Morro Bay, Photo

Morro Bay Panorama

Filed under: California, Morro Bay, Panoramas on 1/7/2009

I got up early one morning while we were in Morro Bay to photograph the view from Morro Bay State Park, around the bay and north to Morro Rock. There was a slight offshore breeze and the air was cold and dry giving clear views in every direction. My father-in-law’s fishing boat is tied up to the Coast Guard dock near the power plant — it is the biggest boat in the harbor and you can see it if you squint really hard.

Morro Bay panorama, showing Morro Bay State Park (left), Morro Bay and barrier dunes, Pacific Ocean, and Morro Rock (right). A composite of eight separate photographs. Morro Bay, California, USA.
Image: 22247
Location: Morro Bay, California, USA

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Pano dimensions: 2269 x 24021

See our photos of Morro Bay as well as more Panoramic photos.

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Earth Shadow

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Latitude: 35° 21' 30.92" N, Longitude: 120° 49' 53.86" W, Coord: 35.35859°, -120.83163°
Filed under: California, Morro Bay, Photo of the Day on 1/1/2009

Have you ever seen those layers of blue, purple and pink along the horizon just before sunrise? The darker sky, lowest on the horizon, is actually the shadow of the Earth cast upon the atmosphere, while the lighter sky above is the atmosphere as it is lit by the sun. As dawn nears, the shadowed portion of the sky is squeezed down on the horizon and disappears. The pink in the upper “layer” is the result of the sun passing at a highly oblique angle through the dust-filled atmosphere to the east, colored by the particulate suspended in the air.

Earth shadow over Morro Rock and Morro Bay. Just before sunrise the shadow of the Earth can seen as the darker sky below the pink sunrise., Copyright Phil Colla, image #22213, all rights reserved worldwide.

Earth shadow over Morro Rock and Morro Bay. Just before sunrise the shadow of the Earth can seen as the darker sky below the pink sunrise. Morro Bay, California, USA.
Image: 22213
Location: Morro Bay, California, USA

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Photo of Sea Otter Mother and Pup

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Latitude: 35° 22' 10.74" N, Longitude: 120° 51' 51.41" W, Coord: 35.36965°, -120.86428°
Filed under: California, Morro Bay, Photo of the Day on 2/9/2008

On my way back down the coast from Big Sur I made a stop in Morro Bay for a bite, and to take a quick look in the harbor for interesting fishing boats, birds or otters. I didn’t see any good birds, and the light was overcast which made for poor photography of boats, but I went to my secret otter spot and lo-and-behold I found a raft of eight sea otters (Enhydra lutris), including three pups. This pup was constantly on the move, diving and swimming circles around its mother and making lots of loud chirping noises. In fact I heard him from far off before I even saw the otters. I hung out for about an hour trying to get some photos of the otters, but they were mostly resting, tied up in kelp to keep from drifting with the incoming tide.

A female sea otter floats on its back on the ocean surface while her pup pops its head above the water for a look around. Both otters will wrap itself in kelp (seaweed) to keep from drifting as it rests and floats. Morro Bay, California, USA.
Image: 20434
Species: Enhydra lutris
Location: Morro Bay, California, USA

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Photo of Morro Rock, Morro Bay

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Latitude: 35° 21' 30.8" N, Longitude: 120° 49' 54.05" W, Coord: 35.358556°, -120.83168°
Filed under: California, Morro Bay, Photo of the Day on 5/9/2007

Morro Rock, also known as the Gibralter of the Pacific, is an extinct volcanic peak rising 576′ above the ocean on the north side of Morro Bay, California. It was first charted by Juan Cabrillo in 1542. It is now a protected home for the endangered peregrine falcon.