Aitcho Islands (AITC)
62˚24’S, 59˚47’W Magnetic declination: 13.5˚E Inventory subarea: SH Inventory acronym: AITC Site Sensitivity: HIGH Location — History — Features This group of small islands lies in the N entrance to English Strait, South Shetland Islands. Robert Island is to the E, Dee Island to the SW, and Greenwich Island beyond Dee to the S. Visitor activity has concentrated on the unnamed island (on British Admiralty and US charts) found NW of Cecilia Island. See accompanying nautical chart excerpt. The islands were charted and named in 1900 by the Discovery Investigations (1925-39) for the Admiralty Hydrographic Office (the “H.O.”). Shallow, offshore rocks impede zodiac maneuverability at low tide. The islands are windswept and do not afford a convenient leeward anchorage to visiting tour ships. Annual snow, which covers moss beds to the W of the landing site, may linger through January. Landing Characteristics Windswept location at the N entrance to English Strait, between Robert and Greenwich Islands, often shrouded in fog and mist, without a convenient leeward anchorage. Uncharted water near shore. Hazardous rocks along the shoreline may be exposed, depending on the tide. Visitor activity is on the unnamed island NW of Cecilia Island; reasonably protected visitor ingress and egress on the cobble and sand beach at the NE side of this unnamed island. Annual snow, which covers moss beds to the W of the landing site, may linger through January. “Whalebone Beach,” a favored haul-out area for seals, is reached by hiking SW of the landing beach. Antarctic Site Inventory Effort Visits by Antarctic Site Inventory researchers, 1994-2003: 1. November 17, 1995 BH W. Discoverer 2. November 29, 1995 BH W. Discoverer 3. December 1, 1995 RN LB Explorer 4. December 11, 1995 BH SF W. Discoverer 5. February 2, 1996 RD RP Livonia 6. February 9, 1996 RD RP Livonia 7. February 17, 1997 RN Explorer 8. November 25, 1997 RN SF W. Discoverer 9. January 18, 1999 RN Endurance 10. January 24, 1999 RN RD ST Vavilov 11. December 13, 1999 RN Cal Star 12. January 9, 2000 SF Cal Star 13. December 15, 2000 RN Cal Star 14. December 24, 2000 SF Cal Star 15. January 22, 2001 RN Cal Star 16. December 12, 2001 RN SF CE Endeavour 17. December 20, 2001 JC LGC Endeavour 18. December 30, 2001 RP Endeavour 19. January 11, 2002 RP WT Endeavour 20. January 22, 2002 RD LS Endeavour 21. February 2, 2002 MM Endeavour 22. December 8, 2002 RN Endeavour 23. December 29, 2002 RP Endeavour 24. January 8, 2003 SF Endeavour 25. January 19, 2003 RD Endeavour 26. January 30, 2003 MM Endeavour Assessment and monitoring. Surveyed, mapped, and photodocumented (aerial and terrestrial). Regular censusing of staked gentoo and chinstrap penguin groups near the regular landing beach, and of southern giant petrels, site-wide. Staked chinstrap penguin control groups located high above the regular landing beach appear to have considerable integrity in terms of visitor absence. Abandoned southern giant petrel nests on the island’s N ridge suggest an opportunity for paleoecological research. More thorough censusing of nesting kelp gulls and skuas needed. More thorough ground survey of floral communities needed. Censusing of chinstrap penguin groups at SE end of the island needed. Because of extensive, easily accessed moss beds, a degradation study seems appropriate and necessary. Fauna — Flora — Censuses Penguins & flying birds . Gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins, and southern giant petrels are confirmed breeders. Blue-eyed shags, skuas, spp., and Wilson’s storm-petrel also have been noted on site, but breeding was not confirmed during Inventory visits. Recent historic gentoo census reported in Woehler (1993): 314 N3, Jan 1966). With respect to chinstrap penguins, Woehler (1993) lists four colonies at the Aitcho Islands, including Jorge Island, which comprise a “medium” sized breeding population (1,000-7,499 pairs). There is a listing of 3,500 nesting pairs (N4, from Jan 1966) at nearby Cecilia Island. However, this Cecilia Island count should be ascribed to the island located NW of Cecilia Island, which is officially unnamed on US and British Admiralty nautical charts. This unnamed island is where visitor zodiac landings occur in the Aitcho Islands group, and where Inventory censuses have been conducted. The Cecilia Island data derive from 1966 British Antarctic Survey data referenced in Croxall & Kirkwood (1979), which, based on site maps in Croxall & Kirkwood (1979), should be ascribed to the unnamed island where landings takes place, not Cecilia Island. While the total chinstrap population is listed as 3,500 nests, a note to this specific entry indicates there were two distinct chinstrap colonies, of 1,500 and 2,500 nests. Antarctic Site Inventory censuses: Chinstrap penguin (southern end of the island only, near the regular landing beach; but not including nesting groups on rocky, N coast, which have not been censused) 4,608 N2 1997 Nov 1,764 N1 2001 Dec Gentoo penguins (S and SE end of the island) 1,177 N1 1999 Dec 787 C1 2002 Feb Seals . Weddell and southern elephant seals regularly haul-out on WHALEBONE beach, and there are southern elephant seal wallows at the W end of the island on which landings occur. Flora . Prasiola crispa is widespread. Extensive cushion moss, spp. beds are found W and N of WHALEBONE beach, and cover extensive areas toward the W part of the island. On N ridge, where active and abandoned southern giant petrel nests may be found, boot prints in the moss have been colonized by Prasiola . Snow algae noted in the early season snow cover. Xanthoria , spp., Caloplaca , spp. and other crustose lichens observed and photodocumented. Conservation Aspects Site sensitivities. Chinstrap and gentoo penguins nesting in widely spaced colonies above, S, and W of the landing beach are easily approached and disturbed, especially in November and early December when adults will be incubating eggs; subsequently, adults will be guarding and provisioning chicks at the nest, then in crèche. Scientific control groups of chinstrap penguins on high bluff S-SW of the landing beach. Hauled-out seals, including wallowing southern elephant seals on the far W end, are easily approached and disturbed. Southern giant petrels nesting on ridges and along the N coast are easily approached and disturbed; many unoccupied nests are evident; in November and early December they will be incubating eggs. Skuas nesting on widely scattered territories are easily approached and disturbed, particularly, later in the season (from mid-January) when adults are fiercely protecting young. Between the landing beach and the western end of the island, there are wide and extensive swards of lichens and mosses, which may be easily trampled. Pointers for avoiding disruptions .
Visitation Aspects Numbers of tourist zodiac landings and participating visitors, 1989-2003:
Proximate visitor sites . Robert Point and Mitchell Cove, Robert Island, and Yankee Harbor on Greenwich Island. |
