The Radio Squirrels of Point Reyes

"Calling all. This is our last cry before our eternal silence." With that, in January 1997, the French Coast Guard transmitted its final message in Morse code.

- Saahil Desai

Ships in distress had radioed out dits and dahs from the era of the Titanic to the era of Titanic. In near-instant time, the beeps could be deciphered by Morse code stations thousands of miles away. First used to send messages over land in 1844, Morse code outlived the telegraph age by becoming the lingua franca of the sea. But by the late 20th century, satellite radio was turning it into a dying language. In February 1999, it officially ceased being the standard for maritime communication.

Nestled within the Point Reyes National Seashore, north of San Francisco, KPH Maritime Radio is the last operational Morse-code radio station in North America. The station which consists of two buildings some 25 miles apart once watched over the waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.