• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Site description (2015 baseline)

Way Archipelago forms an arc of around 120 islands fringing the continental coast of George V Land, extending up to ~4 km offshore and ~20 km from Cape Gray to a cluster of unnamed islands ~4 km southeast of Garnet Point. Stillwell Island is the largest island in the group, being ~0.5 km across, with a steep coastline rising to ~40 m (Stillwell 1918). Most of the islands in Way Archipelago remain relatively snow-free, even in winter, on account of the strong katabatic winds that persist in the region. Stillwell Island and Garnet Point have unusually large garnet crystals within the metamorphic gneiss rocks that dominate the local geology (Stillwell 1918). Six bird species have been recorded breeding at the archipelago.

The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Adélie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) colonies that breeds on Stillwell Island, Garnet Point and a number of other islands throughout the archipelago, and includes the intervening marine area.

There are no research stations nearby. The closest permanent station is Dumont d'Urville (FRA), ~170 km to the west in Terre Adélie.

Key biodiversity

Approximately 51 900 breeding pairs of Adélie Penguin were present at Way Archipelago and a further 2165 at Garnet Point as estimated from January 2011 satellite imagery (unpublished data H. Lynch & M. LaRue pers. comm. 2014: CI not available). Satellite image analysis by Lynch & LaRue (2014, and unpublished data) indicates the majority of penguins are nesting on the largest three islands in the southeast of Way Archipelago, although breeding appears to occur on most of the small islands in the group. Data are not available on the numbers breeding on individual islands.

Almost 4000 pairs of Southern Fulmar ( Fulmarus glacialoides ) breed in the region and small numbers of other flying birds (Tables 158.1 and 158.2).

Non-bird biodiversity: None known.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Way Archipelago (Antarctica). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/way-archipelago-iba-antarctica on 18/12/2024.