The Farallon Islands, explained: San Francisco's off-limits 'Devil's Teeth' 30 miles past the Golden Gate

On a clear day you can see them from the coast of San Francisco and Marin County: a jagged line of peaks on the horizon. The Farallon Islands lie 30 miles outside the Golden Gate, and they are technically part of the City and County of San Francisco. Almost nobody gets to set foot on them.

Why they're closed

The islands are a national wildlife refuge, established in 1909 to protect seabirds and marine mammals. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the refuge is closed to the public because of the sensitivity of wildlife. The only inhabited spot is Southeast Farallon Island, where researchers from Point Blue Conservation Science and the Fish and Wildlife Service stay. All the islands except Southeast Island were also designated wilderness in 1974.

A wildlife capital

According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Farallones hold the largest seabird nesting colony south of Alaska and the largest colony of western gulls in the world. They also support half the world's population of ashy storm-petrels. The surrounding waters, protected as part of the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, are feeding grounds for whales and white sharks.

The Devil's Teeth

Mariners nicknamed them the Devil's Teeth Islands for the treacherous shoals around them. Native Americans who lived in the San Francisco area believed the islands were an abode of the spirits of the dead, and are not believed to have traveled there. Sir Francis Drake landed on July 24, 1579, to collect seal meat and bird eggs. The name "Farallones" means cliffs or sea pillars in Spanish.

Seal hunters and the Egg War

In the early 1800s, American and Russian hunters nearly wiped out the islands' fur seals; the Russians kept a sealing station there from 1812 to 1840. Fur seals didn't start coming back until 1996.

After the Gold Rush, the islands fed San Francisco. A lighthouse went up on Southeast Farallon in 1853, and seabird eggs were harvested by the millions for city markets. At its peak the trade could yield 500,000 eggs a month. Rival companies clashed in 1863 in what became known as the Egg War, which left two men dead and ended private egging companies on the islands.

How to see them

Since the refuge is closed, most people will only ever see the islands from the mainland on a clear day. The Fish and Wildlife Service says there are still ways to get involved with the refuge, including volunteer programs.