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The Gulf
of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary encompasses 1,235
square miles of nearshore and offshore waters and seabed off the eastern
Pacific. It includes nursing and spawning grounds for commercially
valuable species, at least 26 species of marine mammals and 15 species
of breeding seabirds. Located just a few miles north of cosmopolitan
San Francisco, it is north of and contiguous with the Monterey Bay
National Marine Sanctuary in Central California.
![](dbase/images/GFNMSlammermoor2.jpg)
Lammermoor
at anchor
The adjacent
Cordell
Bank National Marine Sanctuary is a submerged seamount. The prevailing
California Current flows southward along the coast, and the upwelling
of nutrient-rich, deep ocean waters in the sanctuary stimulates the
growth of organisms at all levels of the marine food web. The sanctuary
was named for Edward Cordell of the U.S. Coast Survey, who mapped
it in 1869. The granite formation ranges from 50 to 200 meters in
depth and is almost 22 miles west of Point Reyes, California. It is
unknown how many shipwrecks, if any, litter the seafloor of the Cordell
Bank National Marine Sanctuary. The depth of the sanctuary and distance
from shore have made it difficult to conduct surveys in the area.
The waters of
the Gulf of Farallones National Marine Sanctuary has witnessed a rich
diversity of watercraft, and over 140 shipwrecks have been reported
in this region. Most of the maritime activity in the last 400 years
has been focused on trade. The Spanish built missions around the Bay
after 1776, which brought supply ships and foreign fur traders. Following
Mexico's independence from Spain in 1821, the port of Yerba Buena
(later named San Francisco) gradually expanded into a regional trading
center. New England's "Yankee Traders" and ships of European nations
traded, whaled, and gathered furs and hides while using San Francisco
as a base to re-supply their vessels.
The Farallon
Islands and the mainland coast north of the Golden Gate have historically
provided hazardous navigational obstacles to shipping. Year-round
fogs and dangerous winds and storms often led ships to rocks and beaches
to be pounded by the Pacific swells. Fierce currents have always swept
in and out of the entrance to the Golden Gate. Many known shipwrecks
litter the floor of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.
The earliest recorded shipwreck in the sanctuary area was the Spanish
Manila galleon, San Agustin, sunk in a gale while anchored
in Drake's Bay in 1595.
Top
of Page
Part 1 -
Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Data Exercise
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Print
out the chart that shows
both the Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine
Sanctuaries.
-
Plot
the shipwrecks listed in the Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell
Bank National Marine Sanctuaries data table (link) on your chart
by placing a small x at the area on the map where the latitude and
longitude intersect.
-
Are
there certain areas within these sanctuaries that seem to be more
prone to shipwrecks than others? Which one of these sanctuaries
does not have any entries in the shipwreck database? Can you think
of any reasons why this may be the case?
-
Are
there certain times of year where there seemed to be more shipwrecks
reported? Can you think of any reasons why this might be the case?
-
How
many shipwrecks were reported in this area before 1942? How many
were reported after 1942? Can you think of any reason for this difference?
Top
of Page
Part 2 -
Gulf of the Farallones/Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary Questions:
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Name
the two vessels that were sister ships and later in their careers
collided.
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Name
the shipwreck that during the California Gold Rush represented an
innovation in steam propulsion that differed from paddle driven
vessels.
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What
shipwreck had on board troops who survived World War II, only to
face another life threatening event less than 30 miles from the
American shore?
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Name
the shipwreck that was named for a character in a Sir Walter Scott
story, and carried lavish decorations of scenes and portraits from
the Waverly novel.
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Name
the shipwreck that was rigged as a schooner at the time of her loss,
but originally was launched as a steamer.
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Name
the shipwreck that carried a hazardous cargo that still leaks its
toxic cargo into the National Marine Sanctuary today.
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Mariners
now have modern technology assisting them in navigating the Pacific
West Coast. Would you consider ocean travel? Explain why you are
excited about or hesitant about going to sea.
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