Eagle Island (EAGL)
63˚40’S, 57˚29’W Magnetic Declination: 11.6˚ E Inventory subarea: SO Inventory acronym: EAGL Site Sensitivity: LOW Location — History — Features An island that is 5 miles long and 4 miles wide, rising to 560 meters on the NE side. It is the largest island in an archipelago that lies between Trinity Peninsula and Vega Island, and was probably seen for the first time by J. Gunnar andersson of the 1901-04 Swedish Antarctic Expedition. It is named after a ship used by the Falkland Islands Dependency Survey. Landing Characteristics The landing beach on the E side is a cobble and shingle beach intermixed with sand. Many granitic boulders lie on site. The first shelf above the beach is covered with Caloplaca spp., with Usnea spp. at higher elevations. Above ther beach are mesa formations of tuff, similar to the geology at Brown Bluff. Volcanic bombs are present in the tuff. The beach has many mummified seals and this appears to be a major tidal feeding area for kelp gulls, skuas, and Antarctic terns. The birds were observed feeding on krill, sea stars, urchins, amphipods, and limpets. Antarctic Site Inventory Effort Visits by Antarctic Site Inventory researchers, 1994-2003: 1. December 31, 2002 RP Endeavour Assessment and monitoring . Preliminary surveying. No aerial photodocumentation. Fauna — Flora — Censuses Penguins & flying birds . No breeding observed. Gentoo penguin, kelp gulls, skua spp., and Antarctic terns observed. Seals . None noted. Flora . Prasiola crispa , Xanthoria spp., Caloplaca spp., and Usnea spp. observed. Conservation Aspects Site sensitivities . None noted. Visitation Aspects Numbers of tourist zodiac landings and participating visitors, 1989-2003:
Proximate visitor sites . Camp Hill, Crystal Hill, Bald Head, Jade Point, Devil Island, and False Island Point on Vega Island. |
