Beauchêne Island
|
Beauchene Island Isla Beauchene |
|
|---|---|
| Island | |
 Seal hunters in rookery on Beauchene Island, 1833 |
|
| Coordinates: 52°53′11″S 59°12′13″W / 52.88639°S 59.20361°WCoordinates: 52°53′11″S 59°12′13″W / 52.88639°S 59.20361°W | |
| Country | Falkland Islands |
| Named for | named for Jacques Gouin de Beauchêne |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.72 km2 (0.66 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 70 m (230 ft) |
| Population (2001) | |
| • Total | 0 |
| • Density | 0.0/km2 (0.0/sq mi) |
| Time zone | FKST (UTC−3) |
| If shown, area and population ranks are for all islands and all inhabited islands in the Falklands respectively. | |
Beauchene Island is the southernmost of the Falkland Islands, lying about 54 kilometres (34 mi) south of Porpoise Point in Lafonia. It was discovered in 1701 by Jacques Gouin de Beauchêne in whose honour it was named.
Beauchene is the most isolated island of the Falkland archipelago. It is uninhabited, free of introduced predators and, because it is so remote, has been protected from disturbance. It is 172 hectares (430 acres) in area. The north of the island is covered in dense tussac grass with boulder beaches on the western coast and sloping up gently to about 30 metres (100 ft) in height. In the south of the island the land rises to around 70 metres (230 ft). There are higher cliffs on the eastern coast and the "southern quarter of the island is almost bare of vegetation."
The island has a natural anchorage on the east side of the island that can only be used in fair weather. There is no resident population and visitors require the permission of the Falkland Islands Executive Committee. A typical example was a request by Falklands Conservation to make three visits in October 2010, January 2011 and March 2011 for the purpose of taking a bird census. In their application, it was noted that nobody had set foot on the island since a visit by the Shallow Marine Survey Group (SMSG) in December 2009.
Anthony de la Roché may have sighted Beauchene Island as early as April 1675. However this is by no means certain: de la Roché had rounded Cape Horn and was blown off course. The island visited is usually said to be South Georgia, which fits his descriptions better, particularly of high ice-covered mountains and bays, in one of which he anchored for a fortnight (see the ), but supporters of Argentina's claim to South Georgia more often claim it was Beauchene.
A while after its official discovery in 1701 by Jacques Gouin de Beauchêne, seal trappers tried unsuccessfully to settle the island.
In 1834, the American McArthur landed 100 people on the island, driving the local sea lions to extinction (they have since returned).
...
Wikipedia