Lions Rump
Lions Rump is a conspicuous headland on King George Island, the largest of the South Shetland Islands in the British Antarctic Territory. It stands a mile to the north of Low Head, forming the west side of the entrance to King George Bay. Between Lions Rump and Low Head runs Chopin Ridge. A rock feature known as Martello Tower stands in the bay two and a half miles to the north-northwest.
The headland was charted and given its descriptive name in 1937 by Discovery Investigations personnel on the RRS Discovery II.
Important Bird Area
The headland has been identified as an 'Important Bird Area' extending to 368 acres by BirdLife International because it supports a large breeding colony of Adélie penguins, with about 12,000 pairs recorded in 1980. Other birds nesting at the site in smaller numbers include gentoo and chinstrap penguins, southern giant petrels, Cape petrels, Wilson's and black-bellied storm petrels, snowy sheathbills, south polar and brown skuas, kelp gulls and Antarctic terns.[1]
Southern elephant seals, Antarctic fur seals and Weddell seals breed on the beaches.
The headland is also listed as an 'Antarctic Specially Protected Area' (ASPA No. 151), designated for the protection of the ecological values of the area, including the lichens, vascular plants and birds, and of representative examples of maritime Antarctic habitats.
Location
- Location map: 62°8’2"S, 58°7’26"W
References
- ↑ Lions Rump, King George Island IBA: BirdLife International
- Gazetteer and Map of The British Antarctic Territory: Lions Rump