Original Ano Nuevo Lighthouse Photograph courtesy U.S. Coast Guard

The Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino departed Acapulco in January of 1602 to explore the California coast. His three ships sailed past the coast just north of Monterey Bay early in January of 1603, and the diarist and chaplain of the expedition, Father Antonio de la Ascension, named one landmark Punta de Año Nuevo (New Year's Point), for the day on which it was sighted.

Año Nuevo Island is five miles south of Pigeon Point and roughly nine acres in size. After surveying the coast north of Monterey for the U.S. Coast Survey, A. M. Harrison made the following recommendation for a light at Año Nuevo in an 1855 report. "Point Año Nuevo possesses all the requisites as a site for a guide to Santa Cruz harbor, and would also prove of advantage to the vessels in the coasting trade. This point once made, it becomes a matter of little difficulty to reach Santa Cruz; and vessels from the Northward, bound to Monterey, and even up and down the coast, would find a light here very serviceable."

Before any light was built along this stretch of the coast, the Carrier Pigeon was lost in 1853, followed by the Sir John Franklin in 1865, and the Coya in 1866. The government finally purchased Año Nuevo Island and land on Pigeon Point for $10,000 in 1870.

Año Nuevo was originally used as a fog signal station, with the first blast of the steam whistle being emitted on May 29, 1872. The keepers' dwelling was placed at the southern end of the island, and a wooden walkway ran north to the fog signal, located about halfway up the island on the western side.

A landing and later a boathouse were constructed on the eastern shore to permit access to the island. Though the distance to the mainland isn't great, crossings were quite dangerous as large swells would wrap around both ends of the island, creating breakers and strong currents in the narrow channel. In April of 1883, Keeper Henry Colburn, his assistant Bernard Ashley, and two boys from a nearby farm attempted to make the crossing in rough seas. Their boat was soon swamped and drifted out into the open sea where they all drowned after a breaker completely submerged them. Stranded on the island, the wives of the keepers started the fog signal and flew the station's flag upside down at half mast to attract the attention of passing vessels. Noticing the distress signals, the steamer Los Angeles dispatched a small vessel to the island and carried word regarding the tragedy to maritime officials. John Ryan, who was serving as first assistant keeper at Pigeon Point and would later become head keeper at Año Nuevo, was sent to the island to take charge of the station and assist the widows in leaving the island.

In 1890, the first light, a lens lantern mounted on a water tank, was erected on Año Nuevo to improve the station's effectiveness. A large, two-story duplex was attached to the original dwelling in 1906. The Lighthouse Board reasoned that reasonable accommodations were needed for the keepers in order "to encourage capable men to take service with the Light House Establishment." Fences were built around the dwelling to keep the sea lions from invading the house and adjacent garden. According to one account, a killer whale once had the sea lions so agitated that they forced their way into the dwelling.

Ano Nuevo Lighthouse Photograph courtesy U.S. Coast Guard

Finally, in 1914, an official skeleton tower with a Fresnel lens in its lantern room was erected adjacent to the water tank that formerly supported the light. On October 22, 1926, an earthquake struck the station and shook the lens off its pedestal and onto the floor of the lantern room where it shattered. The lantern lens was again displayed until a replacement lens arrived. The station was deactivated in 1948, and a whistle buoy was anchored about 1600 yards south of the island. Año Nuevo Island was acquired by the State of California in 1958 for $52,000 and was incorporated into the newly acquired reserve on the adjacent mainland.

Nature and vandalism quickly took their toll on the station's buildings following abandonment of the island. In 1976, the state cut down the steel light tower as it was likely to collapse.

Modern visitors aren't the only ones to complain about the strong odor that accompanies the seals. The smell also bothered the keepers, as did the seals' calls and grunts. Año Nuevo Island and Point are part of a Wildlife Protection Area located in Año Nuevo State Reserve . The park has a live SealCam on their website. The point is accessed by a 1.7-mile hike from the parking area at the state park. The visitor's center has a model of the island, showing how the station looked during its prime.

From December to March, access to the point is permitted only on regularly scheduled guided walks. During these months the females give birth to their pups and the giant bull seals fight for dominance and the privilege of mating with the females. At other times of the year, visitors are free to visit the point during park hours. The seals return to the beach to molt from April until August. No public access to Año Nuevo Island is permitted at any time, though distant views of the island are possible from the point. The historic fog signal buildings on the island are used as a laboratory/dormitory for the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of California Santa Cruz.

References

1. "Año Nuevo Island Light Station," Matt C. Bischoff, June 2005.
2. Umbrella Guide to California Lighthouses, Sharlene and Ted Nelson, 1993.
3. Año Nuevo State Park, pamphlet.