A Drop In The Ocean • Remote Island Catalogue
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• (1) Islas Revillagigedo
• Mexico
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• Map
• (1) Islas Revillagigedo
• Mexico
San Benedicto
(Pacific Ocean)
Roca Partida
Isla Socorro
Clarión
SCALE 20 mi 50 km 09
• Profile
• (1) Islas Revillagigedo
• Mexico
Title:
Islas Revillagigedo
Location:
Eastern Pacific Ocean
Type:
Volcanic
Jurisdiction: Mexico
Islands:
4 (Isla Socorro, San Benedicto, Roca Partida & Clarión)
Total Area: 157.84 km2
(Socorro 132.06 km2) (San Benedicto 5.94km2) (Roca Partida 0.014km2) (Clarión 19.80km2)
Discovered:
December 28th, 1533
Co-Ordinates:
18°49’N 112°46’W Proximity To The Mainland:
Mexico - 386km North/North East
Time Zone:
(-7/8 hours) GMT
Highest Peak:
Mount Evermann 1,130m (Socorro)
• Playa Blanca, Isla Socorro, (Harmut S.Walter)
Population:
No permanent population. (Socorro - 250 staff and famillies & Clarión - 10 staff due to naval stations) Otherwise uninhabited.
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• Background
• (1) Islas Revillagigedo
The Revillagigedo Archipelago are a group of four volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean, known for their unique ecosystem. They have been part of Manzanillo municipality of the Mexican state of Colima since 1861, but are nevertheless under Mexican federal jurisdiction, and lie 386 km southwest of Cabo San Lucas, the southern tip of Baja California peninsula, and between 720 and 970 km west of Manzanillo itself. San Bendicto was the first to be discovered in 1533 and all of the islands were founded by European explorers tracing new routes across the Pacific. No evidence of human habitation exists on the islands before their discovery but since being located they have been visited by several explorers although no permanent population ever manifested. More recently, in 1957 the Mexican navy established a naval base on the largest island - Socorro and has maintained a presence since then. There is also a tiny outpost on the more remote, western island of Clarión. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Dr. Barton Warren Evermann, director of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, California, promoted the scientific exploration of the islands. The most comprehensive biological collections were obtained at this time and as a result the volcano on Isla Socorro was renamed in his honor. • Northern Forest, Isla Socorro, (Harmut S. Walter)
• Mexico
during their visit to the islands, which is desirable from an ecological standpoint to prevent introduction of further invasive species. There is an ongoing effort to remove sheep, cats and rabbits that were introdced since their populations grew quickly and caused damage to the unique ecology. All of the islands are of volcanic origin part of the Pacific ring of fire - but only Mount Everman (Socorro) & Bárcena (San Bendicto) remain active. Remarkably, Bárcena only came to exist from 1952 after erupting from the existing El Boquerón vent on San Benedicto. The Revillagigedo Islands are home to many endemic plant and animal species, and are sometimes called Mexico’s “little Galapagos”. They are recognized as a distinct terrestrial ecoregion, part of the Neotropic ecozone. Isla Socorro is the most diverse in flora, fauna, and topography an subsequently the Mexican Government established the islands as a biosphere reserve on June 4, 1994. Expeditions from organisations engaged in biological conservation of the islands visit the islands for fieldwork on a regular basis. However, no tourism facilities exist on the islands since they have no reliable sources of fresh water of their own.
The seas surrounding the islands are popular with scuba divers; a variety of marine life such as cetaceans, sharks and manta rays can be observed. Roca Partida - the smallest island, is essentially a large rock, but is given increased significance due to it being an exceptional dive site. Visitors usually stay aboard expedition vessels
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• Gallery
• (1) Islas Revillagigedo
• Mexico
• The Wall, Roca Partida, (Jason Heller)
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• Socorro Parula Warbler, (Harmut S. Walter)
• Exotic fish at Roca Partida, (Peter Tee)
• Information
• (1) Islas Revillagigedo
• Mexico
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