San Diego

SAN DIEGO

Official blazon

Arms : Or , a fess wavy Azure; in chief a Spanish caravel in full sail Gules, pennons and flag Gules; in base an orange tree Proper, fruited and eradicated; between two winged wheels Gules.
Crest: A Carmelite belfry Azure, having hung therein a bell Or.
Supporters: The pillars of Hercules Azure, entwined with ribands Or.
Compartment: Two dolphins Vert, with eyes, fins and tail Gules, their tails linked together Or.
Motto: Semper Vigilans

(the official seal, on which this image is based, does not clearly show the dolphins in the compartment. Any better image is welcome !)

Origin/meaning

The blue wavy band represents the City's position on the sea. The caravel represents the exploration and settlement by the Spanish. The ship was most likely supposed to represent the ship of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the first European explorer to enter San Diego Bay. However, Cabrillo's flagship San Salvador was a galleon, not a caravel.

The orange tree represents agriculture, and the winged wheels represent manufacturing and transportation. The belfry suggests early settlement by the mission fathers. The pillars of Hercules are used as supporters to recall the ancient territorial jurisdiction of Spain. Similar pillars are part of Spain’s coat of arms. The two connected dolphins symbolize the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, inseparably united by the Panama Canal.

The motto, "Semper Vigilans," is Latin for "Always Vigilant."