- Bodega Harbor
Bodega Harbor is a small shallow natural
harbor on the Pacific coast of northernCalifornia in theUnited States , approximately 40 mi (64 km) northwest ofSan Francisco . The harbor is approximately 2 square miles (5 square km) in area.The harbor is in Sonoma County at 38.3250° N, 123.0400° W, on the eastern side of
Bodega Head and is protected from the main part ofBodega Bay to the south by a narrow sandy spit of land. The village of Bodega Bay sits along the eastern side of the harbor. Geologically the harbor is formed by a depression of theSan Andreas Fault .Southwest of Bodega Harbor is the
University of California 's [http://www-bml.ucdavis.edu/ Bodega Marine Lab] on Horseshoe Cove. Bodega Harbor is a good location for access toCordell Bank ,Tomales Bay , and theFarallon Islands . TheUniversity of California maintains amarine biology study in themud flat s along the southwestern corner of the harbor.History
Campbell Cove near the entrance of the harbor from Bodega Bay is sometimes mentioned as a possible landing site of
Francis Drake on the coast ofNorth America in 1579. [cite web|url=http://www.longcamp.com/nav.html|title=Drake Latitudes on the Coast of California in 1579|accessdate=2008-01-07] The site is not, however, considered to a be likely candidate by most historians. "See:"Drakes Estero ,Bolinas Lagoon The harbor was used from 1811 to the 1840s by Russian
fur trade rs. The harbor and the town were the primary location used byAlfred Hitchcock for his1962 movie "The Birds". Several scenes were shot using watercraft on the harbor.Current Use
The natural harbor hosts two marinas, a boat lunch, two fishing ports, campground and several waterfront restaurants. However, the primary recreational use is windsurfing and kitesurfing. The inner harbor is shalow, from no water at low tide to 6ft at high tide, provides ideal place to learn and improve.
References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
