Petermann Island (PETE)
65˚10’S, 64˚10’W Magnetic declination: 17.0˚E Inventory subarea: SW Inventory acronym: PETE
Location — History — Features A one-mile long island lying one mile SW of Hovgaard Island in the Wilhelm Archipelago, S of Lemaire Channel. The island is named for the German geographer August Petermann, and was first discovered by a German expedition in 1873-74. It was at a cove on the SW side of the island where the French explorer, Jean-Baptiste Charcot, and his vessel, Pourquoi Pas?, overwintered in 1909. Charcot named this cove Port Circumcision, for the holy day on which it was discovered. Petermann is a snow-covered, domed island that rises moderately steeply to a rocky summit, 150-200 meters above sea level. It has a rocky coastline indented by many small bays. There are abundant and nearly continuous rocky outcrops along the shore, near the abandoned Argentine research hut at Port Circumcision, on several ridges, and on the summit. Rookeries of Adélie penguins, gentoo penguins, and blue-eyed shags are on nearly soil-free bedrock, but a substantial layer of guano and other organic material is accumulating. Early season snow cover, through mid-December, may be extensive. The water level is directly against bedrock along the coast, without any significant beach deposits. Some of the penguin-colony areas with substantial numbers of pebbles may represent older raised beaches. These are many basaltic dikes along the shoreline. Above the Point Circumcision hut, and on the small summit with the Charcot monument/cairn, the rock is more granitic in composition. Rock surfaces show glacial polish and some glacial grooving. There are many protected bays and inlets in the vicinity, and visiting yachts are often encountered. On Megalestris Hill there is a cairn with a plaque erected in 1909 by the second French Antarctic Expedition, led by Capt. Jean-Baptiste Charcot. The British Antarctic Survey restored the plaque in 1958. The plaque is officially designated as an Antarctic Historic Site and Monument. There is an abandoned Argentine hut at Point Circumcision and memorial crosses on surrounding hills for British Antarctic Survey personnel who have perished on or near this site. Landing Characteristics No anchorage possible in Penola Strait and a strong offshore current. Landing along cobble shoreline near Port Circumcision, on the SE side facing Penola Strait, in the vicinity of a refugio surrounded by nesting gentoo penguins. Visitor space around the refugio is restricted because of snow cover early (perhaps, into January), mud and snow melt later. Rocky coastline indented by many small bays and basaltic dikes, with sea water flowing directly over the bedrock, often packed with ice and snow covered. Adélie penguins and blue-eyed shags nest on ridges and dikes at the far NE end, where visitor space is restricted by topography, snow cover early (perhaps, into January), mud and snow melt later. Snow cover between the refugio and the NE end, and further inland and uphill, may be extensive; in deep snow, hiking is very difficult. Glacier and crevassed snow slopes inland, W-NW of Port Circumcision. Snow cornices on the shoreline are unstable and treacherous. Antarctic Site Inventory Effort Visits by Antarctic Site Inventory researchers, 1994-2003: 1. December 7, 1994 RN Alla Tarasova 2. December 11, 1994 RN BH Livonia 3. December 15, 1994 RN BH ST Explorer 4. January 26, 1995 RN Explorer 5. November 20, 1995 RN LB Explorer 6. November 28, 1995 RN LB Explorer 7. December 3, 1995 BH W. Discoverer 8. December 14, 1995 BH W. Discoverer 9. December 16, 1995 LB Explorer 10. January 23, 1996 RD RP Livonia 11. February 4, 1996 RN RD RP BH Livonia 12. December 5, 1996 RN SF W. Discoverer 13. January 9, 1997 LB Hanseatic 14. January 29, 1997 LB Hanseatic 15. February 8, 1997 LB Hanseatic 16. February 16, 1997 LB Hanseatic 17. November 23, 1997 RN SF W. Discoverer 18. January 22, 1999 RN RD ST Vavilov 19. December 16, 1999 RN Cal Star 20. January 20, 2000 RD Explorer 21. January 24, 2000 RN Shuleykin 22. December 13, 2000 RN Cal Star 23. January 13, 2001 SF Cal Star 24. January 14, 2001 SF Cal Star 25. February 16, 2002 RN Endeavour 26. December 10, 2002 RN Endeavour 27. January 23, 2003 RD Endeavour 28. February 3, 2003 MM Endeavour 29. February 13, 2003 MB Endeavour Assessment and monitoring Surveyed, mapped, censused, and photodocumented (terrestrial). Aerial phodocumentation needs to be repeated. More thorough ground-survey of floral communities needed. Regular, site-wide censusing of gentoo penguins, Adélie penguins, and blue-eyed shags. Prospective Adélie penguin control colonies are in different locations and appear to have much integrity in terms of visitor absence. Fauna — Flora — Censuses Penguins & flying birds . Adélie and gentoo penguins, blue-eyed shags, Wilson’s storm-petrel, and south polar skuas are confirmed breeders. Apparently hybrid south polar-Antarctic brown skuas have been observed, but hybrid, nesting pairs have not been noted. Census data reported in Woehler (1993) and Croxall & Kirkwood (1979): Adélie penguin, 1,080 N3, 1988 penguin, 1,540 N1, 1971; and gentoo penguin, 755 N2, 1988. Petermann Island appears to represent the southernmost breeding population of gentoo penguin. Antarctic Site Inventory censuses: Gentoo penguin 1,224 N1 1997 Dec Adélie penguin 862 N1 1997 Nov 1,135 C1 1999 Jan 926 N1 2001 Jan 485 N1 2002 Dec 661 C1 2003 Jan Blue-eyed shag 34 N1 1994 Dec 27 N1 1995 Nov 33 N1 1995 Dec 29 N1 1996 Dec 29 N1 1997 Jan 29 N1 1997 Nov 30 N1 1997 Dec 67 C1 1995 Jan 50 C1 1996 Jan 57 C1 1999 Jan 46 C1 2000 Jan 23 N1 2000 Dec 21 C1 2001 Jan 28 N1 2002 Dec 49 C1 2003 Jan 44 C1 2003 Feb Seals . None noted. Flora . Snow algae is extensive. As the snow cover erodes, patches of Deschampsia , Prasiola crispa , Xanthoria , spp., Caloplaca , spp., other crustose lichens, spp., and cushion moss, spp. may be found. Conservation Aspects Site sensitivities. Gentoo penguins nesting around the refugio and in scattered colonies on inland slopes and ridges 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. Visitor space around the refugio is restricted because of snow cover early (perhaps, into January), mud and snow melt later. Adélie penguins nesting on edges of the far NE tip are not easily approached, but are easily 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 nesting on edges of the far NE tip are not easily approached, but are easily disturbed; in November and early December adults will be incubating eggs and, subsequently, guarding and provisioning chicks. Visitor space at the far NE tip is restricted by topography, snow cover early (perhaps, into January), mud and snow melt later. Adélie penguins nesting on high ground at the N end 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. South polar skuas nesting on scattered territories on high ground at the N end are easily approached and disturbed, particularly, later in the season (from mid-January) when adults are fiercely protecting young. If snow cover recedes, moss and lichen are exposed and readily accessed, and easily may be trampled. Pointers for avoiding disruptions.
Visitation Aspects Numbers of tourist zodiac landings and participating visitors, 1989-2003:
Proximate visitor sites . Pléneau Island, Booth Island, and Yalour Islands. |
