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One of the most powerful memories I have tied to coastal preservation goes back to 1989, when New Jersey was facing a serious pollution crisis. Labor Day weekend in Belmar—normally packed—was eerily empty.I was 28 years old at the time, working in the event ticketing business, and came down to visit my sister, who was renting a small place on Ocean Avenue. Next door, I saw a “For Sale” sign. I called the realtor right there. She met me within 20 minutes and, understandably, asked where my parents were. I told her, “No, I’m the one buying the house.” She was surprised, but showed me around. When I stepped out onto the second-floor deck and looked at the ocean, I made the decision right there: I’m buying this house.
People thought I was crazy. The beaches were empty, the headlines were negative, and the future of the shoreline didn’t look great in that moment. But I believed something simple—this coastline was too valuable, too important to New Jersey, to be left in that condition. I trusted it would be cleaned up and protected.
I paid full price without negotiating. This wasn’t something you could shop around for. It was one piece of oceanfront, and I wasn’t going to lose it. Today, that same property is worth many times what I paid, but more importantly, the beaches are thriving again. The water is cleaner, the shoreline is protected, and the ecosystem offshore is healthier than it’s been in decades.
Now, as the owner of Jersey Shore Whale Watch going into our 9th season, I see the results of that turnaround every day. We’re regularly encountering humpback whales, fin whales, and other marine life just a few miles off the coast. Thousands of people come out with us each year and experience that firsthand.
To me, that’s the full-circle moment. What was once a coastline people avoided has become a place where people reconnect with the ocean. And organizations like ASBPA have played a critical role in making that possible—not just on the beach, but far beyond it.
Bill McKim