I did not realize the rip rap was put there by people!

Two common ways to decrease erosion is to place rip-rap (1-6 ton boulders) along the cliff edges and to construct concrete sea walls. In recent decades these methods of protecting or “armoring” the coast are so pervasive people may not even notice them. I live near West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz, California and I am often amazed that people strolling along this beautiful section of the coast don’t even realize that rip-rap is not a natural feature.