Tag: maritime museum

Holiday decorations appear at Maritime Museum!

The folks at the Maritime Museum of San Diego have begun decorating for the holidays!

A beautiful Christmas tree sparkles in their gift shop, and the elegant passenger deck of historic steam ferry Berkeley appears even more amazing than usual. The handsome wooden benches bathed with the light from art glass windows now look upon green wreaths, red ribbons, and Christmas trees large and small!

And I’m told much more holiday decoration is coming!

I know the museum’s Pilot boat is being strung with lights for the 55th annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights, and a small Christmas tree will soon be hoisted to the top of Star of India’s mainmast!

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San Diego submersible in Star Trek: Enterprise!

The Maritime Museum of San Diego recently acquired DeepFlight I, a unique “flying” underwater submersible developed in the late 1990s. You can read more about this amazing, advanced submersible here.

Visitors to the San Diego museum might be astonished to learn that this one-of-a-kind prototype appears in every episode of Star Trek: Enterprise!

DeepFlight I can be seen momentarily in the Star Trek: Enterprise introductory sequence, which begins every episode. The sequence depicts the evolution of human technology and exploration. DeepFlight I appears at the 34 second mark here!

Super cool!

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Star of India at sunset from Waterfront Park.

Enjoy a few photographs. They were taken today in San Diego a few minutes after sunset.

The western sky was fiery orange and red, making an incredible backdrop for Star of India, docked at the Maritime Museum of San Diego. The world-famous tall ship was strung with magical lights.

The sunset’s colors reflected brilliantly from the park’s watery fountain and a slice of San Diego Bay in the distance.

Truly awesome!

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

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Explore emerging ocean technology in San Diego!

A special event is coming up next Saturday, November 15, 2025. Visitors to the Maritime Museum of San Diego will have the opportunity to explore how emerging technologies are transforming how we use and protect ocean resources.

The event is free with General Admission and is perfect for families, students and anyone interesting in learning about blue technology. Hours are 10 am to 4 pm.

What is Blue Tech? It’s a category of advanced technologies focused on the sustainable development of the world’s oceans and coasts, also known as the Blue Economy.

According to one sign in the Maritime Museum, there will be hands-on exploration and interactive experiences concerning underwater robots, engineering, data tools and more. Student marine clubs will be there with their own innovations, too!

Super cool!

Some high tech equipment I spotted today near the sign…

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

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An active Saturday on San Diego’s Embarcadero!

A lot of stuff was going on along San Diego’s Embarcadero today, this Saturday in early November!

I enjoyed another fine walk along downtown San Diego’s waterfront. Yes, the day started off gray and overcast, but in the early afternoon the sunshine would break through a bit.

During my walk I observed a whole lot of interesting activity. I’ll post my photos in the order in which they were taken. Read the captions to understand what I was seeing.

The beautiful Colombian tall ship ARC Gloria is docked in downtown San Diego at the Broadway Pier. The public can go aboard and tour it through Sunday, November 9, 2025.
Some vessels were alongside the huge cruise ship Norwegian Jade, presumably fueling it.
The Cruise Ship Terminal was abuzz with activity. Two ships were in!
The Nieuw Amsterdam cruise ship docked in San Diego.
The usual vendors along the Embarcadero.
Here’s world-famous tall ship Star of India of the Maritime Museum of San Diego.

I’m a member of the Maritime Museum of San Diego. Members get free tickets for a harbor tour on the Pilot boat. That’s what I did!

Hello Kiki, our tour guide! She’s funny, informative and awesome!

Ready for the harbor tour!
And away we go. That’s San Salvador, the museum’s seaworthy Spanish galleon replica.
Along the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal I spotted two ships of the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions Fleet: the Sea Bird and the Sea Lion. They tour Baja California and Alaska.
Rowing along San Diego Bay, with the convention center and a couple of superyachts in the background.
The San Diego Food and Wine Festival is going on this weekend at Embarcadero Marina Park North.
The Tuna Harbor Dockside Market always attracts a crowd on Saturdays.
Looks like the ferry is returning from Coronado.
There’s the Colombian tall ship ARC Gloria, seen from the water.
As the Pilot boat returned to the museum, Californian, official tall ship of California, was departing for a Saturday sail.

After the harbor tour, I headed south along the Embarcadero’s boardwalk. Here I am approaching the USS Midway Museum…

I see the pedicabs are out today.
Always many vendors near the USS Midway Museum.
Some characters I spotted as I walked along the Embarcadero.
Now I’m on the pier near Tuna Harbor. The Tuna Harbor Dockside Market is winding down a little after noontime.
A kid was helping out on fishing boat Jonny D. Fishing families are always friendly people.
Some people enjoy Fish and Chips on the pier.
Looking back along the pier toward downtown San Diego.
I think these umbrellas at Seaport Village are new.
People were given wine glasses when they checked into the Food and Wine Festival.
A balloon twister and kids near Seaport Village.

Yes, San Diego is wonderful.

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

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Deep Flight submersible arrives at Maritime Museum!

Check out what arrived at the Maritime Museum of San Diego yesterday! This super cool “Deep Flight” submersible!

This electric, one-man submersible was developed about 15 years ago by Hawkes Ocean Technologies. It’s now on display in the museum’s steam ferry Berkeley, in a spot where many model ships can be viewed.

I’m reasonably sure this is DeepFlight I, a submersible that served as a technology testbed for DeepFlight II. You can see a photo and learn more about Hawkes Ocean Technologies on this website.

The exhibit is so brand new, the submersible is still on rollers and there’s no information sign in the museum yet. (I was told that to roll the submersible into the Berkeley, part of the museum’s front desk had to be removed!)

While I don’t know too much right now, I’ll endeavor to learn more tomorrow when the Maritime Museum of San Diego has a special member event. I’ll provide more info here in an update.

But look at how cool this thing is! Imagine lying prone, squeezed inside the narrow craft, down in the mysterious depths of the sea, flying along silently like an underwater aircraft, water and sea life all around!

UPDATE!

A few days later, I noticed two of the historic submersible’s wings had been reinstalled.

A sign also points visitors to a cool YouTube video concerning the DeepFlight I. Watch it here.

UPDATE!

A sign appeared later. I was surprised to learn DeepFlight I briefly appears in the introductory film sequence of Star Trek: Enterprise!

See it 34 seconds into the YouTube video here!

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

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Memories of the Greatest Generation at Liberty Station.

An important exhibition of historical photographs is now on display at Liberty Station in Point Loma.

A new exhibit space, inside Liberty Station’s old Quarters D building, features photographs by famed World War II era photographer Edward Steichen and his colleagues. The free exhibition is titled Memories of the Greatest Generation.

The newly opened exhibit space operates as a satellite for the Maritime Museum of San Diego. The photographs are in the Maritime Museum’s collection.

Learn all about this exhibition by clicking here!

Historical photographs portray military ships, airplanes and personnel operating at sea in the Pacific Theatre during World War II.

Renowned artist Edward Steichen and his team of eight photographers were commissioned by the U.S. Navy in 1942 to document the war. They were called the Naval Aviation Photographic Unit. Over the next four years, most of their work would be aboard aircraft carriers. They created about 15,000 photographs.

Many of these excellent photographs are emotionally powerful. In my opinion, the best images include sailors, submariners and aviators, ordinary people doing their best in difficult wartime circumstances.

Should you look for the old Quarters D building (location of the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s new exhibit space)–it’s at the corner of Rosecrans Street and Dewey Road. Watch for Maritime Museum signs. You can find parking down the hill a short distance away.

Also, watch for friendly museum volunteers! They are pleased to tell you all about this great historical exhibit!

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

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Voodoo Ranger “pirate ship” arrives for Comic-Con!

The “pirate ship” promoting Voodoo Ranger IPA arrived behind the San Diego Convention Center early this morning, in time for Comic-Con 2025! The amazing ship is now docked across the bayside boardwalk from the King of the Hill offsite, between two other Comic-Con offsites: Brawl Stars and Abbott Elementary.

Why is “pirate ship” written in quotes? Because this beautiful tall ship, San Salvador, is actually a faithful replica of the Spanish galleon Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo sailed in when he discovered San Diego Bay in 1542!

This modern day San Salvador was built by the Maritime Museum of San Diego back in 2015, and is now a seaworthy part of the museum’s ship collection.

Would you like to see photographs of San Salvador being built in Spanish Landing park, near San Diego International Airport? If you would, click here!

Do you live in San Diego? Do you love ships, history and adventure? Join me in becoming a Maritime Museum of San Diego member!

The Voodoo Ranger’s black pirate sails will beckon Comic-Con visitors who are looking for music, live entertainment, drink and a good time. The floating activation will be open to the public Thursday through Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.

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If you’d like to view my coverage of Comic-Con so far, which includes hundreds of cool photographs, click here!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

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Harvesting the Ocean at Maritime Museum.

An exhibit about the history of fishing in San Diego opens today at the Maritime Museum of San Diego.

Harvesting the Ocean expands upon pre-existing displays in the museum. The new exhibit follows the rise and fall of our city’s commercial fishing industry, and celebrates contributions by native people, immigrants and resilient fishing families to that rich history.

In addition to informative signs containing historical photographs, the exhibit includes artifacts used by fishermen who’ve harvested the ocean over the years.

I enjoyed an early look at the exhibit. If you’re interested in this very important aspect of San Diego history, you need to experience it, too.

The opening of this exhibit corresponds with the launch of a new seafood cookbook created by over a hundred contributors from the San Diego community. San Diego Seafood: Then & Now is available at the Maritime Museum’s gift shop. It contains over 75 recipes and includes essays, stories and photographs that bring our city’s extensive and diverse fishing history to life.

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Feel free to share!

Doing an “Egyptian walk” in San Diego!

One way to perform an “Egyptian walk” in San Diego? Become a volunteer at the Maritime Museum of San Diego and help carry a tall ship’s long mast or yard!

Today the lateen yard was being removed by a small army of volunteers from the museum’s Spanish galleon replica San Salvador. The ship will be heading down to Marine Group Boat Works in Chula Vista to be lifted out of the water for the periodic hull cleaning and inspection. Removing the yard is necessary before this operation.

A line of people, walking in unison, with arms bent or extended as they hold up a heavy spar does appear a bit like Egyptian hieroglyphics. One of the volunteers called what you see in my photographs an Egyptian walk!

(No, that popular song by The Bangles wasn’t playing in the background.)

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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Feel free to share!