Santa Cruz and state officials are still surveying the damage and clearing debris from along the coast after heavy surf brought down part of the pier, whose long-term fate is also unclear.

A retired Santa Cruz Wharf supervisor said old steel fasteners had been loosening and the structure had been slowly breaking apart for years.

After part of the iconic Santa Cruz Wharf collapsed into the ocean amid powerful waves on Monday, feathered culprits have been found to factor into the pier’s damage: seagulls.

Mayor, while stressing the value of the wharf in the community, says rebuilding without serious discussions would be “irresponsible.”

Officials in Santa Cruz County have activated a disaster fund to help area nonprofit organizations that are assisting those impacted by the closure of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf after a portion of the wharf collapsed last week.

While already on alert because of the high surf that hit the Monterey Bay coast Monday, Santa Cruz Lifeguards Lt. Isiah Mullen and Lt. Sam Hofmann, stationed on a Jet Ski in the water near Cowell

A part of the Santa Cruz Wharf collapsed Monday afternoon during a high-surf warning, with authorities confirming two people had to be pulled from the water.

Officials say the wharf will not reopen until the city is sure it is safe to do so, and it's not clear whether the collapsed section of the wharf. Plus, a stowaway passed TSA and boarded a Delta flight from Seattle to Honolulu.

The City of Santa Cruz will hold a news conference on Friday at the Cowell's Beach Main Parking Lot to provide more updates about the wharf breaking off earlier this week.