Farallon National Wildlife Refuge
Farallon National Wildlife Refuge is a cluster of islands situated 42 kilometres (26 miles) west of San Francisco. It is home to 30 per cent of the sea birds that nest in California and has the biggest seabird breeding colony south of Alaska. Thirteen species, with up to a hundred and fifty thousand babies, are born yearly.
The Brandts cormorant and western gull have the biggest nesting colonies of any species anywhere. More than half of the world’s ashy-storm petrels live in the preserve. This “species of management concern” is declining and can only breed in California.
Thousands of rare California brown pelicans move to the Refuge from their breeding grounds further south to rest and eat. Six types of seals or sea lions live or rest on the Farallon Islands. Stellar sea lions need the Refuge and the waters around it because it is the southernmost point of their breeding area.
The main goal of managing a refuge is to bring back the numbers of wildlife before people used and disturbed the land for a hundred years. Species are getting better bit by bit. After being gone for over 100 years, northern fur seals have recently returned to breed. A Wilderness Area is set aside for most of the area.
History of Farallon National Wildlife Refuge
The Refuge was set up in 1909, but it started actively protecting and managing wildlife when the Coast Guard computerized its lighthouse in the early 1970s, got rid of its staff, and gave the USFWS control of the living facilities. Some animals have moved back to the island, and others are slowly improving. In the early 1970s, elephant seals started breeding again after being gone for over 100 years.
Northern fur seals went extinct in the early 1800s, but they returned to have pups again in the mid-1900s. Wildlife is still in danger from pollution, oil spills, and fishing with gill nets. The Service works in collaboration with the Point Reyes Bird Observatory and the United States Coast Guard, and they help protect and run the preserve.
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Phone: 510-792-0222
Area: 85 ha
Location: Pacific Ocean
Established: 1969
