Islas San Benito

The Islas San Benito are a Mexican archipelago of three small, uninhabited except for two lighthouse keepers Islands 25 km west of Isla de Cedros in the Pacific. They belong to the Isla de Cedros Delegación, part of the municipality of Ensenada, Baja California.

There are barren islands with a total area of ​​3.899 km ², surrounded by rocks and Seetangfeldern. A census of 2001 showed two residents on Benito del Oeste (West Benito ), the other two islands are uninhabited.

Geography and ecology

Benito del Oeste (West Benito, 2.6 km ²) is the westernmost and largest island of the group. It rises near the center as a high plateau to 203 m from the sea. A 4 m high lighthouse stands in the south. The more important beacon, a 17 m high tower with residential building, located in the extreme northwest. The Rocas Pinaculo, two rocky islets lying 1.6 km to the west.

Benito del Centro ( Central Benito 0.4 km ²) and Benito del Este (East Benito 0.9 km ²), the other two islands are located not far east Benito del Oeste and are separated from it by the Canal de Peck, a deep 65 m wide channel. Benito del Este has four to 140 meters high, clearly demarcated hill. Benito del Centro is flat with a maximum elevation of 25 m near its eastern end.

The vegetation consists mainly of low shrubs and herbs as well as some large cacti ( Cylindropuntia prolifera, Cylindropuntia ramosissima ). On land there are few animals and no mammals. Birds are due to the sparseness of the islands are not particularly numerous, well represented in the breeding season but the Aleutenalk.