Moreton Point facts for kids
Moreton Point is a piece of land that sticks out into the ocean. It's located on Coronation Island, which is part of the South Orkney Islands near Antarctica. This point is about 1.85 kilometers (1 nautical mile) north of another spot called Return Point.
Two captains, George Powell and Nathaniel Palmer, first roughly mapped this area in 1821. Later, in 1933, people from the ship Discovery II explored the islands more closely and gave Moreton Point its name.
A Special Place for Birds
Moreton Point is super important for birds! This area, along with some nearby ice-free land and the Larsen Islands, has been named an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International. An IBA is a place that is very important for bird populations.
This specific IBA covers about 1,580 hectares (that's like 3,900 football fields!). It's a breeding ground for huge numbers of seabirds. For example, about 125,000 pairs of chinstrap penguins make their homes here to raise their chicks. Also, around 125,000 pairs of southern fulmars nest in this area. You can also find smaller numbers of snow petrels nesting here.
