Photos:: Wildlife thrives on the Farallon Islands — for now
Waves crash ashore on one of the Farallon Islands about 30 miles off the coast of San Francisco.
The islands boast one of the world’s largest breeding colonies of seabirds, including the rare ashy storm-petrel, and their beaches are covered with lolling sea lions and seals. The waters surrounding the islands teem with 18 species of whales and dolphins. The islands also host tens of thousands of house mice — an invasive species that is wreaking havoc on the native ecosystem.
