Weddell Island
Encyclopedia
Weddell Island is the third largest of the Falkland Islands
. Weddell Island is located to the west of West Falkland
and is 265.8 square kilometres (102.6 sq mi) square miles (265.8 km2) in area. The length of the coastline is 175.7 kilometres (109.2 mi) miles (175.7 km). Until the late 19th century, it was known as Swan Island, a name which is not to be confused with the Swan Islands
on the other side of West Falkland
.
, an English navigator and explorer who visited the Falklands in the early 19th century. He was well known for his voyages to the Antarctic
, and the Weddell Sea
and Weddell Seal
are also named after him.
The small population of the island lives in Weddell Settlement on the east coast, the remainder of the island being run as a sheep farm.
s, sealions and dolphin
s. Exotic wildlife, including skunk
s, rhea
s, parrot
s and guanacos were introduced in the 1930s, along with Patagonian fox
es (not to be confused with the extinct warrah), which can still be found.
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...
. Weddell Island is located to the west of West Falkland
West Falkland
West Falkland is the second largest of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. It is a hilly island, separated from East Falkland by Falkland Sound. Its area is and its coastline is long. Including the adjacent small islands the land area is .-Population:The island has fewer than 200...
and is 265.8 square kilometres (102.6 sq mi) square miles (265.8 km2) in area. The length of the coastline is 175.7 kilometres (109.2 mi) miles (175.7 km). Until the late 19th century, it was known as Swan Island, a name which is not to be confused with the Swan Islands
Swan Islands, Falkland Islands
The Swan Islands are a small group of islands in the middle of Falkland Sound in the Falkland Islands.-Geography and wildlife:The islands are low-lying, and mainly covered in tussac grass, with the birdlife common to most of the Falkland Islands....
on the other side of West Falkland
West Falkland
West Falkland is the second largest of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. It is a hilly island, separated from East Falkland by Falkland Sound. Its area is and its coastline is long. Including the adjacent small islands the land area is .-Population:The island has fewer than 200...
.
History and population
The name Weddell Island comes from James WeddellJames Weddell
James Weddell was a British sailor, navigator and seal hunter who in the early Spring of 1823 sailed to latitude of 74°15' S and into a region of the Southern Ocean that later became known as the Weddell Sea.-Early life:He entered the merchant service very...
, an English navigator and explorer who visited the Falklands in the early 19th century. He was well known for his voyages to the Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
, and the Weddell Sea
Weddell Sea
The Weddell Sea is part of the Southern Ocean and contains the Weddell Gyre. Its land boundaries are defined by the bay formed from the coasts of Coats Land and the Antarctic Peninsula. The easternmost point is Cape Norvegia at Princess Martha Coast, Queen Maud Land. To the east of Cape Norvegia is...
and Weddell Seal
Weddell Seal
The Weddell seal , is a relatively large and abundant true seal with a circumpolar distribution surrounding Antarctica. Weddell seals have the most southerly distribution of any mammal, with a habitat that extends as far south as McMurdo Sound...
are also named after him.
The small population of the island lives in Weddell Settlement on the east coast, the remainder of the island being run as a sheep farm.
Wildlife
Like many of the Falkland Islands, Weddell Island is known for its wildlife, including penguinPenguin
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, sealions and dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
s. Exotic wildlife, including skunk
Skunk
Skunks are mammals best known for their ability to secrete a liquid with a strong, foul odor. General appearance varies from species to species, from black-and-white to brown or cream colored. Skunks belong to the family Mephitidae and to the order Carnivora...
s, rhea
Rhea (bird)
The rheas are ratites in the genus Rhea, native to South America. There are two existing species: the Greater or American Rhea and the Lesser or Darwin's Rhea. The genus name was given in 1752 by Paul Möhring and adopted as the English common name. Möhring's reason for choosing this name, from the...
s, parrot
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
s and guanacos were introduced in the 1930s, along with Patagonian fox
Patagonian Fox
Patagonian Fox may refer to:*Culpeo*Argentine Grey Fox...
es (not to be confused with the extinct warrah), which can still be found.