The docents at the Bodega Marine Laboratory (BML) give tours of the lab for up to 45 adults or 30 children at one time. The lab has numerous displays of live marine life and exhibits that highlight the aquatic life of the Bodega Bay. Besides conducting tours throughout the year, the BML hosts a two-day film festival each May in conjunction with the Bodega Bay International Film Festival.
This two-day event combines fun with educational activities for groups or families. The staff from the BML also conducts tours of the laboratory. The festival celebrates the opening of the fishing season for local fishermen and provides activities for children, a boat-building contest and a Sunday morning blessing to kick off the fishing season. The Coast Guard brings ships into the bay for display. All the proceeds of the festival benefit local charitable and volunteer organizations.
Bodega Bay is home to a wide variety of birds; in fact, the Sonoma County Audubon Society claims that more birds have been spotted in Bodega Bay than in the rest of the county. The Pelagic cormorant nests on the cliffs in June, and elegant terns inhabit the harbor area. The American Bird Conservancy designated Bodega Bay as one of the 500 most important habitats for birds in the world. In December, the Madrone Audubon Society organizes a Christmas Count, where members conduct a census of birds. The town lies on the western migratory route for birds flying south, so birders can spot species from faraway places throughout the fall and spring.
The Hagemann Ranch Trout Farm lies between Bodega Bay and the town of Bodega where you can spend the day fishing. No licenses are required, and the staff at the ranch will clean the fish for you as well as provide the fishing rods and bait. If you catch any trout, you keep them. There are also wagon rides offered for guests over the 219-acre ranch where the owners also raise sheep and cattle. The ranch is open from April through November.
Bodega Bay is most famous as the site where Alfred Hitchcock shot the film classic "The Birds." The Inn at the Tides Restaurant was in the movie and still stands, with an extensive collection of photographs from the filming of the movie. The Potter Schoolhouse in the town of Bodega also figured prominently in the movie in one of its most terrifying scenes.
