Corpus Christi Bay

Gliding through the shallow channel on the north side of Corpus Christi Bay, you will see stubborn remnants of a barrier island estuary that was once home to vast oyster beds, seagrass meadows, teeming fish nurseries and abundant alligators.

In less than a decade, the northern coastline of Corpus Christi Bay, in San Patricio County, Texas, has been developed from a greenspace of wetlands and dunes into a miles-long corridor of petrochemical and industrial facilities, their cracking towers rising hundreds of feet into the air.

The decibel competition was predictably fierce on “Gringo Honeymoon,” “Corpus Christi Bay” and “Merry Christmas From the Family.”

He returned to Harbor El Sol Marina in Corpus Christi Bay Sunday afternoon to check on his beloved 27-foot boat, Sera Sera, a name he found ironic now.

To glimpse what that future might hold, Holt only needs to look west, down the ship channel, where tank farms and oil loading terminals are rapidly being built on Corpus Christi Bay.