The seas off the northern California coast are notoriously rough, and no area is more treacherous than St. George Reef, which is the tip of a submerged volcanic mountain about six miles offshore. Cons

Whale Rock Lighthouse (U.S. Coast Guard) Walter Eberle with his wife Agnes Whale Rock Light, a typical cast-iron spark plug type lighthouse, was constructed at the entrance to the west passage

The area in Southern California known as San Pedro saw Spanish use dating back to the 1540s. Once a separate township, its now part of Los Angeles. After the Mexican-American War, San Pedros harbor

Mukilteo Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont On the east side of Washingtons Puget Sound, Mukilteo grew as a port in the late 1800s, with salmon canning and lumber as leading industries. Funds

Old Point Loma Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont. Congress authorized lighthouses at several California locations in 1850, including San Diego. Construction began in 1854 on a lighthouse on a

Cornelia Cesari Maine's Baker Island is about four miles southeast of the much larger Mount Desert Island. A lighthouse was established on the highest point of the island in 1828. The early history

Julie Barrow at Pigeon Point Light Station, California. Courtesy of Julie Barrow. Californias iconic Pigeon Point Lighthouse, located on the central coast between Santa Cruz and San Francisco, has

Harry Duvall and Dan May. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont. Harry Duvall enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in the 1960s and trained as an electronics technician. After graduating from college, he returne

A day beacon (or daybeacon) is defined simply as an unlighted nautical sea mark, serving to aid navigation during the day. The U.S. Coast Guard maintains many modern day beacons around the country, bu

Little Mark Islandabout one acre in sizeis in Maines Casco Bay, near the town of Harpswell. On the island is a 50-foot tall, stone, pyramidal tower that was built in 1827. Its known as the Little