Nearly 900 volunteers helped clean up the San Diego Bay tidelands on August 29, 2009 at the 19th Annual Operation Clean Sweep. Cleanup spots included Pepper Park and Paradise Creek Marsh in National City, Chollas Creek and Cesar Chavez Park in San Diego and in the waters of South San Diego Bay. It’s the only clean up event in San Diego that has military and civilian divers working collaboratively to clean up the bay floor, and the amount of junk they bring to the surface is always astonishing. Volunteers were busy on both the land and in the water.

An icon of San Diego Bay is about to change its address – but only for a few weeks.The Star of India, the flagship of the Maritime Museum of San Diego along the Embarcadero, set “sail” to BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair, located just south of the Coronado-San Diego Bridge, to undergo routine dry-dock maintenance. During that time, she'll get a new coating on her 146-year-old iron hull and undergo a Coast Guard inspection.The vessel is due to return 'home' in approximately three weeks, around Labor Day.Press Release

Longshoreworkers drove more than 1,200 shiny new Hyundais and Kias off the car-carrying vessel Cypress Trail on August 5 in one of the first deliveries of autos under a new contract for Port of San Diego tenant Pasha Automotive Services. A special ribbon-cutting event marks the start of a three-year contract between auto processor Pasha and Glovis America, a logistics company providing service for Hyundai and Kia brands and is expected to bring 50,000 new cars through the Port of San Diego each year. http://bit.ly/9DsC4

Sledgehammers were wielded on the Broadway Pier by the Board of Port Commissioners, cruise line and other officials from throughout the region on August 4 to break ground for construction of a new cruise ship terminal. With a couple of whacks, the group broke the ceremonial concrete slabs. "This marks the beginning of a project that will benefit the entire region,” said Stephen P. Cushman, Chairman of the Board of Port Commissioners. “The new terminal will allow us to welcome passengers in a grander fashion, while also growing our cruise business." Read the full news release from the Port of San Diego.

Ask the Port is a video feature in which Port of San Diego employees will answer questions from the general public about what the Port is all about and how facets of the organization function throughout the district. These interactive segments are part of an ongoing effort to maintain the Port's open dialog with the community, in the spirit of the Open Government Initiative. Please note that answers provided in each episode are accurate up to the day they are published. Stay tuned for more Ask the Port videos and keep an eye out for the Ask the Port team as they take your questions. Lastly, please take a moment to leave insightful feedback!

For a limited time only, San Diego residents and visitors can see blue whales up close. Port of San Diego tenant H&M Landing, located on Shelter Island, is offering blue whale cruises throughout the month of August. The brand new adventure takes passengers on an 8-hour cruise off the Pacific Coast where whales, some as long as 100 feet in length and weighing up to 190 tons, are being spotted nine to 30 miles offshore. Read the News Release.

A new harbor cruise is making waves on San Diego Bay. Hornblower Cruises and Events, in partnership with the Port of San Diego, has added an eco-friendly twist to their daily tours. The one-hour tour, offered eight times a day, highlights environmental projects of Hornblower Cruises & Events, the Port of San Diego and the San Diego Port Tenants Association. (Read the Entire News Release)

Bob Hope, the beloved figure who serenaded millions of men and women in the Armed Forced for more than five decades with his signature song, "Thanks for the Memories," is still making memories. http://bit.ly/shJZC (Press Release & Photo Gallery) His latest came July 8, 2009, at the dedication of a military artwork: “A National Salute to Bob Hope and the Military,” which includes a bronze sculpture of the famed entertainer and 15 bronze figures representing the branches of the military. The event was made possible by the Port of San Diego, the Hope family and members of a Navy task force called Taffy 3 (Task Unit 77.4.3), a group of World War II veterans who helped raise the $1.5 million for the project.

Ask the Port is a video feature in which Port of San Diego employees will answer questions from the general public about what the Port is all about and how facets of the organization function throughout the district. These interactive segments are part of an ongoing effort to maintain the Port's open dialog with the community, in the spirit of the Open Government Initiative. Please note that answers provided in each episode are accurate up to the day they are published. Stay tuned for more Ask the Port videos and keep an eye out for the Ask the Port team as they take your questions.

The party of the year is coming to San Diego Bay. The Port of San Diego’s 9th Annual Big Bay Boom will light up the sky July 4. The event is ranked No. 1 west of the Mississippi by the travel industry. It's a great way to spend the holiday along the Big Bay. For event details and parking and shuttle information, please read the 2010 press release: http://bit.ly/a71dbl