Sea Lion Island
| Sea Lion Island | |
 Imperial Shags on outcrop on Sea Lion Island | |
|---|---|
| Main settlement: | Sea Lion Island Settlement |
| Location | |
| Location: | 52°25’60"S, 59°4’60"W |
| Area: | 2,236 acres |
| Highest point: | Bull Hill, 151 feet |
| Data | |
Sea Lion Island is the largest of the Sea Lion Island Group of the Falkland Islands. It is 2,236 acres (3½ square miles) in area.[1] and lies almost 9 miles southeast of Lafonia (East Falkland).[2]
Population and history
Sea Lion Island is the southernmost inhabited island of the Falkland Islands. Only formerly inhabited Beauchene Island is located further south. Sea Lion Island Settlement is the southernmost settlement of the Falkland Islands. The island has two airstrips. Historically, Sea Lion Island was a sheep farm and a base for slaughtering penguins to render for oil. When the British ship Viscount was wrecked in 1892, the debris was used to build the farmhouse.
The island was managed as a sheep farm for almost all of the 20th century, but in 1997 all but a small flock of sheep was removed.[1] In 1990, the Clifton family who owned the island, sold it to the Falkland Island Development Corporation. They had planted 60,000 stands of tussac grass.[3] In recent years, ecotourism has come to dominate. The Falkland Islands Development Corporation constructed the Sea Lion Lodge in 1986. It was prefabricated and flown in kit form to the island by Royal Air Force helicopters and has proved to be a huge success. It is used by both tourists and, since 1996, for scientific studies
There is also a memorial to HMS Sheffield on Bull Hill in the south of the island.
Geography
Sea Lion Island is 4.8 miles long from east to west and 1.4 miles at its widest point, with 100-foot cliffs at the south-western point and sandy bays to the east.[1] It, also has a few ponds, such as Beaver, and Long Pond. Just to the south is Rum Island,[1] a small seal colony. East Loafers is the name of the bay on the south shore.
The highest point is Bull Hill, which is 151 feet.
The geology is mainly sandstone and mudstone, from about 250 million years ago. Some minor fossils have been found.
Wildlife
It is known for its wildlife, including southern sea lions, southern elephant seals, penguins, striated caracara and Antarctic skuas, and killer whales offshore. Earthwatch, the worldwide organization that places volunteers in environmental studies around the world, has been tracking the habits of elephant seals at Sea Lion Island for years. It is also a site for Magellanic Penguins whose burrows can be up to 16 feet in length and over half a mile from the sea.
Sea Lion Island was designated a Ramsar site on September 24, 2001.
Outside links
- Sealionisland.com
- Falkland Islands, including Sea Lion island section
- Pictures from Sea Lion Island
- Long term study of Sea Lion Island elephant seals
- Wildlife images from Sealion Island
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 PART II: Falkland Islands Important Bird Areas - Sea Lion Islands Group
- ↑ Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands
- ↑ Wigglesworth, Angela. (1992) Falkland People. Pub. Peter Owen. ISBN 0-7206-0850-3
- Stonehouse, B (ed.) Encyclopedia of Antarctica and the Southern Oceans (2002, ISBN 0-471-98665-8)