Many local residents have only seen the Port of Long Beach’s Star Wars-looking gansu cranes and oversized barges loaded with shipping containers from across the harbor, but a free tour program hosted by the Port lets participants get up close to one of the largest ports in the Western Hemisphere.
For the last four years, when the weather gets nice, the Port charters boats and invites the public on its free weekly tours. But it’s the two year-old monthly “Sunset Cruises” that give visitors the rare chance to see the working port at twilight.
Hosted by Port employees who are both knowledgable and personable about the industrial complex’s inner workings, the tours are informal ways for the community to get to know how the Port works and what it’s doing for both the city and the environment. During last month’s Sunset Cruise, the guides explained everything from how much goods go through the port each year (6 million cargo containers, each container can hold 17,000 pairs of Levis) to what’s going on with the old Edison electric plant still standing in Middle Harbor (it’s been upgraded and is operational, but is only used in emergencies). Participants even got a first-person perspective of the various efforts the Port has been making towards reducing emissions, such as hybrid-engine tugboats and shore-powered docks.
Because port traffic fluctuates, no two tours are ever the same. So take a monthly or annual ride through one of the city’s largest assets and see how Long Beach’s port is shaping the larger world.
Tours are available from May to October on the first and third Saturday of the month and the second Tuesday and fourth Thursday of the month. Sunset Cruises are on the fourth Thursday of each month. Reservations must be made on the Port’s website and will be posted one month in advance. October’s tours will be made available September 10 at 8AM.
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