Current view: Text account
Site description (2006 baseline):
Site location and context
Sea Lion Island is about 5 miles (8 km) from east to west
and 1.2 miles (2 km) at its widest part. The island is a
slightly inclined plateau with steep cliffs of about 30 m at
the south-western point and long sandy bays to the east.
Substantial parts of the coastline have dense Tussac,
protected by fencing, while there is mature original Tussac
at the eastern point. Red ash deposits visible below peat
layers on the southern coast show that Tussac stands were
burnt, probably in the 19th century. Habitat inland is
largely open heath and grassland. The island was
managed as a sheep farm from at least 1904 until about
1997 when it was cleared of all but a small flock of sheep.
Western coasts show evidence of overgrazing and soil
erosion. There are permanent ponds and boggy ground,
which are attractive to a variety of waterbirds. The island
was surveyed extensively in 1998 as part of the Ramsar
designation process.
Rum Islet, lying 0.6 miles (1 km) south of Sea Lion Island, is
only about 750 m long. It is very low lying with a beach of
large irregular boulders and rock slabs with considerable dead
kelp, ideal for Cobb’s Wrens. The island is almost covered by
Tussac up to 2 m tall, but it is easy to walk through because it
has been opened up by Southern Sea Lions.
Brandy Island is 1.2 miles (2 km) east of Sea Lion Island
and is covered with tall, dense Tussac. Apart from sheer
cliffs up to 15 m on the south-eastern coastline and shelf
rocks at the southern point, the beach consists of large
unstable boulders and it can be difficult to land.
Whisky Island is only 400 m east of Brandy. It lies east to
west with a boulder beach on the northern coast and
extensive shelf rock below cliffs up to 15 m along the
southern coast. Dense Tussac covers the ground above high
water mark.
Sea Lion Easterly lies about 5.6 miles (9 km) east of Sea
Lion Island and reaches no more than 17 m at its highest
southern and north-eastern points. Much of the central part
of the island is boggy, with two permanent ponds, one near
the northern point and one towards the south-western
point. It has a dense belt of tall, coastal Tussac and a beach
of large boulders.
Between 1983 and 1993, 53 species were recorded on Sea
Lion Island during fieldwork for the Breeding Birds Survey.
Of these, 43 were breeding or probably breeding, including
eight of the nine resident songbirds and five species of
penguins. The Macaroni Penguin occasionally breeds
among the Rockhoppers but not in sufficient numbers to
warrant site qualification. On Rum Islet, only 17 species
were recorded in November 1998, including 15 probably
breeding. Brandy Island had 26 species, of which 17 were
breeding or probably breeding. These included Common
Diving Petrels found incubating and the remains of a Sooty
Shearwater. Whisky Island had 19 species, with 13
probably breeding, while Sea Lion Easterly had 24 species,
of which 21 were breeding or probably breeding. The
Grey-backed Storm-petrel is present but breeding needs to
be confirmed.
The predator-free status of all five islands in the Sea Lion
group makes them important for small passerines and
burrowing petrels. It is noticeable that Tussacbirds and
Cobb’s Wrens are very numerous, particularly on the
beaches of the four smaller islands. These islands all
support at least one pair of Striated Caracaras but the
Ruddy-headed Goose was found only on Sea Lion Island,
where wetlands provide suitable habitat.
An interesting feature of the bird community of the group
is the current absence of the very conspicuous Long-tailed
Meadowlark over the past 10 years, though it is present at
Bull Point only 9 miles (15 km) away. However, it was
recorded on Sea Lion Island in 1915 and again in 1987
and 1992.
Endemic sub-species present include the White-tufted/
Rolland’s Grebe, Black-crowned Night-heron, Upland
Goose, Short-eared Owl, Dark-faced Ground-tyrant,
Falkland Pipit, Falkland Grass Wren and the Falkland
Thrush.
Non-bird biodiversity: Experimental plantings of Tussac made in 1985 produced
useful results when compared with similar plantings at
Port Howard and Keppel Island. Sea Lion Island is of
particular interest for the large colony of breeding Southern
Elephant Seals, which produce around 200 pups per year.
These are the subjects of a long-term study by Italian
researchers from the University of Rome. Southern Sea
Lions also breed on the coasts, with 40 pups in 2003. The
other small islands are used as haul-out sites for Southern
Sea Lions and many Southern Elephant Seals, although no
breeding takes place there. Sea Lion Island is popular with
tourists for its diverse bird and mammal life. Because of the
steeply shelving coastline, it is also one of the best places in
the Falklands to see Killer Whales hunting and feeding on
penguins and seals just offshore.
In November 1998, 56 species of flowering plants were
recorded on Sea Lion Island. The most interesting is the
Fuegian Violet Viola magellanica. In the Falklands, this plant
has been found only on Sea Lion Island, growing with
Tussac on sand north of the lodge. It is not known how the
plant reached this remote island. At least 12 species were
introduced agricultural weeds or grasses and only three
were endemics. In contrast, only two to six species of
flowering plants could be found on each of the four smaller
islands, although 12 species have been recorded on Sea
Lion Easterly in the past. All these sppecies are natives,
except for Groundsel Senecio vulgaris found on Rum, which
is immediately south of Sea Lion Island.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Sea Lion Island is an important wildlife tourism destination
within the Falklands archipelago, with a popular tourist
lodge. High numbers of visitors arrive each year, both land
based and on cruise ships. Estimates suggest that around
2,000 people visit the Island each year. The island is free of
introduced predators and there should be very strict
guidelines to prevent the accidental introduction of rats or
mice, in particular in food stores from Stanley or Mount
Pleasant being landed for the lodge. All visitors should be
informed about the dangers of accidentally introducing
alien species to the islands.
The lodge is well managed and has operated to a high
standard of environmental protection. This policy should
be kept under review, given increasing tourist numbers to
the Falklands and the higher demands made on staff at the
lodge. It is very important that the Falkland Islands
Countryside Code is followed,
particularly to avoid disturbance to the breeding Southern
Giant Petrels and to guard against the risk of fire.
As far as is known, none of the four smaller islands in this
group has been grazed by livestock, and the Tussac shows
no sign of having been burnt. All islands are free of
introduced predators. They are therefore of considerable
interest as examples of natural vegetation. Further survey
work is needed to quantify the presence and numbers of
bird species on all of these islands, especially Sea Lion
Easterly with its two ponds sheltered by dense Tussac and
the central boggy area. Amanagement plan is in
preparation.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sea Lion Islands Group (Falkland Islands (Malvinas)). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sea-lion-islands-group-iba-falkland-islands-(malvinas) on 23/12/2024.
