Grand Jason Island
Grand Jason | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Grand Jason Grand Jason shown within the Falkland Islands | |
| Coordinates: 51°04′S 61°06′W / 51.06°S 61.10°W | |
| Country | Falkland Islands |
| Island group | Jason Islands |
| Area | |
• Total | 13.8 km2 (5.3 sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−3 (FKST) |
| If shown, area and population ranks are for all islands and all inhabited islands in the Falklands respectively. | |
Grand Jason Island (sometimes known as "Grand Island") is a small island located at 51°03′S 61°03′W / 51.05°S 61.05°W, east of the Steeple Jason Island, to the west of the main group of Falkland Islands.[1][2] The island is a nature reserve and has a large breeding colony of black-browed albatrosses.
History
[edit]It is a part of the Jason Islands in the Falkland Islands, and along with Steeple Jason it is one of the "Islas los Salvajes" in Spanish (the Jasons being divided into two groups in that language).[3] The anglicized name of the island group stems from HMS Jason, a frigate of the Royal Navy that arrived at Port Egmont on West Falkland in January 1765.[4] Originally the Jason islands were first recorded by a Dutch navigator, Seebald de Weert, who named them after himself (the Sebald [sic] Islands).[5][6]
The island is 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) long and 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) across and covers an area of 1,380 hectares (3,400 acres), Grand Jason Island is the largest in the Jason Island group.[7][8] The island lies 60 kilometres (37 mi) westwards of West Falkland, and its highest point is 358 metres (1,175 ft).[9][1]
Wildlife
[edit]Grand Jason is a home to one of the largest colonies of black-browed albatrosses in the world, with nearby Steeple Jason Island having the largest.[10][11] Also breeding or inhabitant on the island are Magellanic penguins, rockhopper penguins, Wilson's storm petrel, grey-backed storm petrel, gentoo penguins, striated caracara, and imperial shag.[12][13][14][15] At some point, like elsewhere in the Falkland Islands, sheep and goats were introduced onto Great Jason island; a report from the 1870s stated that several hundred goat skins were bought from the island.[16][17] There are no goats in the Falkland Islands today.[18] Also in the 19th century, an abundance of penguins led to a penguin oil industry (boiling up penguins for oil) being started on the island.[19][20]
Grand Jason and Steeple Jason Island, were bought by New York City philanthropist Michael Steinhardt in 1993, who later donated them to the Bronx Zoo based Wildlife Conservation Society in 2001.[21][22]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Bolton et al. 2014, p. 1660.
- ↑ Reader's Digest atlas of the world. Pleasantville, N.Y: Reader's Digest Association. 1987. p. 176. ISBN 0-89577-264-7.
- ↑ Carpentier, Geoffrey (2009). Antarctica, first journey: the traveller's resource guide. Brighton, Ontario: Hidden Brook Press. p. 246. ISBN 9781897475362.
- ↑ "Jason Islands" (PDF). nationalarchives.gov.fk. 2018. p. 1. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ Strange, Ian J. (1985). The Falklands: South Atlantic islands. New York: Dodd, Mead. p. 44. ISBN 0396086160.
- ↑ Annual report on the Falkland Islands and Dependencies (Report). London: HMSO. 1973. p. 48. OCLC 1155459666.
- ↑ Averbuck, Alexis (2012). Antarctica. London: Lonely Planet. p. 49. ISBN 1741794595.
- ↑ "Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels - ACAP Breeding Site No. 49. Grand Jason Island and its Black-browed Albatrosses and Southern Giant Petrels". www.acap.aq. 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Grand Jason Island, Falkland Islands (Nature Reserve) - Ratings & Guide". International Parks. 3 April 2026. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Jason Islands(Islas Sebaldes)". www.falklands-southatlantic.com. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Huin, Nick; Reed, Tim. "Census of the Black-browed Albatross population of the Falkland Islands 2000 and 2005" (PDF). falklandsconservation.com. p. 16. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Bolton et al. 2014, pp. 1659, 1661.
- ↑ "Tracking Falkland Islands seabirds and seals & fine scaling the design of Marine Managed Areas (MMAs)" (PDF). www.south-atlantic-research.org. p. 37. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ Bingham, M. (July 1998). "The distribution, abundance and population trends of gentoo, rockhopper and king penguins in the Falkland Islands". Oryx. 32 (3): 228. doi:10.1046/j.1365-3008.1998.d01-39.x.
- ↑ Reeves, Micky; Bildstein, Keith L. (September 2018). "Distribution and Abundance of Breeding Striated Caracaras in the Falkland Islands (Malvinas)". Journal of Raptor Research. 52 (3): 313. doi:10.3356/JRR-17-31.1.
- ↑ Wheeler, Tony (2004). The Falklands & South Georgia Island. London: Lonely Planet. p. 142. ISBN 9781740596435.
- ↑ Strange, Ian J. (1985) [1972]. The Falkland Islands and their natural history (3 ed.). Newton Abbot: David & Charles. p. 221. ISBN 0715385313.
- ↑ Lever, Christopher (1985). Naturalized mammals of the world. London: Longman. p. 302. ISBN 0582460565.
- ↑ "Penguining". www.falklands-southatlantic.com. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Strange, Ian J. (1987). The Falkland Islands and their natural history. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. p. 75. ISBN 0715388339.
- ↑ "Jason Islands" (PDF). nationalarchives.gov.fk. 2018. p. 6. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ↑ "Safe haven for albatrosses". BBC News. 6 March 2002. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
Sources
[edit]- Bolton, Mark; Stanbury, Andrew; Baylis, Alastair M. M.; Cuthbert, Richard (November 2014). "Impact of introduced house mice (Mus musculus) on burrowing seabirds on Steeple Jason and Grand Jason Islands, Falklands, South Atlantic". Polar Biology. 37 (11). doi:10.1007/s00300-014-1554-2.
External links
[edit]- Grand Jason from Space at the Wayback Machine (archived 23 December 2010)