Jacquemart Island facts for kids
Jacquemart Island in the distance
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 Jacquemart Island
Location in Oceania
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| Geography | |
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| Coordinates | 52°37′10″S 169°07′33″E / 52.61944°S 169.12583°E |
| Archipelago | Campbell Island group |
| Area | 19 ha (47 acres) |
| Length | 0.75 km (0.466 mi) |
| Width | 0.5 km (0.31 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 229 m (751 ft) |
| Administration | |
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New Zealand
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| Demographics | |
| Population | Uninhabited |
Jacquemart Island is a small, rocky island in New Zealand. It is one of the many tiny islands, called islets, that surround Campbell Island. Jacquemart Island is located about 1 km (0.62 mi) south of Campbell Island. It holds a special record: it's the southernmost island of New Zealand!
The island was named after Captain J. Jacquemart. He was the captain of a French ship called the Vire. This ship helped a French science team during the 1874 Transit of Venus Expedition to Campbell Island.
Jacquemart Island is definitely part of New Zealand. New Zealand also claims a large area in Antarctica that reaches the South Pole. However, most countries do not officially agree with these claims in Antarctica.
Contents
Exploring Jacquemart Island's Geography
Jacquemart Island is mostly a tall, rocky rock formation. It covers an area of about 19 ha (47 acres). The island is roughly 750 m (2,461 ft) long and 500 m (1,640 ft) wide.
The island is surrounded by very steep cliffs. These cliffs are at least 30 m (98 ft) high at their lowest points. The highest part of the island is about 200 m (656 ft) above the sea. Jacquemart Island is actually what's left of old basaltic lava that formed on top of a layer of sediment.
Because the cliffs are so steep, it's very hard to reach the island from the sea. The first time people ever visited Jacquemart Island was on December 29, 1980. A small group of scientists landed on the top ridge using a helicopter. They stayed for about 90 minutes to study the island. Later, short visits also happened in 1984 and 1997.
Wildlife and Plants of Jacquemart Island
Most of the island above the cliffs is covered in tussock grassland. This grass grows on a layer of peat, which is a type of soil made from decayed plants. Many petrels, a type of seabird, dig their burrows under this peat.
The island also has other plant areas. These include herbfields, which are areas with many herbs. There are also plants that grow on rocks and ledges, as well as lichens and cushion plants.
Amazing Birds Breeding on the Island
Many different kinds of birds have been seen breeding on Jacquemart Island. These include the sooty shearwater, northern giant petrel, and grey-backed storm-petrel. You might also spot the beautiful light-mantled sooty albatross and the brown skua. The Campbell shag also nests here.
Other seabirds that might breed on the island are the common diving-petrel and the Cape petrel. Sometimes, Australasian pipits and common starlings are also seen.
Unique Insects and Slugs
Besides birds, a special type of cave weta has been found on Jacquemart Island. Wetas are large, cricket-like insects found in New Zealand. The Campbell Island leaf-veined slug also lives here.
Jacquemart Island is part of the Campbell Island group Important Bird Area (IBA). BirdLife International has named it an IBA because it's a very important place for many seabirds to breed. It's also home to the special Campbell teal and Campbell snipe, which are found only in this area.
The Campbell Snipe's Comeback Story
For a long time, Jacquemart Island was the only place where the Campbell snipe could survive. The Campbell snipe is a special type of Subantarctic snipe. It was first discovered in 1997 and officially described in 2009.
Before 2001, rats were a big problem on the Campbell Islands. They hunted the snipe. But in 2001, all the rats were removed from the islands. This project is called island restoration. After the rats were gone, the snipe started to move back to other parts of the Campbell Island group. In 2005, a small group of breeding snipe was found on southern Campbell Island, right across from Jacquemart Island. This shows how important it is to protect these unique animals!
See also
- In Spanish: Isla Jacquemart para niños
