b'T h eI s l a n d sest in the world. In those deepest near-shore guts, big fish are fed on by even bigger fish, which makes Big Shell and Little Shell exceedingly popular with shark hunters and other big game fishermen. The park boasts that some 380 species of birds, half of all those identified in the United States, have been spotted here. (361) 949-8068Mustang Island State Park encompasses almost 4,000 acres that stretch across Mustang Island between North Padre Island and Port Aransas, and includes shoreline on both the Gulf of Mexico and BEACH PARKS PROTECT ISLAND ECOSYSTEMS Corpus Christi Bay. The facilities area of the park, lo-cated within the main gate, includes RV spaces and campsites, restrooms and ranger station. Park beach-es tend to be less crowded with fewer vehicles, and Padre Island National Seashore is the native island experience in its rawest form, including the best shoretwo rock jetties extend in to the gulf. On the back fishing in the countrya bold statement to be surebut consider that one of the worlds strongest oceanside of the island, a network of flats and marsh zones currents, the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current, enters the gulf at Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula and exits at theprovides fantastic fishing and birdwatching, along Florida Straits, and makes its sharpest turn along the National Seashore. The result is that the gut, or drop- with an extensive paddling trail. Google: Mustang off between sandbars, can be up to 15 feet deep between the shoreline and first sand bar, among the deep- Island State Park82 THE COASTAL BEND TOUR+RELO+BUILD GUIDE TheCoastalBend.com'