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Carcass Island (Template:Lang-es) is the largest of the West Point Island Group of the Falkland Islands. It lies northwest of West Falkland and southeast of the Jason Islands. It is 6 miles (10 km) in length, has a maximum width of 1.6 miles (2.5 km), and is 7.31 square miles (1,894 ha) in area.

History

The island's grim sounding name comes from the ship HMS Carcass, which surveyed the island in 1766. Its accompanying vessel, HMS Jason, gave its name to the nearby Jason Islands, and its captain, John McBride, gave his name to MacBride Head.

It has been run as a sheep farm for over a century and is presently owned by R. P. McGill. Its small settlement lying on Port Patterson on the southwest coast is also known for its gardens and has a small grocery shop.

Carcass Island was considered as one of the potential sites for a British amphibious landing during the Falklands War; however, the British landings took place on San Carlos Water in the west of East Falkland, on Falkland Sound. The plan would have been for a "stone aircraft carrier". The main objections to this plan were threefold: 1) Carcass Island, being in the west of the archipelago, was nearest to continental Argentine bases; 2) its proximity to the airbase on Pebble Island; and 3) its remoteness from Stanley, as it was furthest from the main objectives, and West Falkland was ultimately bypassed in the war.

The island's three listed buildings are a boathouse, shed, and store.

Geography

The highest points of the island are Stanley Hill and Mount Byng 220 metres (720 ft). The north-eastern coast has cliffs and slopes while there are large sand bays and a tidal rocky point to the north-west. The several substantial freshwater ponds are important waterfowl sites. Though the island has been a sheep farm for more than a century, excellent management has preserved its varied habitat and mature tussac grows in replanted coastal paddocks. There are also stretches of duneland. Leopard Beach is often used as a landing point.

Wildlife and gardens

The island has no rats or cats, and as a result has a wide variety of birdlife including Black-crowned Night Herons, known in the Falkland Islands as "quarks", as well as seals and penguins. Tussock grass also grows here.

The island contains one of the few substantial stands of trees in the Falklands. There is however, a true wood at Hill Cove. None of the species are endemic, but they include such exoticisms as Monterey cypress trees, and New Zealand cabbage palms. The night herons nest within these trees. The gardens also include other introduced plants such as fuchsias, lupins, and dog roses.

The West Point Island group, which includes Carcass Island, has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA). Birds for which the site is of conservation significance include Falkland Steamer Ducks, Ruddy-headed Geese, Gentoo Penguins, Southern Rockhopper Penguins, Magellanic Penguins, Black-browed Albatrosses, Striated Caracaras, Blackish Cinclodes, Cobb's Wrens and White-bridled Finches.

References

• Stonehouse, B (ed.) Encyclopedia of Antarctica and the Southern Oceans (2002, ISBN 0-471-98665-8)

1. ^ PART II: Falkland Islands Important Bird Areas. The source uses metric units.
2. Bicheno, Hugh (2006) Razor's Edge: The Unofficial History of the Falklands War. London. Weidenfield & Nicholson. ISBN 978-0-7538-2186-2
3. "Falkland Islands Information Web Portal". Buildings and Structures in the Falkland Islands designated as being of Architectural or Historic Interest. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
4. Wigglesworth, Angela. (1992) Falkland People. Pub. Peter Owen. ISBN 0-7206-0850-3
5. "West Point Island Group". Important Bird Areas factsheet. BirdLife International. 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-20.

External links

• Carcass Island
• http://www.ladatco.com/fk-crs.htm
• Wildlife shots of Carcass island
• Carcass Island of the Falkland Islands

• Islands of the Falkland Islands
• Important Bird Areas of the Falkland Islands
• Seabird colonies