NO. 2 FRASER : SCIENTIFIC "WORK, VELERO III, EASTERN PACIFIC 65 



Islands Off the West Coast of Lower California 

 Plates 29-32 ; Charts 39, 40 



Off the west coast of Lower California, from Todos Santos Bay to 

 Cape San Eugenio, there are several islands of special interest. 



Guadalupe Island (North Point 29° 11' North, 118° 17' West), 

 lying about 140 miles off the coast and 150 miles west and slightly north 

 of the San Benito Islands, is 20 miles long, north and south, with a 

 maximum width of 7 miles. Off the south end are two islets, the Inner 

 Islet and the Outer Islet, the latter being 677 feet high. It is of volcanic 

 origin and is mountainous (highest peak near North Point, 4,500 feet). 

 The shores are so bold and rocky that landing is possible only in very 

 limited areas. The south of the island is quite barren, but in the northern 

 part there are fertile valleys, and there is some vegetation on the moun- 

 tains. This vegetation has suffered badly from the numerous goats on the 

 island. The depth of the water offshore increases rapidly, so that there is 

 little or no shelf. 



Guadalupe Island is of particular interest as the home of elephant 

 seals and sea lions, and fur seals have also been reported. The island has 

 been visited mainly to obtain live elephant seals for the San Diego Zo- 

 ological Gardens, but some shore and inland collecting has been done. 



The largest island off this part of the coast is Cedros (Cerros) Island, 

 lying 12 miles to the northwest of Cape San Eugenio and forming the 

 western boundary of Sebastian Viscaino Bay. It is 20% miles long, from 

 north to south, and from 2 to 9 miles wide, the widest portion being near 

 the south end. The surface is very rugged, with high, abrupt peaks (the 

 highest, Cedros Mountain, 3,950 feet), with deep, irregular valleys be- 

 tween. The southern end of the island is perhaps the most barren area 

 along this whole barren coast. Toward the north end there are vegeta- 

 tion and even trees — cedars, pines, and some dwarf oaks. 



The island arises from the continental shelf, so that there is shallow 

 water for a considerable distance on all sides. Dredging and shore and 

 inland collecting have been done on the east side near the north end and 

 in or near a small village not far from the south end. In South Bay, to 

 the south of the island, shore collecting has been done and dredging near 

 the reef and kelp bed that extends outward from Cape San Agustin, the 

 southwest point of the island. 



Lying to the westward of the northern portion of Cedros Island, 142^2 

 miles, are the three San Benito Islands, East, Middle, and West. They 

 are all rocky and barren, and there are outlying rocks and masses of kelp 



