Page 219 - California Diving and Surfing

en months of the year the 30 families nearly extinct by 1844. The northern el- over, the population eventually eliminated

T of the fishing cooperative “Abuloneros ephant seal was also ruthlessly hunted for most vegetation; the number of goats de-
and Langosteros of Guadalupe Island” are the oil in its blubber. They were thought to clined to a few thousand. After the crash,

present. At the southern tip, on Melpómene be extinct in 1884 until a remnant popula- the goat population once again grew, this

Cove, there is a weather station staffed by tion of eight individuals was discovered time more slowly, until it had reached the

a detachment from the Mexican Ministry of on Guadalupe Island in 1892 by a Smith- new, lower carrying capacity at maybe

the Navy. The site is called Campamento Sur sonian expedition, who promptly killed 10,000–20,000 in modern times. The island

(“South Encampment”). Campo Bosque was seven of them for their collections. The had been a nature conservancy area since

established as a temporary camp in 1999 in elephant seals managed to survive, and August 16, 1928, making it one of the old-

the cypress forest in the north. The camp were finally protected by the Mexican gov- est reserves in Mexico. Eradication of the

houses members of the Cooperative Farm- ernment in 1922. All surviving northern el- goats was long envisioned, but logistical

ing Society “Francisco Javier Maytorena, S.C. ephant seals share the same male ancestor. difficulties such as island size and lack of

of R.L.” and removes goats from the island G uadalupe shares the California chapar- suitable spots for landing and encamping
and sells them in the State of Sonora, with ral and woodlands ecoregion with the hunters and material prevented this. As of
permission of Secretariat of the Environment June 2005, after many years of false starts,

and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT ) and Channel Islands of California in the United the Mexican government has almost com-

the support of the Secretariat of the Navy. States, but the island was at one time prac- pleted a round-up and evacuation of the

G uadalupe Island was a major destina- tically denuded of all plants higher than remaining goat population and Guadalupe
tion for Russian and American fur hunt- a few centimeters by up to 100,000 feral has been designated a biosphere reserve.
goats. Originally brought there in the early

ers seeking the Guadalupe fur seal in the 19th century by primarily Russian whalers

18th and 19th centuries, until they were and sealers for provisions when stopping