STEEPLE JASON IS. is the northwesternmost island of the Falkland Islands, transliterated as Skipr Jason Island, named after the steeple-like peaks in the middle of the island. The island once belonged to a philanthropist, Michael Steinhardt, who later donated to the Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo. In 2003, a wildlife observatory was built on the island.
Schematic map of the location of The Spire Jason Island
It is famous for gathering about 40% of the world's black-browed albatrosses, about 400,000 of them, and every year from September to November, the black-browed albatrosses will fly here, reunite husband and wife, repair their nests from previous years, lay eggs and hatch, and breed offspring.
I came here twice in 2007 and 2009, both by boat to the South Pole, but as far as I know, only the Antarctic route to South Georgia is closer to the island, but very few boats come to the island because the round trip takes two days. I came here in 2007 on a Canadian GAP expedition ship, but a few days later, the ship sank near the Antarctic Peninsula, and my pictures and diaries sank to the bottom of the sea with the ship; In 2009, due to the delay in the ship of "QUARK" to SNOWHILL IS. and South Georgia, I was fortunate to come to this island as compensation.
The boat stopped a few kilometres from the island, and the rubber boat took us to shore, and everything seemed unremarkable except for the observation post not far away.
The black-browed albatross colony was more than 2 kilometers from where we landed, with the boat's guide leading the way in front, and we followed. Near the shore there are some mossy plants, and you can also see wild geese, beautiful birds, golden penguins and a few black-browed albatrosses on the side of the road.
The coast in the distance was black rocks, huge waves lapping at the shore, and there were many albatrosses flying in the sky, and I could see the white dots of the sea in the distance, after all, I had been here, and I knew it was a group of albatrosses.
After walking about 500 meters, it was close to the grass, the weeds were nearly one person high, and it was very difficult to walk inside, plus wearing the waterproof rubber boots on the boat did not fit very well, and the two-kilometer road was enough for an hour and a half.
Seeing that most people in front of me had stopped, I pulled open the weeds and walked more than 50 meters to the shore, and finally came to the distance of a meter in front of the albatross, and the rows of neat mounds were covered with white albatrosses, covering the ground, extending to the shore and extending to the farthest point of sight on both sides, I believe that whoever saw this huge and spectacular biological group would be amazed and excited, and it was not an exaggeration to say that this scene was a wonder of the world.
The albatross kept chirping, very loud, it seemed that the coast was very noisy, full of life, and there were albatrosses whistling above me, which was a large bird with a wingspan of 2.4 meters, and when they swooped down, the tiger and tiger were full of wind, as if to show off its presence and strength.
Too close, when they were crying, I could see their throats. Most albatrosses are incubating eggs, and many are talking about love, seeing them touching each other's mouths, sometimes chirping, like a pair of lovers in love, combing their feathers, closing their eyes to enjoy the warmth given by each other, making people look at it and be moved!
In the small clearing between the black-browed albatross colonies, cliff-jumping penguins nest here to breed their offspring. This crowned penguin looks a little cute and clumsy.
Cliff-jumping penguin and its baby
Cliff-jumping penguins
I landed on the island at two o'clock in the afternoon, and it wasn't until half past six that we left the albatross and returned to our landing site.
The sight of a flock of golden map penguins climbing a rock in the twilight drew us to stop and shoot.
A flock of golden tu penguins climbs a rock in the twilight
It was already past 8 o'clock back on the boat, and the dusk sun shot a red glow into the sky behind the clouds, and in the distance was the silhouette of the spire Jason Island, and in the red light an albatross soared with its wings spread.
#Antarctica #Black-browed Albatross #Falkland Islands # #尖塔杰森岛 #