The Farallon Islands are host to five species of pinnipeds (seals and sea lions).  For over one-hundred years, human occupation and hunting decimated much of the wildlife on the island and Northern Elephant Seals and Northern Fur Seals were extirpated in the 1800's.  The Elephant Seal began re-colonizing the island in the late 1950's and in 1972; PRBO witnessed the first pup born there in over a century.   More recently, in the last two decades, Northern Fur Seals have begun to return to the Farallones.  PRBO continues to monitor these colonies to gain a better understanding of the population dynamics of all seals and sea lions on the Farallon Islands.

For more information download a technical brief:
Fewest Northern Elephant Seal pups since 1976

Live Farallon Webcam!

California Sea Lion 

Steller's Sea Lion 

   Farallon Blog - Los Farallones!
Learn about life, birds, and marine mammals on the Farallon Islands, directly from the resident biologists' point of view!  

New webcam on the Farallon Islands! 

In partnership with The California Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, PRBO has launched a live streaming webcam of the Farallon Islands from atop the lighthouse.