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A Brief History of Wildfox Island

Located seven miles off the mainland, near Monterrey California, is an island called Wildfox Island.

Originally known as Siwluluk by local First American tribes until Spanish Colonizers settled the land and claimed it as San Fernández (also colloquially known as Isla del Sol Rojo) in 1782. A mission was built on the island but was later burnt down during a rebellion and the island was mostly abandoned until 1860 when a lighthouse was installed on the southernmost part of the island known as Mission Point, near where the ruins of the former mission was located.

The island was mostly used to raise cattle and sheep up until the second World War when the island was used as a temporary military outpost. The airfield that was once used by the Air Force is now privately owned and is still in use to this day for small aircrafts, though the most popular method of transportation to the island is by ferry.

After the end of WWII, the island became abandoned for a short time again until the 1950s when tourists started to flock to the large island. It became a modestly popular destination for hiking, camping, boating, and sea diving and eventually a population started to grow on the island.

During the 1960s, the island saw a sudden influx of beatniks and hippies and the population grew exponentially by those attracted by the sun and surf and the bohemian lifestyle. It wasn't long at all before the island became well known for it's nude beaches and in 1971, the first Sandy Pines Nude Surfing Competition was held in Cerulean Bay and has been an annual tradition ever since.

By the mid-70s, the island was becoming more well known for its growing gay scene than it was for its nude beaches. The first "all-gay" resort on the island, the Pink Palace, was built in 1978 along what is known today as Flagship Street. More properties started to pop up on the island through the 70s and into the 80s.

Ownership of the island passed through many paws though eventually came into ownership of the estate of Bernard "Wild" Flanagan, an eccentric actor and philanthropist who had moved to the island around 1970. He fell in love with the island during the filming of 1962's "The Elias Escapade" and built a mansion on the eastern overlook next to the national park, where he lived in up until his death in 1987. He had lived with a 'male roommate' on the island for years amid rumors of his sexuality. He came out as a homosexual after his retirement from acting in 1979 and spent his last years quietly on the island, enjoying a naturist lifestyle.

His love for the island was so great that he ensured that the land would be protected after he died. Having formed an interest in botany and naturalism later in life, he found that the island was home to Malacothrix Solisoccasulia, also known as the Sunset Dandelion or Sundown Flowers, which are known for their vibrant orange-red color. They are also an endangered species of plant that is rarely seen outside of the island. After a drought in the mid-70s, they were nearly wiped out if it hadn't been for conservation efforts on Flanagan's part as well as protection from the Wildlife and Parks Service.

Because of the presence of the Sunset Dandelion as well as a few other protected species, over 60 percent of the island is protected land known as Sandy Pines National Park. Vehicles that use gas like cars and trucks, unless with special permission, are banned from the island as well to protect the local environment. The main mode of transportation around the island are bicycles. Double and Triple Surrey Bicycles are prominently featured in advertisements for the island, either as guided tours or as private rentals. There are also many hiking trails that remain open year round.

The island was renamed from Sunset Isle to Wildfox Island after Flanagan passed away, with his last wishes that the island remain a pristine paradise for his fellow gays and nudists.

His final words on his deathbed were allegedly, "I shall greatly miss this beautiful place. This verdant little alcove off the azure coast of heaven. More than anything I've done, I'd rather this paradise be remembered when I'm gone. The wind through the fields and pines, the golden bodies dancing naked in the surf, and the million little sunsets over the rolling fields. I'd give my whole career and every damned film I ever made just for more time here..."

Today the island is known for being a gay haven as well as a nudism destination. The entire island is Clothing Optional, which means you're as likely to run into people shopping at the market or riding bicycles naked as you are to find nude hikers and sunbathers. Many locals spend entire months or years naked, sometimes forgetting that they need to wear clothes if they want to take the ferry back to Monterrey. There are three gay clubs and bars, the largest and most popular being "The Velvet Fox", a museum dedicated to the history of the island, the Carr Lighthouse and the San Fernández Mission Ruins. Sandy Paws is a luxury gay-nudist resort along the coast facing the bay and "The Brawl Pit" is another club known for extravagant parties as well as erotic dancing and wrestling.

Most of the homes and cottages exist together around Cerulean Bay with the rest of the shops, bars, and government buildings, with a few exceptions on the north ends of the island that spread off, almost like wings of a butterfly. The rest of the area taken up is national park land or farm land still used to raise livestock and crops. There are several local grocers that receive food from the mainland, as well as selling locally sourced produce from the farmers. There are also dozens of restaurants, tourist shops, novelty and sex stores, hotels of various pricing, and several boutiques most recently. It is incredibly expensive to live on the island for many, some needing to take the ferry almost daily to get to work. According to the last Census, the current population sits close to 1,450 on the 11 square mile island. Several celebrities have made their homes there, or at least have summer homes, while the rest are people who run local business or are wealthy enough to afford any of the housing. Brock Weston, former coach to the Fernández Seals, now starring and directing in adult films, is a well known inhabitant of Wildfox.

A statue of Flanagan rests in the town center in front of the civic building, overlooking the bay. The plaque affixed to it is dedicated to his fellow community and his 'million little sunsets'.