Sea Bright … Shore Shots
Few seashore communities offer a richer blending of sand and sea. Technically, Sea Bright is a barrier beach — narrow and long. This land — separating the Atlantic Ocean from the Shrewsbury River — is 3 miles long and in some spots less than a quarter-mile wide. With that geography, the borough’s coast can make for spectacular imagery — Sea Bright is 43% water after all. Have a look at some dual water shots:
(Note: Many images were found on social media and I’ve re-posted them).
“Creativity is intelligence having fun.”
—Albert Einstein
Delightful Dawn — Easter morning mass at the Sea Bright Public Beach, April 2025. The Sea Bright Methodist Church did the holy duty.
“Sandless” — Sea Bright seawall at North Beach. Note the lack of beach on the ocean side, 1990.
Opening Weekend — Donovan’s Reef beachfront, April 2025.
Sand Needed — Sea Bright coast before the sand replenishment project, late 1980s. The North Beach section has nearly no beach (Charlie Rooney Photo). From a scientific perspective have look at this 1950 report on beach replenishment, History of New Jersey Coastline by C. F. Wicker — HERE
War Years — Sea Bright coastline looking north, early-1940s.
Winter Calm — Sea Bright municipal beach area, February 2025.
Barrier Beach — Sea Bright and Sandy Hook seen from Twin Lights, 2000s.
Battered — Aftermath of another Sea Bright storm, 1910s.
River Reach — Hartshorne Woods Park seen from Sea Bright, Autumn 2023. The “hilly, forested 797-acre site overlooking the Navesink River” has been in the Monmouth County Park System since 1974 — MORE INFO.
Nor’easter Near — Storm waters pound Ocean Avenue near The Quay restaurant, March 1984. “Sea Bright has a plausible claim to being the spot where Americans’ dangerous liaison with the beach started in earnest” —The Beach Builders by John Seabrook, 2013.
“Barging In” — The SS Christian Bergh, a massive freighter run aground at Sea Bright, March 1949. Built in 1944, the 7,100-ton liberty ship with crew of 37 got lost in a morning fog en-route from Greece to New York. The ship got within 15 yards of Ocean Avenue and was beached there for 11 hours before tide and tugboat moved her. Captain Hodle MacHarde, shouting to a growing number of spectators on the town’s beach, blamed bad tides and winds for the grounding. The ship’s mission was noble — carrying grain as part of the Marshall Plan. Scrapped in 1967, the ship was named after NYC’s finest ship carpenter, when he died in 1843.
“Sundown at Seabright” — A 1970s painting by Barbara J. Cocker of Rumson (1923-2009).
Dawn Patrol — An early morning summer day in Sea Bright, July 2024 (Bud Truax Photo).
Drive Up — Sea Bright aerial image during “Endless Summer Car Show,” September 2024.
What Was — A map of old the Sea Bright coast.
Big Haul — Pound boat on the Sea Bright shore, 1920s.
In Ruins — Most of downtown Sea Bright was burned during a massive fire in June 1891 — here’s a riverfront scene of the damages still smoldering (Doug Forsman Photo).
Narrow Margin — Just south of the Highlands bridge — clearly showing Sea Bright’s ” barrier beach” positioning. Summer 2024 (John Schneider Photo). Thanks to 50+ years of jetty and seawall building work for Sea Bright, Jesse A. Howland was “the man who saved the town from being washed off the map,” according to his November 1945 Long Branch Daily Record obit.
To the Beach — Looking south down Ocean Avenue-Route 36, Winter 2023.
Chris Landing boat marina on Ocean Avenue, 1980s.
Piling Up — Sea Bright, NJ postcard, 1964.
Summer Nears — Sea Bright coast on Memorial Day weekend, 2024 (StansPhotos).
City Heights — From the beaches of Sea Bright to the NYC skyline, Fall 2022 (Gary Krzywicki Photo).
Sea Bright coast, July 2023 (Robert Tyler Photo).
Sunset on the Shrewsbury, November 2023 (Alana Reyes Rodriguez Photo).
Sea Bright at dawn, Summer 2023 (Billy Lo Photo).
Sea Bright postcard, 1960s.
Sea Bright’s islands in the Shrewsbry River, July 2023 (Robert Tyler Photo).
Sea Bright by moonlight, 2020.
Warm Welcome — a Sea Bright beach walkway, 2020.
Sea Bright sunrise, 2020.
Good morning Sea Bright, Spring 2021.
Morning sun peeks through in Sea Bright, 2021.
Sea Bright view of NYC skyline, 2016.
Sea Bright summer sunrise, 2019.
A cold coast in Sea Bright, 2021.
The first day of 2021 dawns at the Sea Bright municipal beach (Charlie Rooney Photo).
Sea Bright skies seem to be ablaze, 2020 (Jack Flaherty Photo).
A winter sunrise in Sea Bright, 2020.
Sea Bright coast looking south, 2020.
Sea Bright coast in late fall, 2020.
Sea Bright in the dunes, 2020.
Surfing in Sea Bright, 2020.
Sea Bright shadows, 2019.
Sea Bright sunrise, 2019.
Borough beach, 2019 (Frank E. Snead Photo).
North Beach in Sea Bright, 2019.
Sea Bright looking north, 2018.
A lot going on in Sea Bright, 2018.
Down the line — Looking south from North Beach, Winter 2023.
Orange Aid — A better than average early spring sunset, March 2023.
Serious Surf — Waves pounding the borough’s North Beach near the Highlands bridge, Spring 2018 (Joan Osgoodby Photo).
Sea Bright looking northeast, 2010s.
Sea Bright aerial image, 2010s.
Sea Bright aerial image, 2018.
Beach erosion in Sea Bright after a tropical storm, July 2020.
Sea Bright town center, mid-1960s.
Sea Bright south beach in the Oceanview Marina area, 2021.
Downtown Sea Bright looking north, 2021.
“Greetings from Sea Bright, NJ” postcard, 1960s.
Sea Bright Library & Cultural Arts Center, 2021.
Sea Bright coast looking north, 1950s.
On Top — Sea Bright seen from Hartshorne Woods Park, April 2023 (Guy Falcioni Photo).
Sea Bright Aerial image, 1920.
Sea Bright, 1950s postcard.
Sea Bright postcard, 1960s.
Top of the Shore — A biker departs Sandy Hook heading south into Sea Bright and down Monmouth County’s 27-mile-long coastline, March 2023 (Russ Meseroll Photo).
Sea Bright aerial image, 2018.
North Beach area in Sea Bright, 1970s.
Long Walk — NYC skyline seen from Sea Bright beach, 2020.
Sea Bright beach walk, 2020.
Sea Bright summer sunrise, 2020.
Looking south, 2018.
Sea Bright aerial image, 2017.
New Donovan’s Reef under construction, 2014.
NYC skyline from Sea Bright, 2009.
Sea Bright looking north, 2019.
Sea Bright, July 4, 2019.
NYC skyline from SB, 2020.
Over Sea Bright — the Shrewsbury River islands are clear in this aerial image, March 2023 (Ed Moldaver Photo).
My only sunshine — Sea Bright at dusk, Summer 2020 (Avicorp Capital Aviation Photo).
“City Peaks” — From the Sea Bright coast to the NYC skyline, November 2022 (Gary Krzywicki Photo).
“Down the Shore” — Sea Bright coast looking north, Spring 2020 (Chris Brenner Photo).
“Fire in the Sky” — Looking across the Shrewsbury River from Sea Bright, Feb. 2023 (Bill Brooks Photo).
Atlantic Heights — Hartshorne Woods seen from Sea Bright, 2019. The “hilly, forested 794-acre site overlooking the Navesink River is among the highest elevations along the Atlantic Coast.” MORE INFO.
Sea Bright coast looking south, July 2021. The photo was taken from Discovery’s “Shark Week” blimp.
Tightly Packed — Sea Bright looking south, June 2021 (Robert Tyler Photo).
NYC skyline seen from Sea Bright, 2020.
Party Hearty — Fourth of July at Donovan’s Reef, 2022 (StansPhotos.com).
Sea Bright #1 — the barrier beach, Summer 2021.
Sea Bright #2 — the barrier beach, Summer 2021.
Sea Bright coast looking south, 2022.
At the mouth of the Navesink River looking east with Sea Bright in the background, 2020.
“The Beach at Seabright” by Francis Augustus Silva, 1880.
Rise & Shine — Sea Bright lifeguards up with the sun, July 2022 (Bud Truax Photo).
America’s Birthday in Sea Bright — July 4, 2022 (StansPhotos.com).
Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge (l) near the old Anchorage Apartments (r), 2014.
Ocean Avenue looking south, 2022 (O’Brien Realty Photo).
Where the Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers meet, 2018 (Bart Lentini Photo).
Early Rewards — NYC skyline basks in sunshine when viewed from Sea Bright at dawn, 2018.
Top to bottom — the Seabright Lawn Tennis & Cricket Club (in Rumson), Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge, and Seabright Beach Club, 2019 (Frank E. Snead Photo).
Ocean Avenue going north, 2019.
Winter Wonder — sunset along the Shrewsbury River, January 2023 (Karin Busichio Photo).
Sea Bright looking north along the Shrewsbury River, 2023 (Karin Busichio Photo).
North Beach, Sea Bright, 2016.
River Life — Looking south: Sea Bright (l) and Rumson (r), 2022.
Sea Bright, surfing and skyline, 2021.
South Beach Sea Bright, 2022.
Navesink Marina along the Shrewsbury River, 2019.
Shore Protection — High school students help plant dune grass along the borough coast, December 2022.
Red Sea — Old Anchorage beach at dawn, November 2022 (Thomas Wylie Photo).
Sunrise stroll in Sea Bright, November 2022.
Shinning City — NYC skyline glows at dawn when seen from the Sea Bright coast, Winter 2020.
Sea Bright sunset, Fall 2022 (Steve Gardella Photo).
Moon Rise — North Beach at dusk, November 2022.
Easy Seat — A majestic fall sunset along the Shrewsbury River, September 2022 (MAC Photography).
Good morning Sea Bright! September 2022.
Another Sea Bright day fades away, September 2022 (Adam Bain Photo).
A Sea Bright day dawns at the old Anchorage beach, 2020.
Sea Bright coast at dusk, Summer 2022.
Sea Bright beach erosion, August 2022.
Sea Bright coast, July 4, 2019 (StansPhotos)..
Sea Bright shore looking south, 2022.
Making waves in Sea Bright, 2019.
Summer of ’22 — Sea Bright coast on Memorial Day weekend, May 2022 (StansPhotos.com).
Not always tranquil — some late spring storm clouds, 2022.
South Beach, Spring 2022 (NJ Aerial Views Photo).
Moon glow over Sea Bright, April 2022.
Dawn in Sea Bright, Spring 2022.
North Beach in Sea Bright, 2022 (Robert Tyler).
A Sea Bright rainbow, May 2021 (Gigi Lacey Photo).
“Navesink River & Rocky Point” (today it’s Hartshorne Woods) by John Frederick Kensett, 1859.
A Sea Bright sunrise, Winter 2022.
To the North — from the SB seawall to NYC skyline, Feb. 2013.
Sea Bright coast looking north, Winter 2022 (Robert Tyler Photo).
Morning at North Beach during Christmastime, 2021 (Charlie Rooney Photo).
Sea Bright surfers at daybreak, Summer 2021.
A glorious Sea Bright rainbow, Summer 2021 (Robert Tyler Photo).
Sea Bright in Christmas Season, 2021.
Sublime sunrise on Thanksgiving Day at Anchorage Beach, 2021 (Thomas Wylie Photo).
A fab Sea Bright sunset on the Shrewsbury River, Fall 2021.
Just before the Highland-Sea Bright Bridge on Ocean Avenue, Fall 2021.
Surfing off North Beach, Halloween Day 2021.
From the Highlands — the narrowness of Sea Bright is apparent, 2021.
Lunar #1 — Fall moon shot in Sea Bright, October 2021.
Lunar #2 — Fall moon shot in Sea Bright, October 2021.
Sea Bright seen from Twin Lights, Fall 2021.
Not a beach day, September 2021.
Plenty of beach — looking north in Sea Bright, 2020.
Summer storm front, 2021.
Made in the shade in Sea Bright, 2021.
Sea Bright fishermen, 1887.
A Seastreak Ferry heading south toward Sea Bright, June 2021. MORE INFO
Cool coastal colors, 2020 (Capture808 Photography).
Wind & Sea, 2021 (Capture808 Photography).
North Beach in Sea Bright, 2021.
Lightning bolt hits offshore at Sea Bright, 2019.
From Sea Bright north to the NYC skyline, 2020.
NYC skyline seen from Sea Bright, 2020.
So long Sea Bright summer, 2020.
Late summer sunrise in Sea Bright, 2020.
For the birds in Sea Bright, 2020.
Both Bridges — Sea Bright looking north to NYC, 2020 (StansPhotos).
Walk this way, 2021 (John Karcher Photo).
North Beach spring evening, 2021 (R.C. Staab).
Another glorious sunrise in Sea Bright, 2021.
Palm trees and cabanas in Sea Bright, 2019.
A lonely Sea Bright lifeguard keeps watch, 2019.
Boating off the Sea Bright coast, 2009.
Waves pound the borough coast, 2020.
Another day dawns in Sea Bright, 2020.
Early start in North Beach, 2020 (Rich Weiss Photo).
Another Sea Bright summer day ends, 2202.
Old Glory flies over North Beach, 2020.
Sea Bright sunrise, 2020. “Every sunrise is like a new page, a chance to right ourselves.” —Oprah Winfrey
Highlands-Sea Bright Bridge, 2020. (Frank Snead Photo).
Sand time in Sea Bright, 2020.
Seems almost within reach — the NYC skyline seen from Sea Bright, 2020 (Michael Cobern Photo).
Looking south, 2020.
Sea Bright coast, 2019 (Frank E. Snead Photo).
Some of Sea Bright “beach club row,” 2020.
On the rocks in Sea Bright, 2020.
A grand borough sunrise, 2020. “It’s always darkest before the dawn.” –Dan Brown
By the dunes, 2020.
Busy beach day in Sea Bright, 2019.
Beachfront vows in the borough, 2019.
Sunset in Sea Bright, 2020.
Sparkling skies in Sea Bright, 2020.
Sea Bright aerial image, 2018.
North Beach in Sea Bright, 2020.
Looking north in Sea Bright, 2020.
NYC skyline from Sea Bright, 2020.
A Sea Bright rainbow, 2020.
