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American Morning
'Dr. Beach' Leatherman Discusses List of World's Best Beaches
Aired May 25, 2001 - 11:53 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: They say life's a beach. The unofficial start of Summer is upon us, and that means it is time for surf and sand and fun. Just as you are heading out for the Memorial Day weekend, we have the annual list some of the year's best beaches all over this world.
Stephen "Dr. Beach" Leatherman compiles that list every year. He is a professor -- yes, that's true folks: He is truly professor.
With a Ph.D., right?
STEPHEN "DR. BEACH" LEATHERMAN: That's right.
O'BRIEN: At Florida International University of Miami, where he joins us, live, today.
Do you need a Ph.D. for this job, Stephen?
LEATHERMAN: Some people say that's a lot of degrees to go out and kick sand, but do I have criteria to rate beaches -- so maybe not a Ph.D., but it's kind of the lighter part of my research, but certainly a part of what I do in terms of my surveys of beaches around this country and the world. '
O'BRIEN: And just so folks know, the serious side of this is to look at erosion and some of the issues what affect beaches adversely.
LEATHERMAN: That's right. My specialty is looking at beach erosion and hurricane impacts on beaches, which can have a dramatic affect on beaches, and we'll be talking about that in terms of the national winter was knocked out for many year by Hurricane Iniki.
O'BRIEN: Let's get right do it. You're on those beaches doing that hard research, and you think, I might be on to something a little more fun here.
Let's just give the top five for 2001. At the top of the list is Poipu Beach Park, Hawaii. As we look at pictures of this lovely beach, tell us history and why it has been rising the charts with a bullet, of late.
LEATHERMAN: Well, as we mentioned, in 1992, a Category 4 hurricane, Hurricane Iniki, hit this area directly and really devastated it, and knocked out hotels, and a lot of the sand washed offshore. So it's taken a long time for this one to come back, but the good news is it's back. You can see it is a very unique beach. It's protected by an offshore island, so what you see is an area of very quiet water, where people like to snorkeling -- almost flat water, tropical fish tight there, the coral reefs -- and then as you come around, on the other side of it is big pulsating surf. So it really puts it all together in a tropical environment, and after all, Hawaii is our tropical paradise.
O'BRIEN: Hawaii, of course, once again the hands-on winner, huge numbers of Hawaiian beaches on this list as you look through the top 20. Talk about the best of both words: to have a calm little lagoon area, and then the surf.
Number two on the list is Saint Joseph Peninsula State Park, in Florida. That's been an enduring favorite of yours.
Finally, really, quickly: Kaanapali remains one of the better ones -- always will?
LEATHERMAN: Yes, this is on the dry side of Maui, and people look at Maui as probably the best destination resort island in the world. Here you can really enjoy it all. A lot of top resorts are there. It's the sea, the sand and the weather. It all puts it together -- one of the most popular resort areas in Hawaii that's not overrun with people.
O'BRIEN: Let me ask you this. You're in a position, more than anybody on the planet, I suppose, to assess the overall state of our coastlines. You look at it from a recreational standpoint and a scientific standpoint. Give us quick report card, if you will.
LEATHERMAN: I think American beaches are doing very well. I've been around the world -- I've been to Thailand recently -- and was really surprised to see the pollution that people have on some beaches. They rapidly develop the area, and you have the problem of wastewater and all that. America is doing a very good job, but we can do better. So I give our beaches about a B-plus, maybe, an A-minus, depending on where you are.
We certainly can do more. Last year, the Beaches Act passed, which mandates testing the water on a regular basis and using standards. I'm really glad to report that. We still have the problem of litter and things washing up from the ocean, so a lot of plastics are a big problem on beaches, and we have to have annual beach cleanups to keep them clean.
O'BRIEN: Stephen Leatherman prefers to go by the handle of Dr. Beach, and who wouldn't? Congratulations on yet another fine list. And we invite everybody out there to sample them all. Have a good season.
LEATHERMAN: Thank you, Miles.
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