Crossing Whale Bridge on Veterans Day

It has been my wish for some time to cross the Whale Bridge erected in July 2025. It is a bicycle and pedestrian crossing over Highway 1 to connect the Chanticleer Avenue that is cutoff by the highway. Since the day it was conceived, the bridge has been attracting negative speculations and complaints about few users, due to its long curved span, rather than a conventional straight shot overcrossing. 

Much Ridiculed Cracked Mandilion  

Shortly after 2:00 pm on this Veterans Day, Paul and I decided to embark on our humble adventure, in order to see for ourselves if the controversy was worthwhile. After half a mile from our home, we arrived at the foot of the bridge. Indeed, the much criticized whale medallion at the entrance was cracked in a few places. As the cracks were the same color as the rest of the design, they somehow blended in nicely and even gave some weather-beaten characteristics. 

Highway 1 South Traffic on Veterans Day

Once on the bridge, we noticed a sharp contrast between the serenity around us and tremendous traffic on Highway 1 South. There were about five pedestrians and cyclists on our way over. In about a quarter of mile, we reached the other end of the bridge, finding ourselves looking at the buildings of Grey Bears and Chanticleer Recycling Center on our right, and Santa Cruz SPCA on our left, which solved the mystery of dog walkers on the bridge. Since we were on the campus of Grey Bears, we might as well do some shopping at its Thrifty Store, where we spent $2.19 to replace our worn out lemon squeezer and an aqua blue basket. 

SPCA Dog Walker

On our way back, we saw a much busier foot traffic. There were about 15 people, walking themselves or dogs, riding mechanic and electric bicycles. It is a safe route with high and strong railings sealed on both sides of the crossing. Perhaps to offset their severity, a total of 18 metal whale cutouts were attached, eight on the southbound side, and 10 on the northbound. 

Whale and Paul

The Whale Bridge is quite a feat and improvement to our local area and life, after a construction cost of about $34 million sourced from Measure D sales tax, State Senate Bill 1, and regional funds. Unlike the famed rail-trail debate, the bridge is standing tall and proud! From the bridge we can have a better nearby view, including the water purification facility. 

Water Purification Facility