The Devil's Elbow of Padre Island
The Loop Current flows through the straits of the
Yucatan into the Gulf of Mexico and then splits. The
main current loops southeastward flowing through
the Florida Keys (where it is called the Florida
Current), and then into the Atlantic. Another, lesser
current, called a “Loop Current Eddy,” which is
a clockwise rotating ring of warm water, bulges
out into the northern Gulf of Mexico and drifts west
towards Texas or Mexico.
As early as 1519,
Spanish navigators
recognized the value
of this flow as an
aid to navigation.
The combination of
prevailing winds and
current, determined the
course of the Spanish
treasure fleets on their
entire round-trip voyage to Europe.
Ships entering the Gulf through the Yucatan Channel, rode the prevailing
wind and current westward to the port at Vera Cruz. These currents changed
directions along the Mexican coast, carrying homebound ships north and
east into the Straits of Florida and the Bahama Channel.
The same current used by ships entering the Gulf from the east, also brings
trash from afar. Sea-beans and flotsam, from near the equator, washes up on
Padre Island. These shore currents act like a giant vacuum cleaner, scouring
the floor of the Gulf, depositing debris, and sometimes shipwrecks along
the Texas Coast. The prevailing southeasterly wind produces wave-trains
that strike the beach at an angle. Fifty miles to the north of the City of South
Padre Island, lies the infamous Devil’s Elbow. Here, shore currents meet a
north-flowing current driven by opposing winds; in the ensuing maelstrom,
the impeded flow deposits its flotsam upon the shore. This effect is perhaps
most noticeable on North Padre’s Big Shell Beach where the confluence
of currents and wind have created a natural flea-market for the discerning
beachcomber. One can find a constantly changing array of sea-borne
driftwoods and a multitude of brightly colored shells.
The only way to reach Devil’s Elbow by land is to cross from Corpus
Christi to North Padre Island then drive south along the beach about 40
miles. You will need a four-wheel drive vehicle and a full tank of gas. This
is a desolate area so bring along spare water and a shovel just in case you get
stuck in the heavy shell deposits of Little Shell Beach. From there, it is only
a short distance further. You will know when you arrive. The beach will be
littered with driftwood, oil workers hard hats, bottles, possibly an occasional
glass float and trash of every description, much of which has been carried
great distances by sea currents. But driftwood and flotsam are not the only treasures to be found. If you continue
your drive south, another 10 miles or
so, you will come upon the remains
of a 600 ton steamer, the Nicaragua,
which ran aground during the Hurricane
of 1912. Controversy surrounds the
details of the ship and the cargo she was
carrying on that fateful night. Some even
argue she was carrying contraband to the
Revolutionaries in Mexico.
Farther on, about 5 miles, are the remains
of the San Estaban, one of three Spanish
galleons wrecked on Padre Island in 1554.
The remains of the second ship, the Espiritu
Santos, lies two and a half miles further south,
while the third ship, the Santa Maria de Yicar, lies
directly in the Mansfield Cut itself. It was discovered
in 1957 by workers of the Willacy County Navigation
District who were dredging the channel. Reportedly, the
hoses from the dredge spewed silver coins and treasure
along both sides of the manmade channel before anyone
realized what was happening. Coins from this wreck are
still being found by lucky beachcombers to this day.
But, a word of caution; do not metal detect along this area.
It is illegal in Texas to hunt known wreck sites and you run
a good chance of being fined and having your metal detector
confiscated. (Metal detectors are forbidden in the National
Seashore, which encompasses all of North Padre Island).
Happy Beachcombing!
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