Farallon Islands, with border of Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge

Southeast Farallon Islands (from nautical chart of 1957)

View of research station at Marine Terrace, with Farallon Island Light above

The Farallon Islands are a group of islands and rocks found in the Gulf of the Farallones, off the coast of San Francisco, California, USA. They lie 27 miles (43 km) outside the Golden Gate, 20 miles (32 km) south of Point Reyes. They are visible from the mainland on clear days. The islands are officially part of the City and County of San Francisco. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article is in need of attention. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 598 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 748 pixel, file size: 173 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)http://www. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 598 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 748 pixel, file size: 173 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)http://www. ... View of Farallon Island Light, with research station below A historic photo of the lighthouse on Southeast Farallon Island, with mule Farallon Island Light is a lighthouse on Farallon Island, California. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... The Golden Gate The Golden Gate, looking south towards San Francisco. ... Point Reyes Point Reyes is a prominent cape on the Pacific coast of northern California in the United States. ...

Geography

Overview

The islands string north westwards for 8 km. Their total land area is 0.42 km². The Territorial waters measure 247.5 km². The islands were initially exploited for bird eggs and fur seal skins, then used as a lighthouse station and a radio station. They have been protected in the Farallon National Wildlife and Wilderness Refuge, established in 1969, and contain the largest seabird colony in the U.S. outside of Alaska and Hawaii. The islands are part of the City and County of San Francisco, and are considered part of Supervisorial District One (Northwest), also called Richmond District. Map of Sealand and the United Kingdom, with territorial water claims of 3nm and 12nm shown. ... Genera Callorhinus Arctocephalus Fur seals, or Arctocephalinae make up one of the two distinct groups of marine mammals called seals. Fur seals are usually smaller than sea lions and have a coat of dense fur intermixed with guard hairs. ... A HDR image of a traditional lighthouse For other uses, see Lighthouse (disambiguation). ... The Sooty Tern is highly aerial and marine and will spend years flying at sea without returning to land. ... Official language(s) English[1] Spoken language(s) English 85. ... Official language(s) English, Hawaiian Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area  Ranked 43rd  - Total 10,931 sq mi (29,311 km²)  - Width n/a miles (n/a km)  - Length 1,522 miles (2,450 km)  - % water 41. ... Geary Boulevard, looking eastward from 36th Avenue The Richmond District is a neighborhood in the northwest corner of San Francisco, California. ...

South Farallon Islands

• Southeast Farallon Island (SEFI) is the largest island, with an area of 0.31 km² or 310,406 m²) and is the only inhabited one. The island is pyramidal in shape and 109 meters high. The peak, Tower Hill (actually a double peak consisting of Lighthouse Hill and Little Lighthouse Hill), is the location of a lighthouse, the Farallon Island Light. The large flat area in the southeast of the island is called Marine Terrace. Immediately south of it is Mussel Flat, about 30 by 120 meters, which is cut off from the main island only during high tide.
• Seal Rock (Saddle Rock), about 250 meters south of SEFI is, about 80 by 250 meters in size, and 25 meters high.
• Maintop Island (West End) is immediately to the west of SEFI, separated by a narrow impassable gorge, The Jordan (Jordan Channel), which connects Mirounga Bay in the south to Maintop Bay in the north. It is the second largest island, and 68 meters high at Main Top hill in its eastern part. The Great West Arch, a rock formation, is in the west of the island, and Indian Head in the South.

Aulon Island, Great Arch Rock and Sugarloaf, as seen from SEFI.

• The Drunk Uncle Islets are a group of small rocks just northwest off Maintop Island.
• Aulone Island and smaller Great Arch Rock (Arch Rock) are immediately north of the northern tip of SEFI, and together about 60 by 120 meters in size. They are barely separated by a narrow gorge. Great Arch Rock is not to be confused with Great West Arch, a rock formation in the west of Maintop Island.
• Sugarloaf Island (usually just referred to as Sugarloaf) is northeast of Great Arch Rock, and just slightly larger in size, with a height of 25 meters. Southwest of Aulon Island, Great Arch Rock and Sugarloaf Island, and in the northeast of SEFI, is protected Fisherman Bay.
• Sea Lion Rock is just northwest of Aulon Island, diameter approximately 40 meters.
• Hurst Shoal is located about one kilometer southeast of the southeastern corner of SEFI. It has a least depth of 6.2 meters.

Farallon Islands and banks further northwest

View of Farallon Island Light, with research station below A historic photo of the lighthouse on Southeast Farallon Island, with mule Farallon Island Light is a lighthouse on Farallon Island, California. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 2334 KB) Summary Aulon Island, Arch Rock, Sugarloaf, off the Farallon Islands, California. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 2334 KB) Summary Aulon Island, Arch Rock, Sugarloaf, off the Farallon Islands, California. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 774 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2000 × 1550 pixel, file size: 700 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 774 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2000 × 1550 pixel, file size: 700 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Middle Farallon Island

Middle Farallon Island, 3 km northwest of SEFI, is a 6 meters high guano-covered black rock about 65 meters in diameter, with an area of 3,362 m². This island is informally known as "the pimple." The Chincha guano islands in Peru. ...

North Farallon Islands

North Farallon Islands, about 7 km further northwest, consist of two clusters of bare precipitous islets and rocks 28 to 47 meters high, with an aggregate area of 28,270 m²

• North Farallon Island, 31 meters high, about 150 meters long north-south, 9,260 m²
• Island of St. James, 47 meters high, about 125 meters in diameter, 12,380 m²
• unnamed rock, about 85 meters in diameter, and 5,640 m² in area
• four smaller unnamed rocks, diameter 20 meters and less

Fanny Shoal

5 km WNW of the North Farallones is Fanny Shoal, a bank 3 km in extent, with depth less than 55 meters, marking the northernmost and westernmost feature of the group, albeit entirely submerged. Noonday Rock, at 5 km WNW of the North Farallones the northernmost and westernmost feature of the group, is submerged , rising abruptly from a depth of 37 meters, with a least depth of 4 meters (13 feet) over it at low tide, is the shallowest point of Fanny Shoal. There is a lighted bell buoy about 1 km west of Noonday Rock. Noonday Rock derives its name from the clipper ship that struck it on January 1, 1863 and sank within one hour. [2] A bank is a comparatively shallow area or an underwater hill on the continental shelf. ... A sea lion on navigational buoy #14 in San Diego Harbor Green can #11 near the mouth of the Saugatuck river. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Banks northwest of Fanny Shoal

The banks northwest of Fanny Shoal are not considered part of the Farallon Islands anymore, and they are outside of U.S. territorial waters. About 25 km northwest of Fanny Shoal is Cordell Bank, a significant marine habitat (38°01′N, 123°25′W). About halfway between Fanny Shoal and Cordell Bank is Rittenburg Bank, with depths of less than 80 meters (37°53′N, 123°18′W). A bank is a comparatively shallow area or an underwater hill on the continental shelf. ... Map of Sealand and the United Kingdom, with territorial water claims of 3nm and 12nm shown. ... Map of Cordell Bank sanctuary Underwater topography of Cordell Bank showing seamount and nearby Farallon Islands Cordell Bank - Rosy Rockfish and Strawberry Anemones at 55. ... Habitat (which is Latin for it inhabits) is the place where a particular species live and grow. ...

History

Image of the San Francisco Bay area, showing relative position of the Farallones

The islands were long known to the American Indians who lived in the Bay Area prior to the arrival of Europeans, but they are not thought to have traveled to them. The first European to record the islands was the English privateer Sir Francis Drake, who landed on the islands on 24 July 1579, in order to collect seal meat and bird eggs for his ship. He named them the Islands of Saint James, a name that survives only as the name of one of the rocky islets of the North Farallones. The islands were given the name "Farallones" (literally 'Rocks') by Sebastián Vizcaíno, who first charted them in 1603. Image File history File links Wpdms_usgs_photo_farallones. ... Image File history File links Wpdms_usgs_photo_farallones. ... San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, and the Golden Gate San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total... A privateer was a private ship (or its captain) authorized by a countrys government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping. ... Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral, (c. ... is the 205th day of the year (206th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January 6 - The Union of Atrecht united the southern Netherlands under the Duke of Parma, governor in the name of king Philip II of Spain. ... Families Odobenidae Otariidae Phocidae Pinnipeds (fin-feet, lit. ... Mōkōlea Rock in Kailua Bay, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, 2. ... Mōkōlea Rock in Kailua Bay, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, 2. ... Sebastián Vizcaíno (1548-1624) was a Spanish soldier, entrepreneur, explorer, and diplomat whose varied roles took him to New Spain, the Philippines, the Baja California peninsula, Alta California, and Japan. ... Year 1603 (MDCIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ...

In the years following their discovery, the islands were exploited by seal hunters, first from New England and later from Russia. The Russians maintained a sealing station in the Farallones from 1819 to 1838, decimating the islands' population of fur seals (it is not known whether the Northern Fur Seal or the Guadalupe Fur Seal were the islands' native fur seal, although the Northern Fur Seal is the species that has recolonized the islands after they became protected) (White, 1995). This article is about the region in the United States of America. ... 1819 common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... | Jöns Jakob Berzelius, discoverer of protein 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Binomial name Callorhinus ursinus Linnaeus, 1758 Range map The Northern Fur Seal, Callorhinus ursinus, is an eared seal. ... Binomial name Merriam, 1897 Dark blue: breeding colonies; light blue: other colonies. ...

Southeast Farallon Islands from the west,
with Maintop Island in the foreground (right)

After Alta California was ceded by Mexico to the U.S. in 1848 the islands' environment became linked to the growth of the city of San Francisco. Beginning in 1853, a lighthouse was constructed on SEFI. As the city grew, the seabird colonies came under severe threat as eggs were collected in the millions for the markets of San Francisco. The trade, which in its heyday could yield 500,000 eggs a month, was the source of conflict between the egg collecting companies and the lighthouse keepers. This conflict turned violent in a confrontation between rival companies in 1863. The clash between two rival companies, known as the Egg War, left two men dead and marked the end of private companies on the islands, although the lighthouse keepers continued egging. This activity, combined with the threat of oil spills from shipping in San Francisco's shipping lanes, prompted President Theodore Roosevelt to sign Executive Order No. 1043 in 1909, creating the Farallon Reservation, protecting the northern islands of the chain. This was expanded to all the islands in 1969 when it became a National Wildlife Refuge. Download high resolution version (1267x836, 168 KB) NOOA Sanctuary Website Photo by Jan Roletto Photo of SE Farallon Island and West End in Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. ... Download high resolution version (1267x836, 168 KB) NOOA Sanctuary Website Photo by Jan Roletto Photo of SE Farallon Island and West End in Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. ... Alta California (Upper California) was formed in 1804 when the province of California, then a part of the Spanish colony of New Spain, was divided in two along the line separating the Franciscan missions in the north from the Dominican missions in the south. ... Year 1848 (MDCCCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... A HDR image of a traditional lighthouse For other uses, see Lighthouse (disambiguation). ... Year 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Common Murres on the Farallon Islands. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. ... An executive order is an edict issued by a member of the executive branch of a government, usually the head of that branch. ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. ...

The islands are the site of many shipwrecks, including the liberty ship SS Henry Bergh, a converted troop carrier that hit West End in 1944, pieces of which can still be seen from the island today (all hands were saved). The United States Coast Guard maintained a manned lighthouse until 1972, when it was automated. The islands are currently managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, in conjunction with the Marin-based PRBO Conservation Science (formerly Point Reyes Bird Observatory - PRBO). The islands are currently the subject of long term ecological research. Today, the Farallones are closed to the public, although birders and wildlife enthusiasts can approach them on whale watching boats. Shipwreck of the SS American Star Shipwreck in the Saugatuck River mouth in Westport, Connecticut A shipwreck or sunken ship can refer to the remains of a wrecked ship or to the event that caused the wreck, such as the striking of something that causes the ship to sink, the... The Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. They were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. ... USCG HH-65 Dolphin USCG HH-60J JayHawk The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a branch of the United States armed forces and is involved in maritime law enforcement, mariner assistance, search and rescue, and national defense. ... The USFWS logo The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a unit of the United States Department of the Interior that is dedicated to managing and preserving wildlife. ... Marin has many meanings: Place names: Marin County, California Marin City, California Marín, Galicia, Spain Marin, France Marin-Epagnier, Switzerland The Marin Headlands, California People named Marin: Saint Marinus, the founder of San Marino Alexandru Marin André Marin, Ombudsman of Ontario Angel Marin Biagio Marin Carol Marin Charles-Paul... PRBO Conservation Science, founded as the Point Reyes Bird Observatory, is a California based wildlife conservation and research non-profit organization. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Whale watching off the coast of Bar Harbor, Maine. ...

For about eleven years, from 1902 to 1913, the former U.S. Weather Bureau maintained a weather station on the southeast island; a cable connected the station with the mainland. The results of the meteorology study were later published in a book on the California climate. Temperatures during those years never exceeded 90°F or dropped to 32°F.^[1]Years later, the National Weather Service provided some weather observations from the lighthouse on its local radio station. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce. ... The National Weather Service (NWS) is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States government. ...

Nuclear waste

From 1945 to 1970, the sea around the Farallones was used as a nuclear dumping site for radioactive waste, despite nuclear dumping at sea being prohibited. An estimated count of 80,000 - 55 gallon barrels full of radioactive debris that carry a shelf life of 3 billion years, originating from nuclear research labs such as Lawrence Livermore, were dumped. The irradiated US Navy ship USS Independence, which was used as a target in the Bikini Atoll Nuclear Tests, was sunk near this site. Classified information pertaining to these events was released, but many pages were blacked out.[3] In 1990 marine biologists produced graphic evidence of fish swimming among corroded and collapsed barrels, with one source reporting that barrels were shot at and punctured to make them sink. [Kunzig, The Restless Sea, pp. 294-305] The extent of contamination in the area has not yet been fully investigated. One thousand million (1,000,000,000) is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001. ... Aerial view of the lab and surrounding area. ... The fourth USS Independence (CVL-22) (also CV-22) was a United States Navy light aircraft carrier, lead ship of her class. ... The Flag of Bikini Atoll Bikini Atoll (also known as Pikinni Atoll) is an uninhabited 6. ...

Wildlife

Common Murre colony on the Farallones.

The Farallon Islands are an important reserve protecting a huge seabird colony. The islands' position in the highly productive California Current and Eastern Pacific upwelling region, as well as the absence of other large islands that would provide suitable nesting grounds, result in a seabird population of over 250,000. Twelve species of seabird and shorebird nest on the islands; Western Gull, Brandt's Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Pigeon Guillemot, Common Murre, Cassin's Auklet, Tufted Puffin, Black Oystercatcher, Rhinoceros Auklet, Ashy Storm-petrel, and Leach's Storm-petrel. Since the islands were protected, Common Murres, which once numbered nearly 500,000 pairs, have recovered from the egg collecting, oil spills and other disturbances which previously had greatly reduced their numbers, and have climbed from 6,000 birds to 160,000. Additionally, since protection, the locally extinct Rhinoceros Auklet has begun to breed on the islands again. The island has the world's largest colonies of Western Gulls and Ashy Storm-petrels, the latter species being considered endangered and a conservation priority. The island also is the wintering ground of several species of migrants, and regularly attracts vagrant birds (about 400 species of bird have been recorded on or around the island). Download high resolution version (1905x1429, 150 KB) Common Murres on the Farallon Islands taken by Duncan Wright (User:Sabines Sunbird. ... Download high resolution version (1905x1429, 150 KB) Common Murres on the Farallon Islands taken by Duncan Wright (User:Sabines Sunbird. ... Colonial seabirds in Hawaii. ... The California Current is a Pacific Ocean current that moves south along the western coast of North America, beginning off southern British Columbia, and ending off southern Baja California. ... Upwelling is an oceanographic phenomenon that involves wind-driven motion of dense, cooler, and usually nutrient-rich water towards the ocean surface, replacing the warmer, usually nutrient-deplete surface water. ... Binomial name Larus occidentalis (Audubon, 1839) The Western Gull, Larus occidentalis, is a large white-headed gull that lives on the western coast of North America. ... Binomial name Phalacrocorax penicillatus (Brandt, 1837) The Brandts Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus ) is a strictly marine bird of the cormorant family of seabirds that inhabits the Pacific coast of North America. ... Binomial name Phalacrocorax pelagicus Pallas, 1811 The Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus †) is a small (25-29, 64-74 cm) member of the cormorant family found on the coasts of the northern Pacific. ... Binomial name Phalacrocorax auritus (Lesson, 1831) The Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) is a North American member of the cormorant family of seabirds. ... Binomial name Cepphus columba Pallas, 1811 The Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba) is a medium-sized alcid. ... Binomial name Uria aalge (Pontopiddan, 1763) The Common Guillemot, known as the Common Murre in North America, Uria aalge, is a large alcid. ... Binomial name Ptychoramphus aleuticus (Pallas, 1811) The Cassin’s Auklet is a small, chunky seabird that ranges widely in the North Pacific. ... Binomial name Fratercula cirrhata (Pallas, 1769) The Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) is a medium-sized pelagic seabird about 30 cm in length and weighing about three quarters of a kilogram. ... Binomial name Haematopus bachmani (Audubon, 1838) The American Black Oystercatcher, Haematopus bachmani, is a conspicuous black bird found on the shoreline of western North America. ... Binomial name Cerorhinca monocerata (Pallas, 1811) The Rhinoceros Auklet, Cerorhinca monocerata, is a seabird considered, despite its name, a close relative of the puffins. ... Binomial name Oceanodroma homochroa (Coues, 1864) The Ashy Storm-petrel (Oceanodroma homochroa) is a small, scarce seabird of the storm-petrel family Hydrobatidae. ... Binomial name Oceanodroma leucorhoa (Vieillot, 1818) The Leachs Storm-petrel or Leachs Petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) is a small seabird of the tubenose family. ... The Siberian Tiger is a subspecies of tiger that are critically endangered. ... Flock of Barnacle Geese during autumn migration Bird migration refers to the regular seasonal journeys of varying distances undertaken by many species of birds. ... Vagrancy is a phenomenon in biology whereby individual animals appear well outside their normal range; individual animals which exhibit vagrancy are known as vagrants. ...

Five species of pinniped come to shore on the islands, and in some cases breed. These are the Northern Elephant Seal, Harbor Seal, Steller's Sea Lion, California Sea Lion, and the Northern Fur Seal (the last of which, like the Rhinoceros Auklet, began to return to the island again after protection). Families Odobenidae Otariidae Phocidae Pinnipeds (fin-feet, lit. ... Binomial name Mirounga angustirostris (Gill, 1866) The Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris) is one of two species of elephant seal (the other is the Southern Elephant Seal). ... Binomial name bobbi Linnaeus,, 1758 Common or Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina) are true seals of the Northern Hemisphere. ... Binomial name Eumetopias jubatus (Schreber, 1776) The Stellers sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), also known as the Northern Sea Lion, is a sea lion of the temperate eastern Pacific, named by Georg Steller. ... Binomial name (Lesson, 1828) The California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) is a coastal sea lion of the northern Pacific Ocean. ... Binomial name Callorhinus ursinus Linnaeus, 1758 Range map The Northern Fur Seal, Callorhinus ursinus, is an eared seal. ...

The elephant seal population attracts a well-known population of Great White Sharks to the islands as well. In 1970 Farallon biologists witnessed their first shark attack, on a Steller’s sea lion. During the next fifteen years, more than one hundred attacks on seals and sea lions were observed at close range. By the year 2000, biologists were logging almost eighty attacks in a single season. No one had ever documented such behavior among great whites before. Binomial name (Linnaeus, 1758) Range (in blue) The great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, also known as white pointer, white shark, or white death, is an exceptionally large lamniforme shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. ...

While the males return annually, the females return only every other year, often with fresh, deep bites around their heads. The seasonal population at the Farallones is a wild guess: anywhere from thirty to one hundred. The Farallons are unique in the size of the Great Whites that are attracted. The average length of a full-grown great white shark is 4 to 4.8 metres (13.3 to 15.8 ft), with a weight of 680 to 1,100 kilograms (1,500 to 2,450 lbs), females generally being larger than males. Farallon Great Whites range between the "smaller" males at 13 ft. to the females which generally range between 17-19 ft. (The largest accurately measured great white shark was a female caught in August 1988 at Prince Edward Island off the North Atlantic coast and measured 20.3 ft).

Humpback whales pass through this part of the Pacific Ocean on their migrations; moreover, in December 2005 one Humpback was rescued from netting entanglement east of the Farallons by staff of The Marine Mammal Center. The last sighting of another famous humpback, named Humphrey, was near the Farallones in 1991. The islands are in the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, which protects the feeding grounds of the wildlife of the refuge. Binomial name Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781) Humpback Whale range The Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a mammal which belongs to the baleen whale suborder. ... Release of rehabilitated pinnipeds into the Pacific Ocean The Marine Mammal Center is a private non-profit organization centered on rescue, rehabilitation, environmental research and education pertaining to certain species within the pinnipedia, carnivora and cetacea biological orders. ... The open ocean is natural habitat to Humpback whales Humphrey the whale is arguably the most widely publicized humpback whale in history,[1][2] having errantly entered San Francisco Bay twice, departing from his Mexico to Alaska migration. ... The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary is one of 13 marine sanctuaries in the U.S., found outside San Franciscos Golden Gate, and comprises part of the United Nations Golden Gate Biosphere Reserve . ...

See also

• Islands of San Francisco Bay
• San Francisco Bay Area

There are several islands in San Francisco Bay. ... USGS satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. ...

References

• White, Peter; (1995), The Farallon Islands: Sentinels of the Golden Gate, San Francisco: Scottwall Associates, ISBN 0-942087-10-0
• Casey, Susan; (2005), The Devils Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America's Great White Sharks, New York: Henry Holt and Co., ISBN 0-8050-7581-X

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Farallon Islands

• Farallon Island National Wildlife Refuge USFWS
• Farallon Islands San Francisco Chronicle article.
• Farallon Islands at the Center for Land use Interpretation
• Article about nuclear waste at the Farallons
• FARALLONES .org
• Area figures from Bureau of the Census
• The Farallon Blog Weblog of the field biologists on the Farallon Islands
• Maps and aerial photos for 37°41′54″N 123°00′06″W / 37.6983, -123.0016Coordinates: 37°41′54″N 123°00′06″W / 37.6983, -123.0016
  • Maps from WikiMapia, Google Maps, Live Search Maps, Yahoo! Maps, or MapQuest
  • Topographic maps from TopoZone or TerraServer-USA

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