At 19 miles (31km) long and some 22,000 acres (8,900 hectares), Pebble Island is the third largest offshore island in the Falklands. Located in the northern part of the archipelago and adjacent to Falkland Sound, it forms the eastern end of a chain of islands that runs the length of the north coast of West Falkland. The first record of the island goes back to 1594 when Sir Richard Hawkins sailed along the north coast of the Falklands in the Dainty, naming the east end of Pebble 'The Faire Island'. In or about 1766 the name Pebble Island came in to use, when the beautiful, semi-precious pebbles - many of which are translucent and quite colourful - were first noticed on beaches at the west end of the island. Since 1846, the island has been run as a sheep farm and today is home to some 10,000 fine-wool sheep.