Petermann Island
 Petermann Island from a distance |
|
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Antarctica |
| Coordinates | 65°10′S 64°10′W / 65.167°S 64.167°W |
| Length | 2 km (1.2 mi) |
| Country | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
| Additional information | |
| Administered under the Antarctic Treaty System | |
Petermann Island is a small, low and rounded island, lying off the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, a short distance south of Booth Island and the Lemaire Channel. It is a popular tourist destination.
Description
The island is 1.8 km (1.1 mi) long and 1.2 km (0.75 mi) across. It rises steeply to elevations of up to 250 m from a rocky coastline with raised pebble beaches. It has volcanic origins, with about half the land surface covered by a permanent, crevassed icecap. Ice-free areas have a sparse vegetation of mosses and lichens.[1]
Important Bird Area
The island has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports a breeding colony of about 3000 pairs of Gentoo Penguins. Other birds nesting at the site in smaller numbers include Adélie Penguins, Imperial Shags, Wilson's Storm Petrels and South Polar Skuas.[1]
History
The island was discovered by a German expedition of 1873-74, who named it after geographer August Petermann. The French Antarctic Expedition of 1908-10 wintered over aboard ship in a cove on the southeast side of the island, named Port Circumcision because it was spotted 1 January 1909, the traditional day for the Feast of the Circumcision.
Huts built by the expedition are gone, although a cairn remains, along with a refuge hut built by Argentina in 1955, and a cross commemorating three members of the British Antarctic Survey who died in a 1982 attempt to cross the sea ice from Faraday Station to Petermann.
References
- ^ a b "Petermann Island". BirdLife data zone: Important Bird Areas. BirdLife International. 2013. Retrieved 2013-01-14.
Read in another language
This page is available in 9 languages
