Bleaker Island
Encyclopedia
Bleaker Island is one of the Falkland Islands
, lying off south east Lafonia
(the southern peninsula of East Falkland
). The name is a corruption of "Breaker Island" due to the waves that break on it. It was also known as "Long Island" at one point.
by a thin stretch of water named 'The Jump'. It has an area of 8 square miles (2,070 ha) and is 12 miles (19 km) long. The island is no wider than 1.6 miles (2.5 km) at any point and tapers to several thin necks of land at various points down its length. The highest point is Semaphore Hill, at 27 metres (88.6 ft). The western shores of Bleaker Island are low-lying and fringed by shallow stone beaches. The east coast of the island is characterised by low cliffs, interspersed with sand and pebble beaches and gultches and is directly exposed to the Atlantic Ocean. The Island has several large ponds and the most impressive beach is the 1.2 mile (2 km) 'Sandy Bay'.
The low aspect of the Island resulted in many ship-wrecks off the Island in the 19th and 20th centuries. There were five ship-wrecks on Bleaker Island in the first quarter of the 20th century. The most famous of these was the French tall ship 'Cassard' wrecked on the southern tip of the Island carrying a cargo of coal in May 1906.
The Island has been run as an organic
sheep and cattle farm
by Mike and Phyll Rendell (absentee landlords) since 1999, and has the small Bleaker Island Settlement located on an isthmus
in the centre of its length. They built a self-catering cottage, "Cobb's Cottage", and a house there in 2000 called "The Outlook", and employ a farming couple who live there.
The island is home to a wide variety of wildlife. A recent survey identified 49 bird species on the island, 37 of which were confirmed as breeding on site. Breeding species include Rockhopper
, Magellanic
and Gentoo
penguin
s, King and Rock Cormorant
s, many small bird species and several birds of prey, including Striated
and Southern
Caracara
s. The island is also a regular host to sea lion
s with some visiting Southern Elephant Seal
s.
A total of 79 species of flowering plant have been identified on Bleaker Island. Flora includes the yellow and dog orchid, and lady's slipper
. A stretch of several kilometres of the east coast is vegetated by stands of tussac grass.
Norway rats were accidentally introduced to the island in the 1980s. They have now spread throughout the island and onto First, Second and Third Islands. Overgrazing was a problem but reduced grazing pressure is helping the slow regeneration of tussac and native flowering plants
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
, lying off south east Lafonia
Lafonia
Lafonia is a peninsula forming the southern part of East Falkland, the largest of the Falkland Islands.-Geography and geology:Shaped like the letter "E", it is joined to the northern part of the island by a 1.5-mile narrow isthmus; were this isthmus to be severed, Lafonia would be the third...
(the southern peninsula of East Falkland
East Falkland
East Falkland the largest of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, has an area of and a coastline long. Most of the population of the Falklands live in East Falkland, almost all of them living in the northern half of the island...
). The name is a corruption of "Breaker Island" due to the waves that break on it. It was also known as "Long Island" at one point.
Geography
Bleaker Island is long, narrow and low-lying and the southern tip of the Island is separated from LafoniaLafonia
Lafonia is a peninsula forming the southern part of East Falkland, the largest of the Falkland Islands.-Geography and geology:Shaped like the letter "E", it is joined to the northern part of the island by a 1.5-mile narrow isthmus; were this isthmus to be severed, Lafonia would be the third...
by a thin stretch of water named 'The Jump'. It has an area of 8 square miles (2,070 ha) and is 12 miles (19 km) long. The island is no wider than 1.6 miles (2.5 km) at any point and tapers to several thin necks of land at various points down its length. The highest point is Semaphore Hill, at 27 metres (88.6 ft). The western shores of Bleaker Island are low-lying and fringed by shallow stone beaches. The east coast of the island is characterised by low cliffs, interspersed with sand and pebble beaches and gultches and is directly exposed to the Atlantic Ocean. The Island has several large ponds and the most impressive beach is the 1.2 mile (2 km) 'Sandy Bay'.
History
Bleaker Island has been a sheep farm for over a hundred years. The island was managed by Arthur Cobb, a locally well-known agriculturalist and amateur naturalist, in the early 20th century who wrote a book on the subject, containing forty six of his own black and white photographs.The low aspect of the Island resulted in many ship-wrecks off the Island in the 19th and 20th centuries. There were five ship-wrecks on Bleaker Island in the first quarter of the 20th century. The most famous of these was the French tall ship 'Cassard' wrecked on the southern tip of the Island carrying a cargo of coal in May 1906.
The Island has been run as an organic
Organic food
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
sheep and cattle farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
by Mike and Phyll Rendell (absentee landlords) since 1999, and has the small Bleaker Island Settlement located on an isthmus
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
in the centre of its length. They built a self-catering cottage, "Cobb's Cottage", and a house there in 2000 called "The Outlook", and employ a farming couple who live there.
Wildlife
The northern half of Bleaker Island is a National Nature Reserve - being designated in 1967.The island is home to a wide variety of wildlife. A recent survey identified 49 bird species on the island, 37 of which were confirmed as breeding on site. Breeding species include Rockhopper
Rockhopper penguin
The rockhopper penguins are three closely related taxa of crested penguins that have been traditionally treated as a single species and are sometimes split into two or three species. Not all experts agree on the classification of these penguins...
, Magellanic
Magellanic Penguin
The Magellanic Penguin, Spheniscus magellanicus, is a South American penguin, breeding in coastal Argentina, Chile and the Falkland Islands, with some migrating to Brazil where they are occasionally seen as far north as Rio de Janeiro. It is the most numerous of the Spheniscus penguins. Its nearest...
and Gentoo
Gentoo penguin
The Gentoo Penguin , Pygoscelis papua, is easily recognized by the wide white stripe extending like a bonnet across the top of its head and its bright orange-red bill. The gentoo penguin has pale whitish-pink webbed feet and a fairly long tail - the most prominent tail of all penguins. Chicks have...
penguin
Penguin
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers...
s, King and Rock Cormorant
Cormorant
The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
s, many small bird species and several birds of prey, including Striated
Striated Caracara
The Striated Caracara, is a bird of prey of the Falconidae family. In the Falkland Islands it is known as the Johnny Rook.-Description:...
and Southern
Southern Caracara
The Southern Crested Caracara , also known as the Southern Caracara, is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It formerly included the Northern Caracara of the southern United States, Mexico, Central America and northern South America, and the extinct Guadalupe Caracara as subspecies...
Caracara
Caracara
Caracaras are birds of prey in the family Falconidae. They are traditionally placed in the subfamily Polyborinae, but are sometimes considered part of their own subfamily, Caracarinae, or members of the true falcon subfamily, Falconinae...
s. The island is also a regular host to sea lion
Sea Lion
Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear-flaps, long fore-flippers, the ability to walk on all fours, and short thick hair. Together with the fur seal, they comprise the family Otariidae, or eared seals. There are six extant and one extinct species in five genera...
s with some visiting Southern Elephant Seal
Southern Elephant Seal
The Southern Elephant Seal is one of the two extant species of elephant seal. It is both the most massive pinniped and member of the order Carnivora living today...
s.
A total of 79 species of flowering plant have been identified on Bleaker Island. Flora includes the yellow and dog orchid, and lady's slipper
Lady's Slipper
Lady's slipper orchids, lady slipper orchids or slipper orchids are the orchids in the subfamily Cypripedioidea, which includes the genera Cypripedium, Mexipedium, Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedium and Selenipedium...
. A stretch of several kilometres of the east coast is vegetated by stands of tussac grass.
Norway rats were accidentally introduced to the island in the 1980s. They have now spread throughout the island and onto First, Second and Third Islands. Overgrazing was a problem but reduced grazing pressure is helping the slow regeneration of tussac and native flowering plants