Carcass Island
|
Carcass Island Isla del Rosario |
|
|---|---|
| Island | |
 |
|
 Carcass Island
|
|
| Coordinates: 51°16′50″S 60°33′45″W / 51.28056°S 60.56250°WCoordinates: 51°16′50″S 60°33′45″W / 51.28056°S 60.56250°W | |
| Country | Falkland Islands |
| Named for | English: "Carcass" after ship Spanish: Island of the Rosary |
| Main settlement | Port Patterson |
| Area | |
| • Total | 18.94 km2 (7.31 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation (Mount Byng) |
220 m (720 ft) |
| Time zone | FKST (UTC−3) |
| If shown, area and population ranks are for all islands and all inhabited islands in the Falklands respectively. | |
Carcass Island (Spanish: Isla del Rosario) is the largest of the West Point Island Group of the Falkland Islands.
It lies north-west of West Falkland and south-east of the Jason Islands. It is 10 km (6.2 mi) in length, has a maximum width of 2.5 km (1.6 mi), and is 19 km2 (7.3 sq mi) in area. The highest points of the island are Stanley Hill and Mount Byng at 220 m (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. There are also stretches of duneland. Leopard Beach is often used as a landing point.
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 owned by R. P. McGill. The island's three heritage-listed buildings are a boathouse, shed, and store. 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.
...
Wikipedia