Cap Ratmanoff

Cap Ratmanoff

Cap Ratmanoff, facing the Indian Ocean, marks the eastern land extremity of the Kerguelen Islands in the French Southern and Antarctic Territories. The Kerguelen Islands, also known as the Desolation Islands, are a sub-Antarctic archipelago forming one of two exposed parts of the Kerguelen Plateau, a large, mostly submerged igneous province in the southern Indian Ocean. Located more than 3,300 kilometers from Madagascar, they are among the most isolated places on Earth. Cap Ratmanoff is located on the Courbet Peninsula, northeast of Grande Terre, the main island of the archipelago. An immense black sand beach stretches on either side of the cape and is home to one of the world's largest colonies of King Penguins. The site is a popular destination for biologists who do research on penguin populations and other species. Near the penguin farm is the observation and accommodation hut of the French Polar Institute, known as the "Cabane du Guetteur". Because of its attractiveness and accessibility, Cape Ratmanoff is often visited by paying tourists on board the Marion Dufresne. In 1998 and 1999, the King Penguin population at Ratmanoff area was estimated at over 106,000 breeding pairs using a method based on aerial photography. At the end of the 20th century, the population had experienced an extraordinary increase from 12,8004 in 1962 and 1963.