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Falklands Conservation |
Coffin Island (45 Ha, 111 acres)
Coffin Island is one of a group of six islands off the coast of New Island which were gifted to Falklands Conservation by the Royal Society for Nature Conservation.
It lies 1 km off the south end of New Island. It is dome shaped with its coastal edge falling away to form steep sided cliffs, which on the east and south west sides rise to between 100 and 150 ft above sea level. On the NW side the cliffs drop in height, to a shallow valley a few metres above the high tide line. This forms the Island's only access from the sea.
The Island is largely covered with grass and heath gradually giving way to feldmark on the higher elevations. Soil layers are rather thin with areas of exposed rock debris. Tussac grass forms a rather sparse and not very vigorous growth on the steep coastal areas.
The Island has a history of stocking and carried sheep until 1972. It is not known if it was used in earlier times for pigs. There is no evidence of the Island having been burnt.
Sea Lions breed here. There are colonies of Rock Cormorants and Dominican Gulls. Other breeding birds include Thin-billed Prion, Tussac Bird, Falkland Skua, Blackish Oystercatcher, Upland Geese and Kelp Geese.
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Patron: HRH The Duke of York CVO ADC Member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature | BirdLife International Representative |