24 ALLAN HANCOCK ATLANTIC EXPEDITION REPORT 



Los Hermanos 



Forty-six miles northwest of Cabo de la Isla, Margarita Island, lies 

 Isla del Pico, elevation 570 feet, largest of a group of three islets forming 

 the southern half of an archipelago known as Los Hermanos. Four miles 

 northwest of Isla del Pico lies Orquilla Island, elevation 650 feet, largest 

 of the northern group of four islands. Composed of granite boulders, with 

 cactus and grass as vegetation, Orquilla Island is said to be the home of 

 the gannet, boatswain, and other sea birds. 



Blanquilla Island 



Nine miles west of Orquilla Island lies Blanquilla Island, a low, 

 rolling island 6^ miles long and Zyi miles wide. It is also composed of 

 granite, overlaid with coral, and supports a meager growth of grass, 

 cactus, and a few clumps of trees. Anchorage may be found in 18 fathoms, 

 sand, a mile from the northwest end of the island and opposite its only 

 habitation. 



Orchilla Island 



Orchilla Island lies 84 miles west of Blanquilla Island and 59 miles 

 due north of Centinela Island on the mainland. It is nearly 8 miles long, 

 east and west, but only a mile wide. Low and flat at its eastern end, it 

 rises toward Mt. Walker, elevation 400 feet, near its western end. Faral- 

 lon Rock lies off its abrupt west end and a number of cays off its northeast 

 shore. Orchilla Harbor is formed between Northeast and Storm cays, 

 which enclose it like parentheses. Although the lighted channel at the 

 north is but 400 yards wide and the maximum depth of the anchorage is 

 24 feet, the harbor gives excellent protection to small vessels. A safe 

 anchorage for larger vessels is located off a group of houses at the south- 

 west end of the island in 7 fathoms, sand. There is a prevailing westerly 

 current of IJ^ knots past the island. 



Los Rogues 



Twenty-two miles west of Orchilla Island lies Grande Cay, largest 

 of an extensive group of cays known as Los Roques. It is low, flat, tri- 

 angular in shape, and surrounded by shoals, and measures approximately 

 6 by 7 miles. The remainder of the cays are much smaller and are scat- 

 tered over an area 23 miles from east to west and 1 3 miles from north to 

 south. The best anchorage is Port El Roque, formed by many cays at the 

 northeast extremity of the group, and marked by a light. After entering 



