Half Moon Bay (California)

{{about|the bay in California|the adjacent city|Half Moon Bay, California}}

{{short description|Body of water on the coast of northern California}}

{{Infobox body of water

| name = Half Moon Bay

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| image = Pillar Point and Half Moon Bay.jpg

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| caption = Half Moon Bay and Pillar Point (top), 2009

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| location = Northern California

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| coordinates = {{coord|37.4832744|-122.4719216|region:US-CA_type:waterbody_scale:40000_source:GNIS|format=dms|notes={{cite gnis|id=233974|name=Half Moon Bay|access-date=30 December 2016|entrydate=19 January 1981}}|display=title, inline}}

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| basin_countries = United States

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| cities = Half Moon Bay, Miramar Beach

| pushpin_map = California#USA

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| pushpin_map_alt = Location of Half Moon Bay in California, USA.

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Image:Half Moon Bay Beach.JPG

Half Moon Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean on the coast of San Mateo County, California. The bay is approximately semi-circular, hence the name half moon,{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n146 147]}} with sea access to the south. Coastal towns located there are Princeton-by-the-Sea, Miramar, El Granada, and the city of Half Moon Bay.

The surfing location Mavericks is located on the outer edge of the peninsula which forms the bay. Miramar Beach is located along the shore of the bay opposite the peninsula.

Marine species include flatfish, the commercially important English sole, rockfish, surfperch, Pacific herring, lingcod; and abundant winter species including starry flounder and top-smelt.Environmental Impact Report for the Pillar Point East Harbor Master Plan, Earth Metrics Inc., prepared for the San Mateo County Harbor District, February 1989

The bay provides an example of a logarithmic spiral beach.