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Harbor Lights
No lighthouse kept vigil over the harbor four centuries ago when Cabrillo sailed into the bay. There were no channel buoys, fog horns, or local charts to guide mariners safely to anchor. Today, however, the Coast Guard and Port of San Diego provide a full range of navigational aids for the many military, commercial, and privately owned vessels that use the harbor.
The new Point Loma Lighthouse built in 1891 stands down near the coast on the tip of the peninsula. It replaced the original 1855 lighthouse on the hill to your right. The modernized structure sends out a brilliant white beam that flashes every 15 seconds, and is equipped with a powerful foghorn that can be heard by ships up to 3 miles out (4.8km). You can get a good view of the lighthouse from the whale overlook.
The Zuniga Jetty, a submerged stone wall built by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1904, protects the far side of the channel from currents and sediment deposits. A series of quick flashing white lights mark the mile long jetty. A horn attached to the end of the jetty can be heard sounding a one-second blast every ten seconds. |