Bleaker Island

Bleaker Island

Bleaker Island is located off the southeastern coast of Lafonia, the southern peninsula of the East Falklands. The name is a corruption of "Breaker Island" because of the breaking waves. This small, rocky outcrop is approximately 19 kilometers long and 2,5 kilometers wide, with a total area of around 20,7 square kilometers. Despite its modest size, Bleaker Island boasts a diverse range of flora and fauna, which have adapted to the harsh, windswept conditions prevalent in the Falkland Islands. The island's terrain is characterized by rugged hills, rocky outcrops, and peat bogs, which provide a habitat for a variety of wildlife. The northern half of Bleaker Island is a national nature reserve. It was designated in 1967. BirdLife International has designated the Bleaker Island group an Important Bird Area. One study identified 49 bird species, 37 of which are known to breed on the island. The breeding species comprise Rockhopper, Magellanic and Gentoo Penguins, King and Rock Cormorants, a variety of small birds and a number of birds of prey, including Striated and Crested Caracaras. For more than a hundred years, Bleaker Island has been a sheep farm. The island was managed in the early 20th century by Arthur Cobb, a local farmer and amateur naturalist. He wrote a book about the island, including forty-six of his own black and white photographs. Many shipwrecks occurred off the island in the 19th and 20th centuries due to the low aspect of the island. In the first quarter of the 20th century, Bleaker Island was the site of five shipwrecks. The best-known of these was the French tall ship 'Cassard', which wrecked off the southern tip of the island in May 1906 with a cargo of coal.