West Point Island

Infobox Falkland island




MapCaption=Location of West Point Island within the Falkland Islands
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english name=West Point Island
former name=Albatross Island
spanish name=Isla Remolinos
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highest elevation=Mount Misery Unit m|369|0
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West Point Island (originally known as Albatross Island; Spanish: Isla Remolinos) is one of the Falkland Islands, lying west of West Falkland. It has an area of slightly less than 15 km² and is run as a sheep farm by Lily and Roddy Napier.

History

Like many locations around the Falkland Islands, West Point was a popular site for slaughtering seals and penguins for oil, at the turn of the 19th century. Literal overkill helped to end this industry in the area.

The island was established as a farm in the 1860s, by the Napier family, ancestors of the current owner.Wigglesworth, Angela. (1992) "Falkland People". Pub. Peter Owen. ISBN 0-7206-0850-3]

Wildlife and plantlife

Wildlife on West Point includes rockhopper penguins, black-browed albatrosses and Commerson's dolphins. The Felton Plant, which was named after the current owner's great uncle who discovered it, also grows here. It is fairly rare in the Falkland Islands, being found only in a few locations such as Tea Island, but there is quite a lot of it here.

The island gardens have a fairly wide selection of introduced plants including roses, foxgloves, daisies, red hot pokers etc. Unusually for the Falklands, there are also a few trees. Other stands of trees can be found at Hill Cove on West Falkland and Carcass Island.

Geography

The highest point on the island is Mount Misery at 369 metres, while a settlement and airstrip lie in the north east.

It is separated from West Falkland by the Wooly Gut channel, named after a particularly strong form of westerly wind in the Falklands that affects this channel.

It is south east of the Jason Islands, the nearest being South Jason Island.

References

External links

* [http://www.latintravel.com/wtv/falkland/fiphotos.cfm Falklands photos, including West Point section]