New Island

About this place

New Island lies in the far west of the Falkland Islands, about 236 km in a straight line west of Stanley. It is 13 km long but only about 750 m wide on average, and rises to 226 m. One coast is lined with high cliffs facing the open ocean, while the other is lower, with rocky shores and sandy bays. It was one of the first of the islands to be settled, and American whalers may have arrived as early as the 1770s. In 1813 Captain Charles Barnard of Nantucket was marooned here with his crew and survived for two years; their rough stone shelter is probably part of the Barnard Building, the oldest standing building in the Falklands and now a small museum. A whaling station also worked here from 1908 to 1915, and its remains are still visible. New Island became a nature reserve in 1972 and is now managed by Falklands Conservation, and it is thought to have one of the richest ranges of wildlife in the region. About 29,000 pairs of black-browed albatrosses, some 13,000 pairs of rockhopper penguins and around 6,600 pairs of gentoo penguins breed here, along with imperial shags, fur seals and sea lions, and Peale's dolphins frequent its bays. An old wooden boat lies beached in the clear water of the settlement harbour. Most visitors arrive on expedition cruises landing by small boat, as access is managed to protect the wildlife. Keep to the paths and stay well back from nests and seals.