Moment the tsunami wave rolled into San Francisco Bay captured on film

Residents, braced for giant tsunami waves in the San Francisco Bay area, breathed a sigh of relief as only small surges rolled in.

The slow-moving wave that caused a one-foot tidal surge, was yesterday captured on film as it slunk past the Golden Gate Bridge and onto Emeryville.

It had travelled more than 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean, sparked by the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in the early hour of Friday moing.

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However officials were still being cautious and waed beachgoers to stay out of the water until at least 2pm PST today.

Yesterday the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Waing Center issued a waing that 'currents may be hazardous to swimmers, boats, and coastal structures and may continue for several hours after the initial wave arrival.'

National Weather Service forecaster, Diana Henderson, said: 'Stay off the beach. It's not just one wave, it's a series that could last up to 12 hours after the initial arrival.

'So even after 8:30am, please still don't go to the beach. It will be a series of inundations,' she told The San Francisco Chronicle.

In a press conference at 7.30am PST yesterday moing, half an hour before the wave was due, San Francisco Mayor, Ed Lee, said: 'I feel confident we will not be hurt by this.'

Lee said he had been up all night monitoring the situation and texting with other officials.

Further up the coast at Crescent City, one man was swept to his death while taking pictures of the swell.

Crescent City was worst hit as three tsunami waves, one reaching a record 8.1 feet smashed boats and to docks apart, virtually destroying the harbour.

The massive clean-up along the rest of America’s west coast continued today after large waves crashed in Califoia harbours.

Meanwhile countries along the coast of South America took preventative action against the tsunami, which was due to hit them last night.

Ecuador's president Rafael Correa declared a national emergency and ordered the entire coastal region to be evacuated.

However by the time the tsunami waves travelled across the Pacific Ocean, only slightly higher waters than normal came ashore in Mexico, Honduras and Colombia, Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, Chile's Easter Island and Peru and Chile's mainlands.

Waves as high as 6 feet crashed into South America into this moing - in some cases sending water surging into streets.

The danger waned as the day progressed and minimal damage was reported.