New Island facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
New Island
Isla de Goicoechea
Former names: Isla San Felipe,
Isla Nueva |
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 New Island
Location in Falkland Islands
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| Country | Falkland Islands |
| Area | |
| • Total | 22.7 km2 (8.8 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 226 m (741 ft) |
New Island is a small island in the Falkland Islands. It is located in the western part of the islands. The island is about 13 kilometers (8.1 miles) long and 750 meters (2,460 feet) wide. Its highest point is 226 meters (741 feet) tall. Today, New Island is privately owned and managed as a nature reserve. Its name comes from being a "new" discovery compared to other islands nearby.
Contents
A Look at New Island's Past
New Island has a long history. It was first explored by Europeans in the late 1700s. The island was named "Isla San Felipe" by a Spanish ship in 1768. Later, it was called "Isla Nueva," which means "New Island."
Early Visitors and Settlers
In 1813, a group of people from a shipwrecked ship, the Isabella, landed on New Island. They were stranded there for two years. They built a simple stone building to survive. This building is now part of the Barnard Building. It is the oldest standing building in the Falkland Islands. It was restored in 2006 and is now a museum. In December 1814, two ships, the Indispensable and the Asp, rescued them.
In 1823, Captain James Weddell, an explorer, visited the island. He noted its excellent harbors and good supplies of food and water. In the 1850s and 1860s, people mined guano (bird droppings) from the island. Guano was used as a fertilizer.
Whaling History
New Island was once a busy place for whaling. In 1905, a Norwegian company sent the first modern floating whaling factory, the Admiralen, to the island. They caught some whales, but not many. The ship then moved to Antarctica to find more whales. This made it the first floating factory to work in Antarctica.
From 1908, a Scottish company called Chr. Salvesen ran a whaling station on land. They brought a station from Iceland. The first whale was caught in January 1909. Over 200 whales were caught that first season. However, the results were not very good. The station stopped operating in 1915. You can still see parts of the old whaling station today.
The island also has the shipwreck of a sealing vessel, the Protector III. It ran aground in 1969.
New Island Conservation Trust
Since 1996, New Island has been owned and managed by The New Island Conservation Trust. This trust bought the entire island in 2005. A group of trustees manages the trust. They work to protect the island's nature.
A big supporter of the trust has been the Geoffrey C Hughes Charitable Trust. This group helped buy the island. They also funded a well-equipped Field Centre. This center is used by wildlife researchers from many countries. The trust relies on donations to continue its important work.
Amazing Wildlife of New Island
New Island is mostly covered with grasses. There are no native trees, but some shrubs have been planted. The island is home to many interesting animals.
Mammals on the Island
You can find Falkland Islands Fur seals and Southern sea lions here. There are no native land mammals. However, there are some introduced cottontail rabbits. Peale's dolphins often swim in the bays around New Island. Sometimes, Southern Elephant seals visit the island, but they do not breed there.
Birds of New Island
The New Island area is known as an Important Bird Area (IBA). This means it is very important for bird conservation. Many different bird species live and breed here.
Some of the important birds include:
- Falkland steamer ducks
- Ruddy-headed geese
- Gentoo penguins (about 6,600 breeding pairs)
- Southern rockhopper penguins (about 13,000 pairs)
- Magellanic penguins
- Black-browed albatrosses (about 29,000 pairs)
- Thin-billed prions
- White-chinned petrels
- Imperial shags
- Striated caracaras
- White-bridled finches
- Blackish cinclodes
- Cobb's wrens
Other birds you might see are dolphin gulls, Falkland skuas, upland geese, and long-tailed meadowlarks.
Images for kids
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New Whaling Company's whaling station on New Island, operated from 1908 to 1916.
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A rockhopper penguin on New Island.
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An adult rockhopper penguin in a New Island rookery.
See also
In Spanish: Isla de Goicoechea para niños
