Carcass Island

Infobox Falkland island




MapCaption=
latitude= -51.2824
longitude= -60.5632
coordinates= coord|51|15|4|S|60|31|40|W|display=inline,title
island group=
english name= Carcass Island
spanish name= Isla del Rosario
meaning of name= English: "Carcass" after ship
Spanish: Island of the Rosary
area=
area rank=
highest elevation= Stanley Hill and Mount Bing, Unit m|304|0
Population=
population rank=
main settlement=Port Patterson
references=

Carcass Island ( _es. Isla del Rosario) is one of the Falkland Islands, lying north west of West Falkland and south east of the Jason Islands.

History

The island's grim sounding name comes from the ship HMS "Carcass", which surveyed the island in 1766. Its accompanying vessel, HMS "Jason", gave its name to the nearby Jason Islands, and its captain, John McBride, gave his name to MacBride Head.

It is currently run as a sheep farm by Rob McGill. Its small settlement, lying on Port Patterson on the south west coast, is also known for its gardens, and has a small shop/grocery. It has been settled continuously for over a hundred years.

Carcass Island was considered as one of the potential sites for a British amphibious landing during the Falklands War [Bicheno, Hugh (2006) "Razor's Edge: The Unofficial History of the Falklands War". London. Weidenfield & Nicholson. ISBN-13 978-0-7538-2186-2] but, in the event, the British landings took place on San Carlos Water in the west of East Falkland, on Falkland Sound. The plan would have been for a "stone aircraft carrier". The main objections to this plan were, a) Carcass Island, being in the west of the archipelago was nearest to continental Argentine bases, b) its proximity to the airbase on Pebble Island, and c) its remoteness from Stanley, as it was furthest from the main objectives, and West Falkland was ultimately bypassed in the war.

There are three listed buildings here, the boathouse, shed, and store. [cite news| url=http://www.falklands.info/background/listedb.html| work=Buildings and Structures in the Falkland Islands designated as being of Architectural or Historic Interest| title=Falkland Islands Information Web Portal| accessdate=2008-07-08]

Geography

The highest points of the island are Stanley Hill, and Mount Bing (304 metres). There are also stretches of duneland. Leopard Beach is often used as a landing point.

Wildlife and gardens

The island has no rats or cats, and as a result has a wide variety of birdlife including Black-crowned Night Herons, known in the Falkland Islands as "quarks", as well as seals and penguins. Tussock grass also grows here.

The island contains one of the few substantial stands of trees in the Falklands. There is however, a true wood at Hill Cove. None of the species are endemic, but they include such exoticisms as Monterey cypress trees, and New Zealand cabbage palms. The night herons nest within these trees. The gardens also include other introduced plants such as fuchsias, lupins, and dog roses.Wigglesworth, Angela. (1992) "Falkland People". Pub. Peter Owen. ISBN 0-7206-0850-3]

References

External links

* [http://www.gisele.com/arnie/html/carcass_island.html Carcass Island]
* http://www.ladatco.com/fk-crs.htm
* [http://www.air-and-space.com/200101%20Antarctica/19%20Carcass%20Island%20Falkland%20Islandsa.htm Wildlife shots of Carcass island]
* [http://cruises.about.com/od/southamericacruises/ss/falklands_6.htm Carcass Island of the Falkland Islands]