Orne Islands (ORNE)
64˚40’S, 62˚40’W Magnetic declination: 15.5˚E Inventory subarea: NW Inventory acronym: ORNE Site Sensitivity: MODERATE Location — History — Features A group of small islands lying close to Rongé Island, off the W coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. They were roughly surveyed in 1898 by Gerlache’s Belgian Antarctic expedition. The name Orne apparently was used by Norwegian whalers, and then subsequently by the Scottish geologist David Ferguson, who worked this area in 1913. The largest island is where visits take place. It forms a rocky dome up to 75 meters high at its summit, with moderate slopes from the shoreline to a long summit ridge of mainly bare rock. The NW side of the island has a steep snow face. The surface may be largely covered with deep snow through late December. The rocky surface on the NE tip of the island slopes moderately steeply upward to one of many colonies of nesting chinstrap penguins. The areas occupied by chinstrap penguins consist of a cryoturbated (i.e. broken and churned by freezing and thawing) rock covered with thin, angular plates of rock and some pebbly material. These areas are coated with abundant guano. This landing site had no beach, with bare rock extending directly down into the water. Rocks exposed along the S end of the island are glacially smoothed and polished, but the upper slopes, where the chinstraps and shags nest are cryoturbated, with thin, angular fragments littering the ground. Some zones of flat-pebbly-looking materials in upper zones look almost like beach materials. They could represent a high-level raised beach. Landing Characteristics Uncharted water near shore. Hazardous rocks along the shoreline may be exposed, depending on the tide. Landings on slippery cobble at N end of the largest in a small group of islands, which extends for one mile N to S, with slopes rising moderately to a domed summit. Snow cover may be extensive and hiking difficult. Crevassed snowfields and cliff edges on NW and S ends. Snow cornices on the shoreline are unstable and treacherous. Antarctic Site Inventory Effort Visits by Antarctic Site Inventory researchers, 1994-2003: 1. December 16, 1994 RN BH Explorer 2. January 13, 1995 RN RD Livonia 3. January 24, 1995 RN RD Explorer 4. November 27, 1995 RN LB Explorer 5. January 25, 1996 RD RP Livonia 6. December 4, 1996 RN SF W. Discoverer 7. December 4, 1997 RN Explorer 8. November 27, 1998 RN SF Explorer 9. December 6, 1998 RN SF Explorer 10. November 27, 1999 LB BP Cal Star 11. December 16, 1999 RN Cal Star 12. January 21, 2000 RD Explorer 13. January 23, 2000 RN Shuleykin 14. December 14, 2000 RN Cal Star 15. January 23, 2001 RN RD Cal Star 16. December 24, 2001 JC LGC Endeavour 17. January 27, 2002 RD LS Endeavour 18. February 7, 2002 MM Endeavour 19. February 15, 2002 RN Endeavour 20. December 9, 2002 RN Endeavour 21. February 14, 2003 MB Endeavour Assessment and monitoring. Surveyed, mapped, and photodocumented (terrestrial).Regular, site-wide censusing of chinstrap penguins and, on the S end, the cliff edges where blue-eyed shags formerly bred. More thorough ground-survey of floral communities needed. Fauna — Flora — Censuses Penguins & flying birds . Chinstrap penguins, and south polar and hybrid skuas are confirmed breeders. Blue-eyed shags last bred in December 1998. Snowy sheathbills have been found in a sea cave on this site, and are strongly suspected of breeding. Southern giant petrels have been observed resting on site, but no nests have been discovered. Recent chinstrap penguin census data reported in Woehler (1993) and Woehler & Croxall (1996): 420 N1, 1994, a decrease from the 1987 estimate of 860 pairs, but slightly greater the 1985 estimate of 340 pairs. Antarctic Site Inventory censuses : Chinstrap penguin 342 N1 1996 Dec 370 N1 1998 Nov 361 N1 1998 Dec 421 N1 1999 Nov 332 N1 1999 Dec 484 C1 2000 Jan 396 N1 2000 Dec 631 C1 2001 Jan 338 N1 2002 Dec 471 C1 2003 Feb Blue-eyed shag 15 N1 1994 Dec 9 N1 1995 Nov 5 N1 1996 Dec 3 N1 1997 Dec 1 N1 1998 Nov 1 N1 1998 Dec 0 N1 1999 Dec 0 N1 2000 Dec 0 N1 2000 Jan 0 N1 2002 Dec Seals . Weddell and crabeater seals have hauled-out on either the island where visits occur or on edges of the smaller islets W of LANDSEND. Antarctic fur seals have been found in snow fields below and S of chinstrap penguin colonies 8a-d. Flora . Extensive snow covers the island, often into late summer, and snow algae is evident. Xanthoria , spp. and other crustose lichens noted on exposed rocks at higher reaches, with some patches of moss, spp. and Prasiola crispa . Conservation Aspects Site sensitivities. Chinstrap penguins nest in widely scattered, small colonies on W side, the first located just uphill from the N landing beach; they 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. Blue-eyed shags formerly nested on ridges at the S end, which are not easy to access; last recorded nesting in 1998. Skuas nest on widely scattered territories at the highest elevations and are easily approached and disturbed, particularly, later in the season (from mid-January) when adults are fiercely protecting young. Pointers for avoiding disruptions.
Visitation Aspects Numbers of tourist zodiac landings and participating visitors, 1989-2003:
Proximate visitor sites . Cuverville Island lies due E, and Georges Point, Rongé Island, a very short distance S. |
