San Diego Bay History: Point Loma and the Birth of America's Navy Town

How a small coaling station established in 1901 became the foundation of more than a century of U.S. naval history on San Diego Bay.

Every day, Harbor Tour guests cruise past the military shoreline at Point Loma, where submarines, security barriers, and modern naval facilities line the waterfront. Few realize they're looking at the birthplace of the U.S. Navy's permanent presence in San Diego.

More than 125 years ago, this quiet stretch of shoreline became the Navy's first permanent foothold on San Diego Bay. What began as a simple coaling station for steam-powered ships would eventually grow into Naval Base Point Loma—one of the Navy's most important centers for submarine operations, logistics, communications, undersea warfare, and maritime innovation.

Understanding that history brings an entirely new perspective to what you see from the water.

Experience the History from the Water

Aboard Flagship's Harbor Tours, guests cruise past Ballast Point, the submarine facilities, ARCO floating dry dock, the Navy Marine Mammal Program, the modern fuel pier, and the shoreline where the U.S. Navy first established its permanent presence in San Diego more than a century ago.

Few places in America offer such a unique opportunity to witness more than 120 years of naval history from the same waters where that history continues to unfold every day.

The Beginning: A Coaling Station (1901)

At the turn of the twentieth century, the United States was emerging as a global naval power. Steam-powered warships had replaced sailing vessels, and those ships required dependable coaling stations before crossing the Pacific.

San Diego Bay offered everything the Navy needed: a naturally deep harbor, protection from the open ocean by Point Loma, a narrow, defensible entrance, and an ideal location on the nation's southwestern coast.

Even before the Navy established its first base, San Diego Bay was an important transportation corridor. Beginning in the 1880s, ferries connected downtown San Diego with Ballast Point—now part of Naval Base Point Loma—and the nearby community of Roseville. In 1915, Star & Crescent Boat Company, today's Flagship Cruises & Events, continued serving these communities while introducing harbor excursions.

Recognizing the harbor's strategic importance, the U.S. Navy acquired approximately 213 acres at Ballast Point in 1901, establishing the La Playa Coaling Station—the first permanent Navy installation on San Diego Bay.

Although modest by today's standards, the coaling station marked the beginning of a partnership that would forever shape both the Navy and the city of San Diego. More than a century later, Flagship's Harbor Tours continue to navigate these same historic waters, connecting guests with the stories that helped shape San Diego Bay.

San Diego on the Eve of World War II

By the 1920s, San Diego had become an increasingly important home for the Navy's growing submarine force. A remarkable panoramic photograph taken on July 28, 1928, captures six submarines of the 19th Submarine Division moored in San Diego Bay, their officers and crews assembled proudly on deck. The image offers a rare glimpse into the early days of what would become one of the Navy's most enduring submarine communities.

Although today's Naval Base Point Loma had not yet been established, the photograph illustrates how San Diego's protected harbor was already serving as a strategic base for undersea operations. Over the following decades, the city's role in submarine warfare continued to expand, eventually leading to the creation of the dedicated submarine facilities at Ballast Point after the transfer of Fort Rosecrans in 1959.

World War II Transforms San Diego

The attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 forever changed San Diego.

Almost overnight, the city became one of the nation's most important military centers. Tens of thousands of sailors, Marines, shipbuilders, and defense workers poured into the region as new bases, shipyards, and training facilities expanded across the bay.

Naval Base San Diego (known locally as 32nd Street Naval Station) became the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, while nearby shipyards worked around the clock constructing and repairing warships destined for the Pacific Theater.

Meanwhile, Point Loma continued its vital support mission through fueling, logistics, communications, and harbor operations.

High above the harbor entrance stood Fort Rosecrans, a U.S. Army coastal defense installation equipped with massive gun batteries designed to protect San Diego Bay. As warfare evolved beyond fixed coastal artillery, the fort's role diminished. In 1959, much of Fort Rosecrans was transferred to the U.S. Navy, opening an entirely new chapter in Point Loma's history.

By the end of World War II, San Diego had transformed from a growing coastal city into one of the world's great naval centers.

The Submarine Era

The transfer of Fort Rosecrans allowed the Navy to dramatically expand its presence at Ballast Point.

Over the following decades, Point Loma became the center of submarine operations on the West Coast. Today, Submarine Squadron 11 calls the base home, operating Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered fast attack submarines that conduct intelligence gathering, surveillance, undersea warfare, and special operations throughout the Indo-Pacific.

Supporting those submarines required equally specialized infrastructure.

One of the most recognizable landmarks visible from San Diego Bay is ARCO (ARDM-5), the Navy's massive floating submarine dry dock. Unlike a conventional dry dock built into the shoreline, ARCO submerges beneath a submarine before slowly lifting it completely out of the water for inspection, maintenance, and repair. For decades, it has played an essential role in keeping the Pacific submarine fleet mission-ready.

Nearby stands the base's modern T-shaped fuel pier. While it represents the latest in fueling technology and environmental protection, its purpose remains remarkably similar to the original coaling station established in 1901: ensuring the fleet has the resources it needs before heading to sea.

Innovation Beneath the Surface

As Naval Base Point Loma entered the Cold War era, its mission expanded well beyond supporting submarines. The installation became a center for undersea warfare, communications, intelligence, oceanographic research, and emerging maritime technologies that continue to shape the future of naval operations.

One of the most unique examples is the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program, established in 1960 to explore how the remarkable natural abilities of dolphins and California sea lions could assist with underwater missions. Today, the program continues to train bottlenose dolphins to detect underwater mines and other hazards, while California sea lions recover equipment and help identify unauthorized divers. Their specialized abilities have supported naval operations around the world for more than six decades.

Nearby, the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) develops advanced communications, cybersecurity, command-and-control systems, surveillance technologies, and autonomous capabilities that help connect and protect U.S. naval forces worldwide.

Today, Point Loma is also helping shape the future of naval warfare throug the development and support of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). These robotic systems extend the Navy's ability to patrol vast areas of ocean, conduct mine countermeasures, gather intelligence, and operate in environments that may be too dangerous for sailors.

More than 120 years after the first coal-fired ships arrived at Ballast Point, Naval Base Point Loma continues to adapt to the Navy's changing mission. From fueling steamships in 1901 to supporting submarines, autonomous systems, and information warfare today, the installation remains at the forefront of America's maritime innovation.

Naval Base Point Loma Today

Today, Naval Base Point Loma is home to approximately 22,000 military personnel, civilian employees, and contractors, making it one of the Navy's most diverse installations.

The base supports submarine operations, logistics, intelligence, communications, oceanography, research, and fleet readiness while remaining a vital component of the U.S. Navy's Pacific operations.

Although much has changed since the La Playa Coaling Station first opened in 1901, the reason the Navy chose Point Loma has not. Its protected harbor, strategic location, and direct access to the Pacific Ocean continue to make it one of America's most important naval installations.

Few places better illustrate the evolution of the U.S. Navy than Point Loma. Over the past 125 years, its mission has evolved from fueling coal-fired ships to supporting nuclear submarines, cyber operations, autonomous maritime systems, and some of the world's most advanced undersea technologies. Yet through every era, Point Loma has remained true to its original purpose: preparing the fleet for whatever lies beyond the horizon.

Learn More

If you'd like to explore the history of Naval Base Point Loma in greater detail, these resources provide excellent background information:

• Commander, Navy Region Southwest – History of Naval Base Point Loma
  The official history of Naval Base Point Loma, including the La Playa Coaling Station, Fort Rosecrans, and the installation's evolution into today's multi-mission naval base. 
• The San Diego Chamber of Commerce Establishes the U.S. Naval Coal Station, 1900–1912 (San Diego History Center)
  John Martin's excellent scholarly article detailing how San Diego civic leaders helped persuade the Navy to establish its first permanent facility on the bay. Essential reading for understanding why Point Loma became the birthplace of the Navy in San Diego. 
• National Park Service – Military History and Coastal Defense at Point Loma
  Covers Fort Rosecrans, coastal artillery, and the military significance of Point Loma from the Spanish era through World War II. 
• National Park Service – Shadows of the Past: Military History of Point Loma
  An in-depth historical publication exploring Point Loma's military evolution, including Fort Guijarros, Fort Rosecrans, and later U.S. Navy operations. 
• Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR)
  Learn about the Navy's work in communications, cybersecurity, command and control, autonomous systems, and information warfare.
• U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program
  The official overview of the Navy's world-renowned Marine Mammal Program, its history, and its ongoing mission.
• General Dynamics NASSCO
  Learn about San Diego's historic shipyard and its continuing role in building, repairing, and modernizing ships for the U.S. Navy.

This article is part of Flagship Cruises & Events' San Diego Bay History series, exploring the people, places, and events that shaped America's Finest Harbor. Drawing from official military histories, local archives, museums, and historical organizations, each article uncovers the stories behind the landmarks that continue to define San Diego Bay today.