Castro Rocks
{{short description|Rocks in the San Francisco Bay, California}}
File:Castro Rocks from the water.jpg
The Castro Rocks are several rocks in Richmond, California, protruding from the waters in San Francisco Bay between Castro Point and Red Rock Island. The rocks lie almost directly under the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (I-580).[http://www.topoquest.com/map.asp?lat=37.93235&lon=-122.41732&datum=nad83&u=4&layer=DRG25&size=m&s=24 Topographic map], TopoQuest, retrieved July 6, 2008
Name
File:Don_Víctor_Castro.jpg, a Californio ranchero and politician.]]
The rocks are named after Don Víctor Castro, a local rancho-era land owner.{{citation needed|date=October 2013}} They are shown as "Castro Rocks" on an 1850 survey map of the San Francisco Bay area made by Cadwalader Ringgold.{{cite web
|url = https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~24355~890046?id=1-1-24355-890046&name=General+chart,+San+Francisco+Bay#
|title = General Chart embracing Surveys of the Farallones Entrance to the Bay of San Francisco, Bays of San Francisco and San Pablo, Straits of Carquines and Suisun Bay, and the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, to the Cities of Sacramento and San Joaquin, California
|last1 = Ringgold
|first1 = Cadwalader
|last2 = Stuart
|first2 = Fred D.
|last3 = Everett
|first3 = Chas.
|last4 = Harrison
|website = David Rumsey Map Collection
|publisher = San Francisco Common Council
|date = 1850
|access-date = 25 February 2021
|quote =
}}
Harbor seals
Castro Rocks are the home of many harbor seals,[http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~halmark/tagging.htm Tagging program] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070909185737/http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~halmark/tagging.htm |date=2007-09-09 }}, SFSU, retrieved August 1, 2007 which lie on them to rest and sunbathe. The rocks are the largest harbor seal rookery in the northern San Francisco Bay and the second largest in the Bay Area itself.[http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~halmark/castro.htm SFSU] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070906204647/http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~halmark/castro.htm |date=2007-09-06 }}, Castro Rocks page, retrieved August 1, 2007 There are also sometimes sea lions on the rocks.[http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/releases99/feb99/noaa99r109.html NOAA Seeks Comments On A Proposed Reauthorization For California Department Of Transportation To Harass Seals During Bridge Reconstruction] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080212011001/http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/releases99/feb99/noaa99r109.html |date=2008-02-12 }}, NOAA Press Release, February 12, 1999, retrieved August 4, 2007 The rock's Harbor Seals also frequent Mowry Slough, Brooks Island, Yerba Buena Island, and Mare Island.[http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~halmark/vhfmap.htm vhfmapweb.jpg] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911212146/http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~halmark/vhfmap.htm |date=September 11, 2007 }}, Radio tagging map, San Francisco State University, February 2004, retrieved August 4, 2007
The seals at this location have high levels of toxic pollutants including the DDT, PCBs, PBDEs, PFOS, PFOA, and mercury.[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/19/MN11SRS7D.DTL Harbor seals may help determine effect on humans of eating toxic fish], by Jane Kay, San Francisco Chronicle, 19-10-2009, access date 19-02-2009
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070906204647/http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~halmark/castro.htm Castro Rocks page]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070909185737/http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~halmark/tagging.htm SFSU Tagging] - Photos
{{coord|37.932817|-122.416963|region:US-CA_type:isle_source:wikimapia| display=title}}
{{Bodies of water in Richmond, California}}
{{Islands of the San Francisco Bay Area|state=autocollapse}}
{{San Francisco Bay watershed|state=autocollapse}}
Category:Geography of Richmond, California
Category:Islands of Contra Costa County, California
Category:Islands of San Francisco Bay
Category:Islands of Northern California