Marport – Zuriel van Belle

Marport is an island nearby. During the most recent Marport Materiality Review, 100% of respondents did not recall having heard of the island. When polled, visitors to the island do sometimes recall its existence. Marport, if one can recall it, is suitable for a day trip.

Visit Marport by taking the ferry. It leaves the city every day at 8 am and returns at 6 pm. From the Marport Port, visitors can take the island’s premier and only bus line, the 27, to any of its eleven stops.

A place for birdwatchers, Marport boasts many species of seabirds:

Western Gulls

Thayer’s Gulls

Sabine’s Gulls

Ring-billed Gulls

Mew Gulls

Iceland Gulls

Herring Gulls

Heermann’s Gulls

Glaucous-winged Gulls

Glaucous Gulls

Franklin’s Gulls

California Gulls

Bonaparte’s Gulls

Black-legged Kittiwakes

From the shore, if misty clouds allow it, you can see the raised hump of the old deck bridge in the middle of the sea. The Henry Prospect Bridge was spearheaded by Marport’s 12th mayor and heir-at-law to the Murphy Potato Chip Company on the south side of the island.

Murphy Potato Chip Company proudly grows all of their potatoes on Marport using the Marport Zig Zag Planting Method®. The zig-zag planting technique was developed to protect against the highly localized earthquakes known to occur in the area. Murphy Potato Chip Company has four flavors of potato chips: regular, unsalted, salted, and classic. When given the choice, the birds on the shore choose classic.

In recent years, the birds have perched on the railings of the old deck bridge, which, at low tide, lie submerged two centimeters under the sea’s surface. The gulls levitate on the two miles of submerged railing and avoid completely the small exposed hump of the bridge.

An unpredicted, though quite predictable flood, turned the once-peninsula of Marport into an island. The bridge, built to reconnect Marport with the city, was submerged in a truly unpredictable flood 29 days after its completion and 2 days before its grand opening.

The rain that drowned the bridge was Marport’s last recorded rainfall; however, rain gear is recommended, as the weather is generally cloudy and always threatens rain. Umbrellas are available for purchase in the Marport Port Gift Shop (open from 6  to 8 am).

Venture just inland from the port to Oak Park, a destination for visitors. Oak Park was home to a small introduced population of house sparrows, a biodiversity project promoted by the island’s 17th mayor. Unfortunately, the sparrows vacated Marport shortly after their introduction. Fortunately, mew gulls frequent Oak Park and are available for photos.

Should you remember to visit Marport, you may recall that it is an island nearby.

Zuriel van Belle mostly thinks about people, places, and animals. She is currently focused on improving canine-feline relations in Milwaukie, Oregon.

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