Cape Whitson facts for kids
Cape Whitson is a piece of land that sticks out into the sea, called a headland. It's located on the southern coast of Laurie Island. Laurie Island is the easternmost and second largest island in the South Orkney Islands, which are part of Antarctica. Cape Whitson is about 9 kilometers (about 5.6 miles) south-east of Argentina's Orcadas Base, a science station.
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Why is it Called Cape Whitson?
This headland was named after Sir Thomas Barnby Whitson. He was the Lord Provost of Edinburgh in the 1930s. A Lord Provost is like a mayor or a very important leader of a city. The cape was fully mapped around that time by map-makers from Edinburgh, J.G. Bartholomew & Sons.
A Special Home for Birds
Cape Whitson is known as an Important Bird Area (IBA). This special title is given by BirdLife International, an organization that protects birds worldwide. It means the area is very important for bird populations.
Why Penguins Love Cape Whitson
Cape Whitson is an IBA because it's home to a huge group of chinstrap penguins. About 13,000 pairs of these penguins come here to build their nests and raise their young. This makes it a very busy and important breeding spot for them.
The Bird Area's Size
The Important Bird Area at Cape Whitson covers about 54 hectares (which is about 133 acres). This area includes the land that is not covered by ice. It stretches for about 1.5 kilometers (almost a mile) between two small bays called Aitken Cove and Methuen Cove. The land here is not very high, reaching less than 250 meters (about 820 feet) above sea level.
