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Isla Farallon Southeast, the largest in the group (Farallon Grande)
Los Farallons is a group of several uninhabited rocks and islets, located west of San Franzisco. The main island is Southeast Farallon (37N42, 123W00) with an light on its top. The islands are a natural reserve. Southeast Farallon is about 1000 yards long, 500 yards wide and rises to an elevation of about 105 meters. It is connected to Maintop Islet in the west by a ridge of drying rocks. Maintop Islet is bare and inhabited only by seals. The Seal Rocks, a group of two larger flat topped rocks lies close south and are inhabited by seals. Middle Farallon, located about 2 miles northwest, is a bar rock, flat topped and surrounded by several reefs. More of 5 miles further towards northwest is the group of North Farallons, a group of 7 larger rocks, dark coloured, and located on a common drying reefs. More than 10 miles northwest of Southeast Farallon lies the group of Noonday Rocks (37N48, 123W10), a group of rocks only 3 to 7 ft high. They were named in 1812 when the British vessel HMS Noonday run on the rocks and sunk.
All islands are a restricted area for public. The only permanent population is a maned coast-guard station and the 3 men of the lighttower. No others is it allowed to claimb the islands.
Within the restricted area seals and cormoranes live. The only vegetation is flat moos and some kinds of low grass, resistent to saltwater. Only on Southeat Islet several kinds of biger plants are found, about 45 kinds of species.
The rocks were discovered in 1542 by the Spain Don Rodriguez Cabrillo and B.Ferrelo and named. In 1572 the British Sir Francis Drake landed on the rocks, and reported them uninhabited. Between 1579 and 1613 Spain sailors came offen to here to collect seabird eggs. In 1775 the main island was inhabited by the Spain Francisco de Ayala for 5 years. In the 17th century the seal population was decimated by whalers and sealers, who lived in a group of wooden houses on the top of the rock. In 1802 the Russian Gouvernor of Alaska, Barranow, established a fortification on Los Farallones, abandoned 7 years later. The Wildlife Reserve was established in 1909 by Theodore Roosevelt. Finally in 1981 the islands became a part of the Point Reyes-Faralloms Natinal Monument.