There is an osprey nest on Shelter Island in San Diego and one can often see osprey on the nest or on nearby poles. On this day, an osprey had caught dinner and was chowing down. The nest is located in the roundabout at the far western end of the island.
Links: Shelter Island Seal
A few seals love to hang around the boat launch area on Shelter Island, a community of Point Loma in San Diego. It is not actually an island as it is connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land, and is only a little over a mile in length and a few hundred feet wide. This fine specimen was only too happy to pose for me.
The HMS Surprise began its life as a replica of the 18th century Royal Naval frigate Rose. Thirty years later, it was modified for the film, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, in an effort to recreate a 24 gun frigate specific to the Nelson era Royal Navy. Since 2004, it has been moored at the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
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The “old” Point Loma lighthouse was active from November 15, 1855 until March 23, 1891 (36 years), warning ships entering San Diego Bay. However, its location high atop Point Loma resulted in its beam often being obscured by fog and clouds such that a “new” lighthouse was built down at sea level. The old lighthouse has been restored and offers great displays including a five-foot tall 3rd order Fresnel lens, the best available at that time.
Links: NPS
An interesting site on Shelter Island in San Diego is the Yokohama Friendship Bell by artist Masahiko Katori. The citizens of Yokohama, Japan presented the Friendship Bell to San Diego in May 1958 as part of the establishment of a sister city relationship between the two cities, the first such affiliation on the West Coast. The bell has no clapper but is rung by being struck by the large suspended wooden ram.
Bill Pavlacka, aka “The Sandcastle Man”, hard at work on one of his creations at the Hotel del Coronado, in San Diego.
The Star of India is the world’s oldest active sailing ship, having been launched in 1863 from the Isle of Man under the name of “Euterpe”, after the Greek muse of music and poetry. After six trips to India, she spent 25 years transporting emigrants to New Zealand, followed by hauling salmon from Alaska to California. She is presently part of the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
Links: Maritime Museum
I love the Spanish Colonial-Revival architecture in Balboa Park in San Diego. This pic shows the San Diego Museum of Man, one of 17 museums in this beautiful 1200-acre park.
Links: Balboa Park Museum of Man
This beautiful statue and coastal view is in Cabrillo National Monument near where Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo landed in 1542 as the first European to set foot on the west coast of the United States.
Point Loma/Cabrillo National Monument offers some great views of downtown San Diego as you look back across San Diego Bay, but the pilots of these two sailboats have an even better view.
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