North Farallon Islands State Marine Reserve/Special Closure

The Farallon Islands marine environment consists of shallow rocky and sandy seafloor around the islands, surrounded by relatively deep, open ocean. The islands are situated within the California Current, which brings cold water south along the coast, and an upwelling zone that brings cold, nutrient-rich water from the depths to the surface during spring. This upwelled water supports the rapid growth and prolific reproduction of plankton, the base of the marine food web, and also makes the Farallon Islands a highly productive area for seaweeds, invertebrates, fishes, marine mammals, and birds.

Many species of fish are abundant here, including vermilion rockfish, copper rockfish, bocaccio, starry rockfish, lingcod, striped bass, salmon, and halibut. Marine mammals like northern elephant seals, California sea lions, and harbor porpoises hunt for fish, attracting a healthy population of white sharks. The Farallon Islands attract one of the largest congregations of white sharks in the world.

The Farallones are also home to the largest colony of nesting seabirds in the contiguous United States. There are 13 species of seabirds regularly nesting on these islands, and the North Farallon Islands Special Closure protects roughly 70,000 birds. Species of seabirds that roost on the rocky shores of the North Farallon Islands SMR include the western gull, common murre, pigeon guillemot, Brandt’s cormorant, Cassin’s auklet, and pelagic cormorant. Ashy storm-petrels are abundant here, with roughly half the global population of petrels supported by the Farallon Islands. From seabirds to marine mammals, these islands provide significant habitat and feeding opportunities for more than 25 threatened or endangered species.

For centuries, Native American Tribes in California have relied on marine and coastal resources. Many Native American Tribes in California continue to regularly harvest marine resources within their ancestral territories and maintain relationships with the coast for ongoing customary uses. The islands, easily seen from the mainland on a clear day, were known as the “Islands of the Dead” by the Native Americans, who believed that spirits dwelt there. It is thought that Native Americans never traveled to the islands. The first documented landfall on the islands was on July 24th, 1579 by the Sir Francis Drake Expedition, which stopped to hunt seals and gather bird eggs.

Starting in the late 1700s, European, Russian, and New England fur traders arrived to hunt the abundant seal populations. The trade grew quickly, and seal populations declined dramatically. The expansion of the city of San Francisco in the mid-1800s also led to the commercial collection of seabird eggs. At the height of the trade, it is estimated 500,000 eggs were collected each month. This stopped abruptly in 1863 when two men were murdered on the islands in what is known as the “Egg War.”

Conservation of the Farallon Islands began in 1909 when Theodore Roosevelt created the Farallon Reservation. In 1969, North Farallon Island came under federal protection as this chain of dramatic rocky islands became the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge. Currently, the islands have multiple levels of protection with varied regulations, through the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, the Farallon Islands MPAs, and special closures. A handful of researchers live on the islands, but these islands remain strictly off-limits to visitors.

To protect the abundance of wildlife that lives on and around the Farallones, the Farallon Islands are not open to the public. The only people that have access to this region are a small group of wildlife biologists and resource managers, including scientists from Point Blue Conservation Science. However, the public can still explore this special place through both boating trips and virtual media. Whale watching trips are offered out of San Francisco that allow visitors the chance to see some of the 36 different species of marine mammals that live in these waters, from Steller sea lions and northern fur seals to gray, fin, blue, and humpback whales.

The California Academy of Sciences has set up a webcam that allows people to virtually witness the spectacle of feeding and nesting seabirds on the islands, and admire the remote scenic views of the Pacific Ocean. Though boating and other human activity is prohibited year-round in the waters adjacent to the four northern islands, just outside of the SMR's protected waters fishermen can enjoy a day on the water trolling for salmon or crabbing for Dungeness crab.

North Farallon Islands SMR

This area is bounded by straight lines connecting the following points in the order listed except where noted:

37° 45.700' N. lat. 122° 59.085' W. long.; thence northwestward along the three nautical mile offshore boundary to
37° 49.344' N. lat. 123° 07.000' W. long.;
37° 45.700' N. lat. 123° 07.000' W. long.; and
37° 45.700' N. lat. 122° 59.085' W. long.

California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 632(b)(51)

North Farallon Islands Special Closure

A special closure is established at the islets comprising the North Farallon Islands. See California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 632(b)(52) for details (link below).

California Code of Regulations Title 14, Section 632(b)(52)

Downloads for North Farallon Islands State Marine Reserve

Map

Facts, Map & Regulations

Downloads for North Farallon Islands Special Closure

Map

Facts, Map & Regulations