Farallons.

Twenty-seven miles west of San Francisco, shrouded in a dense fog, the Farallon Islands gnaw their way out of the sea. The small, jagged islands are the picture of inhospitality: windswept, rocky, remote – and surrounded by rough seas. Nineteenth century sailors called these islands the Devil’s Teeth, because navigating near them is so treacherous. The islands are closed to the public because they’re now a wildlife refuge where a dazzling array of birds and other wildlife thrive. But over the years, the islands have served many purposes, and been home to a few brave souls willing to weather the inhospitable conditions.

This episode paints a portrait of the farallons over the past two centuries … from how they were viewed by native Californians, to their years of habitation by lighthouse keepers, to their use today as a research facility and wildlife sanctuary. Listen below or read the web story.

Olivia Allen-Price - reporter, scoring, sound design, producer
Katrina Schwartz - editor
Brendan Willard -audio engineer, sound design