Amazing photo shows coyote on Marin beach gazing at Golden Gate

A coyote looks over the water during a visit to a mostly deserted Kirby Cove on the Marin County side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Photographer Scott Oller captured the moment on April 9, 2020.. (Photo courtesy of Scott Oller.) less A coyote looks over the water during a visit to a mostly deserted Kirby Cove on the Marin County side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Photographer Scott Oller captured the moment on April 9, 2020.. (Photo courtesy ... more Photo: Scott Oller/Special To SFGATE Photo: Scott Oller/Special To SFGATE Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Amazing photo shows coyote on Marin beach gazing at Golden Gate 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

In recent weeks, coyotes have been seen wandering the empty streets of San Francisco. Now, it seems they’re also taking in the city’s most celebrated sights.

Last week, photographer Scott Oller, who bicycles to stay in shape during the coronavirus lockdown, rode from his apartment in the Haight across the Golden Gate Bridge and down the dirt road to Kirby Cove.

The cove was deserted except for a couple of fisherman. As he strolled across the sand, Oller spotted a coyote by some steps on a bluff above him. He watched her make her way down to the water's edge.

“She had noticed a whale bone that had washed up on the beach and trotted down to investigate. She didn’t seem to mind me standing just 20 or 30 feet away,” Oller said.

The coyote sniffed at the bone and looked out over the bay as if to absorb the grandeur of the bridge and the Golden Gate. It was the decisive moment.

But Oller did not have his DSLR camera with him. “I’m still kicking myself for not bringing my Canon EOS R along with me that day,” he wrote on Reddit.

He did have his trusty iPhone, however. He clicked the shot.

At home, minor photo processing made the image seem less phone-ish.

The photograph was making a big splash on both Reddit and Instagram on Thursday, with comments like “This is epic” and “incredible capture.”

Oller mused that what could turn out to be his most famous photo is one that he didn’t take with a professional camera.

As for his four-legged friend, maybe we’ll see her next prowling Pier 39 or the Painted Ladies. It's a great time to avoid the crowds.

You can see more of Scott Oller’s work at his web page and on Instagram.

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Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Digital Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate