The Century-Old 'Sea Dogs' Of Shell Beach: Laguna Beach History

Laguna Beach CA

19 April, 2022

12:07 PM

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LAGUNA BEACH, CA — It comes as no surprise that one of Orange County's most breathtaking destinations has some of the most fascinating and well-preserved history, and in Laguna Beach, some of that same fabled history is alive and well today. Shell Beach is a gorgeous spot well-loved by Laguna Beach locals, and unknown to many tourists outside of Laguna due to its low tide accessibility and tiny size. According to Cruciana, Shell Beach was dubbed "Coward's Cove" back in the '20s and is home to the original "Sea Dogs" of Laguna Beach. "The 'Sea Dogs' watch Contino Point," Cruciana told Patch. "They have eroded over the years but still stand guard." Three men and a woman standing on rock formations at Laguna Beach's Coward's Cove. Photograph was included in a scrapbook dated 1912. Text underneath photograph reads, "A Rocky coast. Lee. Leroy. Alice. Lonie [?]" (OC Public Libraries Courtesy Photo). Cruciana said she wanted to learn more about the history of Shell Beach, and she posed the question to a Laguna Beach Facebook page for longtime residents. She told Patch that she received numerous responses, with some saying that the beach was dubbed "Coward's Cove" because it was used by bootleggers to haul whiskey barrels up and down the coast during the Prohibition Era. Phyllis Contino Mitchell and her family have been living in Laguna Beach for generations, and she was playing on the shores of Shell Beach in the '20s. Contino Mitchell said her great grandparents owned the 2.3-acre parcel of land just behind Shell Beach, and built the rock wall seen in the bottom right-hand corner of the main photograph when she was a child for the rest of the family to play in. She told Cruciana that she had fond memories of swimming in the beach's pool as a child, and that the bootlegging stories were amusing, but probably not true. Susana Cruciana Photo"The story is that my great grandparents, who own the property above it, had the wall put in to create a pool of sorts. It was there my mother learned how to swim," Contino Mitchell said. "Growing up, we spent so many magical days playing in the pool the wall creates during high tide. We were fortunate to play with our own children there. Five generations — I'll always be in awe of this place." Do you have stunning photos of this secret beach in Laguna? Share them with your local Patch editor for a chance to be featured on the site!