Coronado Islands

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The Coronado Islands are a group of four islands off the northwest coast of the Mexican state of Baja California. Battered by the wind and waves, they are largely unfertile and uninhabited except for a small military detachment and a few lighthouse keepers.

[edit] The Coronado Islands

• North Coronado has no bay but boats can anchor on a jetty on the eastern side.
  • Location 32°28′N 117°18′W
  • Size 460,000 m²
  • Height 153 m
  • Length 800 m

• Pilón de Azúcar is very hard to land on. It has little or no attractiveness. It has little vegetation but there is a flock of birds that rest here.
  • Location 32°25′N 117°16′W
  • Size 70,000 m²
  • Height 33 m

• Central Coronado has a rocky peak with a heap of cactus and scrubs near the summit.
  • Location 32°25′N 117°16′W
  • Size 140,000 m²
  • Height 32 m

• South Coronado has the only bay of the islands, called 'Puerto Cueva'. It has a lighthouse on each extreme.
  • Location 32°25′N 117°15′W
  • Size 1.83 km²
  • Height 220 m
  • Length 3200 m
  • Width 800 m

[edit] History

The Coronado Islands are part of the municipality of Tijuana, Baja California, as ruled in the books of the Baja Californian Government, published on December 20, 1959:

Article 7 - the state of Baja California is divided and understood as the following municipalities .... Tijuana.

c) The Municipality of Tijuana is made up of ..... in addition; The Coronado Islands correspond to the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Tijuana, which lie on the extremes of the municipality to the Pacific Ocean.

In September 1542 Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo called them the "Deserted Islands'. In 1602 Sebastián Vizcaíno called them the four Coronados. Although they have been called a dozen other names, they also have also been provocatively called The Sentries of San Diego Bay even though they belong to Mexico.

In May 1943 the USS PC-815 commanded by L. Ron Hubbard conducted unauthorized gunnery exercises involving the shelling of the Coronado Islands, in the belief they were uninhabited and belonged to the United States. Unfortunately for Hubbard, the islands belonged to neutral Mexico and were occupied by the Mexican Coast Guard. The Mexican government complained and Hubbard was relieved of command.

[edit] Flora and fauna

On the North and South Coronados there are dahlias, various species of cactus, wild cucumber and Houseleek.

There are few colonies of birds like seagulls, pelicans, petrels, and ducks.

Ten species of reptiles and amphibians are also found in the islands. The best known is the Coronado rattle snake, which is a smaller species from the one found on the mainland. There is also the Coronado snake, which feeds off birds' eggs, the Coronado lizard, which is found in all four islands, and the tree salamanders which live on the three biggest islands. Plated lizards are found on the south and central islands. Despite claims of dragon signtings in recent years, the last documented dragon slaying was reported on North Coronado in 1934.

There are two types of mammals in the islands: rabbits and mice. How they reached the islands is currently unknown.

Sea mammals are plentiful and it is not uncommon to see groups of sea lions, seals and sea otters.