Bodega Head is a small promontory on the Pacific coast of northern California in the United States. It is located in Sonoma County at 38°18′40″N 123°03′58″W / 38.311°N 123.066°W[1], approximately 40 mi (64 km) northwest of San Francisco and approximately 20 mi (32 km) west of Santa Rosa.
The peninsula, which is approximately 4 mi (6.4 km) long and 1 mi (1.6 km) wide, emerges from the coast to the north. It shelters the shallow, sandy Bodega Bay and the inner portion known as Bodega Harbor. Sonoma Coast State Beach comprises beaches and dunes along the south side of the promontory. The University of California, Davis runs an ongoing marine biology program at the Bodega Marine Laboratory. The laboratory is located on the grounds of Bodega Marine Reserve, which is part of the UC Natural Reserve System. The peninsula is considered a prime spot to observe the migration of whales. It is also one of the three points of the Red Triangle, a major feeding ground for great white sharks.[2] A series of trails are a popular destination for recreational hiking.
Bodega Head State Marine Reserve & Bodega Head State Marine Conservation Area protect area waters. Like underwater parks, these marine protected areas help conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems.
The peninsula was probably inhabited by the Coast Miwok people before the arrival of Europeans. Campbell Cove, on the east side of the promontory, is a candidate for Sir Francis Drake's 1579 landing site.[3]
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bodega Head
- ^ Fimrite, Peter (17 October 2012). "Great whites' diets shown to vary widely". SFGate.
- ^ "Drake Latitudes on the Coast of California in 1579". Archived from the original on 2008-01-16. Retrieved 2008-01-07.