The San Diego bait barge (Everingham Brothers bait barge) has moved for a while to a location further down in San Diego Bay. The reason for this relocation has prompted by the construction on the new Navy pier. Which is just across the bay.
San Diego Bait Barge – New Home
According the a KPBS report, the dock must be moved because the excessive noise created by the military driving the new pier piling into the bay floor. The noise will produce sound waves strong enough to burst the swim bladders of the bait fish, resulting in their death.
The new temporary home for the bait barge is just off of Harbor island and it can be see while driving on Harbor island. If the wind is right it can surely be smelled as well. The smell comes not from the fish as from the sea lions and birds that have taken up residence on the barge over the years. Because of the bait fish stored here they often end up getting a free meal.
The barge has become favorite tourist destination for several tour companies such as Seal Tours and San Diego Boat Tours as well as a host of others. This move will require that these companies change their routes to still enable them to show their passengers the aquatic creatures.
Currently the barge is empty as the sea lions adjust to finding their new lodging location, hopefully they will return soon. The barge, according to KPBS, initially was only scheduled to be at it’s new location for a few weeks, but could be there for a considerably longer period off and on over the next few years.