Coronado Islands MX - For The Birds and Fishermen

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Coronado Islands - Spot Image from Google Earth (1-35,000)

Coronado Islands - Other Precision Map Using Spot Image From Google Earth (1:35,000)

Located about 25 kilometers south of the entrance to San Diego bay, these Mexican islands are often mistaken as US possessions. Most San Diegans know of these islands and a few of the stories associated with them. For instance, we know that there was a gambling establishment on South Island that was a going concern well into the Depression. We know that the islands were used as a haven for Prohibition smugglers. Today there is a small Mexican military detachment stationed on South Island to keep an eye out for human smugglers and fishing poachers. The islands are visited daily by fishermen, divers and numerous sea birds, especially brown pelicans.

I first saw the islands as a young boy back in 1954. From that perspective they appeared to be two buffaloes. To others they look like coffins. To me they are always a welcome site.

The map was constructed from an image mosaic I created using the Spot image found in Google Earth. From this georeferenced mosaic I was able to work at a scale of 1:5,000. As a result, the shoreline details are excellent. I tried using SRTM 30-meter to generate contours and the results were not satisfactory. I knew of a series of geologic maps of the islands containing 20-meter contours on a San Diego Geology website. I georeferenced the contour containing images and copied the 20-meter contour intervals. When necessary, the contours were adjusted to align with the underlying Spot image.

Because my digitizing work was done at a scale of 1:5,000, the zoom factor for these islands gives one excellent details. I would suggest using Google Earth imagery to take a detailed tour of the islands. To enjoy an excellent map of the islands, this is the place.

Enjoy!