Farallon Islands

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The Farallon Islands , or Farallones (from Spanish farallÃÆ'³n meaning "pillar" or "sea cliff") , is a group of islands and piles of sea in the Gulf of Farallone, off the coast of San Francisco, California, United States. These islands are also sometimes referred to by sailors as "Satanic Tooth Islands", referring to the dangerous underwater herds around them. The islands lie 30 miles (48 km) outside the Golden Gate and 20 miles (32 km) south of Point Reyes, and visible from the mainland on a clear day. The islands are part of the City and County of San Francisco. The only part of the island inhabited is in Southeast Farallon Island (SEFI), where researchers from Point Blue Conservation Science and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stay. The islands are closed to the public.

The Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge is one of 63 National Wildlife Refugees officially designated as the status of the jungle. In 1974 the Farallon wilderness was established (Public Law 93-550) and covered all the islands except Southeast Island with a total of 141 acres (57 ha).

Video Farallon Islands

Histori Edit

The islands were long known as "Islands of the Dead" for American Indians living in the Bay Area before the arrival of Europeans, but they did not think of traveling to them either for practical reasons (voyages and landings would be difficult or dangerous) or because of superstition (the islands are believed to be the abode of the spirits of the dead).

The first Europeans to see these islands were probably members of the 1542 expedition of Juan Cabrillo who sailed north as far as Point Reyes, but there is no source account of the actual expeditions of the Cabrillo expedition on these surviving islands. The first European to record the islands of the survivors was the privateer and English explorer Sir Francis Drake, on 24 July 1579. On that day, Drake landed on the islands to collect meat and bird eggs for his ship.. He named them the Saint James Islands because the day after his arrival was the feast of St. James. James the Great. The name St James is now applied only to one small island in North Farallones.

The islands seem to have first been named their "Farallones" (literally, "cliff") by Friar Antonio de la Ascencion, Spanish cruiser SebastiÃÆ'¡n VizcaÃÆ'no's 1603 expedition. De la Ascension writes in his diary, "Six leagues before reaching Punta de los Reyes (Point Reyes) is a large island, two leagues from the mainland and three leagues to the northwest of this... seven farallone close together." It is believed that perhaps over the next two centuries after their discovery, their somewhat dangerous appearance, located not far from the entrance of San Francisco Bay, is likely due to the previous sailors preferring a skirt deep into the West and offshore from the entrance to the bay, leading to the later discovery of much of the San Francisco Bay by land more than two centuries after the 1542 islands discovery. In 1769, the cove was finally discovered soon after the bay's appearance was made of what is now the Pacific region.

In the years after the discovery of the islands, during the era of the Trade of Marine Feathers, the islands were exploited by seal hunters, first from New England and then from Russia. Russia maintains a sealing station in Farallones from 1812 to 1840, taking 1,200 to 1,500 seals each year, although American ships have exploited the islands. The , captured by Nathan Winship, and O'Cain , captured by his brother Jonathan Winship, was the first American ship sent from Boston in 1809 to establish a settlement in Columbia River. In 1810, they met with two other American ships in the Farallon Islands, Mercury and Isabella, and at least 30,000 seals skins were taken. In 1818 the seals were reduced rapidly to only about 500 that could be taken each year and within the next few years, the feather seal was extinct from the islands. It is unknown whether the northern feather cover or Guadalupe feather seals are the original feather stamps of the islands, although northern seal fur is a species that began colonizing the island in 1996.

On July 17, 1827, the French sea captain Auguste Duhaut-Cilly sailed to the southernmost island of Farallon and calculated "a rough abode of about a hundred Kodiak placed there by the Russians at Bodega... Kodiak, on a light boat, slip to San Francisco Bay at night, moving along the coast across the fortress, and once inside this huge basin they place themselves while on some inner island, from which they catch the sea of ​​beavers without obstacles. "

After Alta California was handed over by Mexico to the United States in 1848 with the Guadalupe Hidalgo Agreement, the island's environment became associated with the growth of the city of San Francisco. Beginning in 1853, a lighthouse was built at SEFI. As the city grows, the seabird colony becomes a grave threat because eggs are collected in millions for the San Francisco market. Trade, which in its heyday can produce 500,000 eggs per month, is a source of conflict between egg collection companies and lighthouse keepers. This conflict turned violent in a confrontation between rival firms in 1863. The dispute between two competing companies, known as the Egg War, left two people dead and marked the end of private companies on the islands, even though keepers of light- constantly cheering. This activity, combined with the threat of an oil spill from the San Francisco shipping line, prompted President Theodore Roosevelt to sign the Executive Order no. 1043 in 1909, created the Farallon Reservation to protect the northern islands of the chain. It expanded to other islands in 1969 when it became the National Wildlife Refuge.

The islands are where many shipwrecked. The freedom ship of SS Henry Bergh , the converted troop carrier that struck West End in 1944, the still-viewable pieces of the island today (all hands are saved). USS Conestoga , the missing US Navy tugboat with its 56 crew members in 1921, was discovered in 2009 and identified positively in 2016. (The Conestoga has sailed from nearby San Francisco, but waters from Farallones never searched because the ship was thought to have traveled deep into the Pacific.)

Renowned computer scientist Jim Gray was lost at sea after sailing solo from San Francisco to Farallones on January 28, 2007. Although his search was meticulous, neither his body nor his ship was ever found.

The islands have also been mentioned in connection with the schooner Malahat as one of the possible sites for Rum Row during Prohibition. The Coast Guard of the United States maintained an unmanned lighthouse until 1972, when it was automatic. The islands are currently managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, along with Marin's Blue Point Conservation Science (formerly Point Reyes Bird Observatory - PRBO). The islands are currently the subject of long-term ecological research. Today, Farallones is closed to the public, although birders and wildlife enthusiasts can approach them on board watching whales and sailing training vessels Seaward from Sausalito.

From 1902 to 1913, the US Weather Bureau had a weather station on the southeastern island, connected to the mainland by cable. Meteorological research results were later published in a book about the climate of California. The temperature during those years never exceeds 90 ° F (32 ° C) or decreases to 32 ° F (0 ° C). Years later, the National Weather Service provided some weather observations from the lighthouse at its local radio station.

Three people have managed to swim from Farallones to Golden Gate, with two more swimming to the north point of the Gate. The first, Ted Erikson, swam in September 1967, with the second, Joseph Locke, swimming to the Golden Gate on July 12, 2014, in 14 hours. The third person, and the first woman to complete the distance, Kimberley Chambers, made it in just 17 hours on Friday 7 August 2015.

Maps Farallon Islands

Geology Edit

The Farallon Islands are the outcroppings of the Salinian Block, a vast geological province of granite continental crust that shares its origins with the core of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The block was dismantled far south from its current position and moved north with the Pacific Plate where the islands are located. Other nearby examples of the Salinian Block include Point Reyes Peninsula and Bodega Head. The San Andreas fault, marking the boundary zone between the Pacific and the North American Plate, passes several miles east of the islands.

The ancient Farallon Plate is named after the islands.

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Geography Edit

Overview Edit

Tali islands to the northwest of Southeast Farallon Island 5 miles (8.0 km). Their total land area is 0.16 square miles (0.41 km ² ). The islands were originally used for birds and seal skin, then used as lighthouses and radio stations. They have been protected in the Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, first established in 1909 with Southeast Farallons added in 1969, and contain the largest seabird colonies in the US outside Alaska and Hawaii. The islands are part of the City and County of San Francisco, and are considered part of District One (Northwest) Supervision, also called the Richmond District.

South Farallon Islands Edit

• Southeast Farallon Island (SEFI) is the largest island, with an area of ​​95.79 hectares or 0.14970 square miles (0.3877 km ² ), and is the only one inhabited. The island is pyramid-shaped and 357 feet tall (109 m). At its peak, Tower Hill (actually a double peak consisting of Lighthouse Hill and Little Lighthouse Hill), is the location of the lighthouse, Farallon Island Light. The large flat area to the southeast of the island is called the Marine Terrace. Right south is the Mussel Flat, about 100 feet (30 m) by 400 feet (120 m), which is cut off from the main island only during high tide.
• Seal Rock (Saddle Rock), about 800 feet (240 m) south of SEFI, about 350 feet (110 m) by 800 feet (240 m) in size and height 80 feet (24 m).
• The Maintop Island (West End) lies just west of SEFI, separated by a narrow pass, The Jordan (Jordan Channel), which connects Mirounga Bay in the south to Maintop Bay in the north. It is the second largest island, and is 220 feet high (67 m) at the top of Main Top in the east. The Great West Arch, or Aulon Arch is a rock formation, located on the western part of the island, and Indian Head in the south.
• Uncle Drunk Island is a group of small rocks in the northwest of Maintop Island.
• The smaller islands of Aulon and Great Arch Rock (Arch Rock) are just north of the northern end of SEFI, and together about 200 feet (61 m) in size 350 feet (110 m). They are barely separated by a narrow gorge. Great Arch Rock is not to be confused with the Great West Arch, the rock formations in the west of Maintop Island.
• The island of Sugarloaf (usually simply referred to as Sugarloaf) is northeast of Great Arch Rock, and is only slightly larger in size, with a height of 80 feet (24 m). Southwest of Aulon Island, Great Arch Rock and Sugarloaf Island, and in SEFI's northeast, protected Fisherman Bay.
• Sea Lion Rock is just northwest of Aulon Island, about 130 feet (40 m) in diameter.
• Hurst Shoal is located about a kilometer southeast of SEFI's southeast corner. It has a depth of at least 20 feet (6.1 m).

Middle Farallon Island Edit

Middle Farallon Island, 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of SEFI, is a closed 6.6 m high guano black rock with a height of about 65 meters, with an area of ​​3,362 m ² . The island is informally known as "acne."

Northern Farallon Islands Edit

The North Farallon Islands, about 7 km northwest, consist of two steep and small rock clusters of 31-85 meters, with a total area of ​​28,270 m ² North Farallon Island, 31 meters high, about 150 meters north-south, 9,260 m ²

Island of St. James, 47 meters high, about 125 meters in diameter, 12,380 m ²

anonymous rocks, about 85 meters in diameter, and 5,640 m ² in the area

four smaller anonymous stones, 20 meters in diameter and less

Some of the unnamed rocks have Spanish names, such as Piedra Guadalupe , PeÃÆ' Â ± asco Quebrado and FarallÃÆ'³n VizcaÃÆ'no .

Fanny Shoal Edit

5 km WNW from Farallones North is Fanny Shoal, a 3km bank so far, with a depth of less than 55 meters, marking the northernmost and most western features of the group, albeit completely submerged. Noonday Rock , which rises abruptly from a depth of 37 meters, with a depth of at least 4 meters (13 feet) above it at low tide, is the lowest point of Fanny Shoal. There is a bell that is lit about 1 km west of Stone Noonday. Noonday Rock, formerly known as Fanny Rock , got its name from a clipper ship that attacked it on January 1, 1863 and sank within an hour.

The northwestern edge of Fanny Shoal Edit

The northwestern edge of Fanny Shoal is not considered part of the Farallon Islands anymore, and they are outside the US territorial waters. About 25 km northwest of Fanny Shoal is the Cordell Bank, a significant marine habitat ( 38 Â ° 01? N 123Ã, Â ° 25? W ). About halfway between Fanny Shoal and Cordell Bank is Rittenburg Bank, with a depth of less than 80 meters ( 37 Â ° 53? N 123 Â ° 18? W ).

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Flora and Fauna Edit

Seabirds Edit

Farallon Islands are important reserves that protect large sea bird colonies. The highly productive position of islands in California and upwelling the eastern Pacific region, and the absence of other large islands that will provide suitable nesting sites, produces more than 250,000 seabird populations. Twelve species of seabirds and beach birds on the islands; Western gulls, Branded cormorants, pelagic cormorans, bipedal cormorants, guillemot pigeons, general murmurs, Cassin auklets, tufted puffin, black oystercatcher, auklet rhino, storm-petrel ash, and lightning storm Leach. Because the islands are protected, the general murress, which once amounted to nearly 500,000 pairs but suffered from egg collection, oil spills and other disruptions that have greatly reduced their numbers, recovered and rose from 6,000 birds to 160,000. In addition, since protection, local extinct rhinoceros auklet began to proliferate on the islands again. The island has the world's largest colony of the western seagull and petrel fun storms, the last species considered threatened and conservation priorities. The island is also a winterland of some migratory species, and regularly attracts vagrant birds (about 400 species of birds have been recorded in or around the island).

Seals Edit

Five pinniped species come to shore on the islands, and in some cases breed. This is the northern elephant seal, seal harbor, Steller sea lion, California sea lion, and northern feather seal (the latter, like a rhino auklet, starts back to the island again after protection).

The American whale hunter took 150,000 northern seal fur (Callorhinus ursinus) from the Farallons between 1810 and 1813, followed by Russian feather hunters living in Farallon and wiping out pinnip from the islands. In 1996, West End Island became the fourth northern seal dog fur home when a puppy was born. The recolonizers spawned a tag from San Miguel Island on the Channel Islands. In 2006, nearly 100 puppies were born. Aggressive fur seals and have moved larger sea lions from their territory. The high number for 2011 was 476 individuals, up 69 percent from a year earlier.

The northern elephant seal ( Mirounga angustirostris ) recalled the shelter in 1959 with a dog confirmed in 1972. The elephant seal officer in Southeast Farallon may have reached the carrying capacity.

Whales Edit

Some species of cetaceans are found near the Farallon Islands, the most common gray whales, blue whales, and humpback whales. Blue whales and humpback whales are most commonly found near islands in summer and autumn, when strong upwelling can support a rich pelagic food web. Orca whales are also found around the islands. Gray whales are found near Farallones during their spring migration to the north and migration of autumn/winter to the south. Some gray whales can also be found during the summer, when several whales miss a trip north to Alaska and spend the summer off the coast of Canada and the continent of the United States.

In December 2005, a humpback was rescued from a fishing net in eastern Farallones by the staff of The Marine Mammal Center. The last other famous humpback sight, named Humphrey, was near Farallones in 1991. These islands are in the Gulf of Farallones National Marine Preserve, which protects wildlife shelters in shelters.

Shark Edit

The elephant seal population attracts a large white shark population to the islands. In 1970 Farallon's biologist witnessed their first shark attack, at the Sea of ​​Hunters lions. Over the next fifteen years, more than a hundred attacks on seals and lions were observed from close range. In 2000, biologists recorded nearly eighty attacks in one season.

While males return each year, females return only every year, often with fresh bites around their heads. The seasonal shark population in Farallones is unclear, with an estimate of thirty to a hundred. The Farallones are unique in large white sizes that are interested. The average length of a full-grown white shark is 4 to 4.8 meters (13 to 16 feet), weighing 680-1,100 kg (1,500 to 2,430 pounds), females are generally larger than males. Large white Farallons range from "smaller" males in 13Ã, ft (4.0 m) to females, which generally range from 17 to 19Ã, ft (5.2 to 5.8 m). The largest white white shark, measured accurately, was a female captured in August 1988 in Prince Edward Island off the North Atlantic coast and measured 20.3 feet (6.2 m). A killer whale was recorded killing a large white near Farallones in 1997. For decades of research, many white sharks who visited Farallones have been nicknamed, often based on their scars and appearances, such as Gouge, The Hunchback, The Jester, and Stumpy. Stumpy, a 18-foot-tall white female, is especially notable for his performance in the BBC's "Great White Shark" documentary by David Attenborough and his stock footage from his attacks on bait often used in newer documentaries, and another example, Tom Johnson , a 16ft-tall white white shark featured in the Sunday Sharks season episode called "Great White Highway" is believed to be the oldest white shark so far documented back to Farallones, estimated at around 25-30 years.

Some individual sharks have been characterized and found exploring the Pacific as far as Hawaii Island and Guadalupe in Baja California, return regularly to Farallones each year in the fall. Satellite tracking has revealed the vast majority of large white sharks from Farallones (and from other parts of California, Hawaii and Mexico's west coast) migrated to the sea area dubbed White Shark Cafà ©  ©, 1,500 miles (2,400 km) west of Ensenada, Baja California. The peak of activity at this location is from mid-April to mid-July, but some sharks spend up to eight months of the year there. The island has many migratory sharks that return to its waters each year.

Rodents Edit

According to a report in USA Today , this is the world's most densely packed rat, with an average of 500 Eurasian house rats occupying 120 acres each (49Ã, ha) and a total of 60,000.

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Nuclear waste disposal Edit

From 1946 to 1970, the seas around Farallones were used as nuclear discharges for radioactive waste under the authority of the Atomic Energy Commission at a place known as the Nuclear Waste Disposal Site in Farallon Island. Most of the dumping occurred before 1960, and all the disposal of radioactive waste by the United States was terminated in 1970. At that time, 47,500 containers (55 gallon iron drums) had been dumped around it, with an estimated total radioactive activity of 14,500 Ci. The most disposed materials are laboratory materials that contain traces of contamination. Most of the radioactive has been damaged in 1980.

Forty-four thousand containers dumped in 37Ã, Â ° 37? N 123 Â ° 17? W and other 3,500 in 37 Â ° 38? N 123 Â ° 08? W .

The exact container location and potential hazards posed by the container to the environment are unknown. According to the EPA, attempts to remove barrels are likely to result in greater risks than letting them be undisturbed.

Container waste is shipped to Hunters Point Shipyard, then loaded onto a barge for transport to Farallones. The container is weighed with concrete. Those who are floating are sometimes shot with a rifle to drown it.

In January 1951, the highly radioactive stomach of the USS Independence , used in Junction Operations and then loaded with barrels of radioactive waste, was abandoned in the area.

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See also Edit

• The Channel Islands of California case (History).

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References Edit

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Source Edit

• Casey, Susan (June 7, 2005). Devil's Gear: The Real Story of Obsession and Survival among the Great American White Shark . Henry Holt and Company. ISBN: 978-0-8050-7581-6. WP article
• White, Peter (1995). Farallon Islands: Sentinel from Golden Gate . San Francisco, California: Scottwall Associates. ISBNÃ, 0-942087-10-0.
Ainley, David G. (1990). Farallon Islands Sea Birds: Ecology, Dynamics, and Community Structures Upwelling Systems . Stanford University Press. ISBN: 978-0-8047-1530-0.

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External links Edit

• Farallon Islands National Wildlife Reserve USFWS
• Satellite maps and NOAA Chart of Farallon Islands in BlooSee
• Farallon Islands San Francisco Chronicle
• Farallon Islands at the Center for Use of Land Interpretation
• An article about nuclear waste in Farallons
• farallones.org
• Broad number of Census Bureau
• The Farallon Blog Weblog from field biologists in the Farallon Islands
• Air photos from Farallones
• Live streaming video from South East Farallon Island, California Academy of Sciences
• Farallon Islands Foundation, a non-profit wildlife conservation group SF Bay Area

Source of the article : Wikipedia