| Morro Bay is a waterfront
city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States.
The town of Morro Bay was
founded by Franklin Riley in 1870 as a port for the export of dairy and
ranch products. He was instrumental in the building of a wharf which
has now become the Embarcadero. During the 1870s, schooners could
often be seen at the Embarcadero picking up wool, potatoes, barley, and
dairy products.
Since the beginning of the
20th century, the town has been a center for beach holidays. Tourism is
the city's largest industry. The most popular beach is on the north side
of Morro Rock, north of the harbor. There are also excellent beaches north
and south of the town which are now owned by the State of California.
In the 1940s, Morro Bay developed
an abalone fishing industry. Having peaked in 1957, stocks of abalone have
now declined signicantly due to overfishing,[4] it remains a fishing port
for halibut, sole, rockfish, albacore, and many other species for both
commercial and sport vessels. The town now combines the fishing industry
with coastal tourism. In addition, oysters are farmed artificially in the
shallow back bay.
A portion of Morro Bay is
also designated as a state and national bird sanctuary. This means it is
illegal to kill or harm a bird in that portion of Morro Bay. It is also
a state and national estuary. Much of Morro Bay is a state wildlife refuge
where waterfowl hunting is conducted during the season and is one of the
few areas in California where Pacific Brant are pursued. Recently, Morro
Bay was also declared a California Marine Reserve by the California Fish
and Game Commission.
A number of tourist attractions
are found along the shoreline and the streets closest to it, especially
the Embarcadero. These include a good range of restaurants, shops, and
a number of parks. The combination of tourist-oriented businesses with
a working fishing port and the dominant presence of Morro Rock makes an
attractive waterfront.
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