State Parks.
  3. Bright, William; Erwin G. Gudde (1998). 1500 California Place Names: Their Origin and Meaning. University of California Press. p. 51. ISBN   0-520-21271-1.
  4. Plat of the Rancho Topanga Malibu Sequit finally confirmed to Matthew Keller. huntington.org. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  5. Gaze, Emerson. 1936. Floating factory converts giants of the deep into marketable products. Santa Monica Evening Outlook. 30 January 1936, p. 8, Santa Monica, California.
  6. O'Malley-Keyes, Nial Edward Brendon, Blubber Ship; George G. Harrap & Company, Limited, 1939, pp. 49-50.
  7. Point Dume State Beach
  8. Rock Climbing Routes in Point Dume
  9. 1 2 "Point Dume State Marine Reserve/State Marine Conservation Area". wildlife.ca.gov. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  10. 1 2 3 Fisher, M. A. (2005-12-01). "Recent Deformation along the Offshore Malibu Coast, Dume, and Related Faults West of Point Dume, Southern California". Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. 95 (6): 2486–2500. doi:10.1785/0120050042. ISSN   0037-1106.
  11. Rowley, Alison (April 5, 2013). "'Iron Man 3': Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark seeks revenge in first clip". Digital Spy Limited. Retrieved April 23, 2013.
  12. Movie Talk (April 5, 2013). "First 'Iron Man 3′ Clip Shows Tony Stark Taunting His New Enemy". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved April 23, 2013.
  13. Vincent Price Legacy
  14. "Tomorrow filming locations". MovieMaps. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  15. Seeing Stars: Where the Movies Were Shot (on Location)
  16. californiahistoricallandmarks.com 965, Point Dume