Orcadas Station Vicinity (ORCA)
60˚45’S, 44˚43’W Magnetic declination: 2.1˚E Inventory subarea: SO Inventory acronym: ORCA Site Sensitivity: LOW Location — History — Features The South Orkneys are a group of two larger and several smaller mountainous, barren islands lying NE of the Antarctic Peninsula between 60˚20’S and 60˚50’S, and 44˚20’W and 46˚45’W. They were discovered in 1821 on a joint sealing expedition by British Captain George Powell and American Captain Nathaniel Palmer. Orcadas Station is the Argentine Research Station in the South Orkneys. The station is located on a gravel bar of cobbles and pebbles that connects the high peaks on the E end of Laurie Island. Uruguay Bay is to the N, Scotia Bay to the S. Scree slopes are developed along the base of the cliffs around Scotia Bay and at both ends of the gravel bar where the station is located. E of the station a large glacier comes down to the shore and calves into Scotia Bay. Another large glacier comes to the shore of Uruguay Bay W of the station. Landing Characteristics Visitors may reach Orcadas by zodiac, with advance permission required, as with all station visits, under the terms of the Antarctic Treaty. Visitors are prohibited from landing at Port Martin, where large Adélie and chinstrap penguin colonies are being studied. Punta Cormorán, located between the base and Port Martin has an Adélie penguin colony and visitors may land here with advance permission from base personnel. Antarctic Site Inventory Effort Visits by Antarctic Site Inventory researchers, 1994-2003: 1. December 13, 1995 LB Explorer Assessment and monitoring. Preliminary surveying and censusing have been completed, but this site has not been regularly visited by Inventory researchers. Additional characterization needs include: designation of regular censuses colonies and photodocumentation. Argentine researchers stationed year-round at Orcadas are involved in censusing penguin and flying bird populations in the vicinity, especially at Port Martin (Puerto Martín), located at 60˚46’S 44˚42’W, where visitor landings are prohibited. Fauna — Flora — Censuses Penguins & flying birds. Pintado petrels observed nesting on cliffs W of the base; station personnel indicate that southern giant petrels, snow petrels, black-bellied and Wilson’s storm-petrels, kelp gulls, Antarctic terns, and snowy sheathbills also breed in the vicinity. Station personnel are completing an outline map indicating sites of breeding colonies. Macaroni penguins also have been seen in the area, and a few gentoo penguin pairs have breed at Port Martin. Census data from Port Martin reported in Woehler & Croxall (1996): gentoo penguin, a “large” colony; and Adélie penguin, 26,038 N1/2, 1994, approximately a 10% increase from a 1983 census; and chinstrap penguin, 13,394 N1/2, 1994, an approximate 13% increase from 1983 (biologists on site also have commented on an apparent 40% displacement rate of Adélie penguin by chinstrap penguins during the 1995-96 season at Port Martin study plots). Seals. A single southern elephant seal was observed. Flora. Ground-survey of the flora in the vicinity of the base has not been conducted. Conservation Aspects Site sensitivities. None noted. Visitation Aspects Numbers of tourist zodiac landings and participating visitors, 1989-2003:
Proximate visitor sites. Laurie Island (Cape Dundas), Gosling Islands, Signy Island, Coronation Island (Gibbon Bay, Shingle Cove, Iceberg Bay). |
