West Point Island

About this place

West Point Island lies off the north-west tip of West Falkland, in the north-west corner of the archipelago, about 200 km in a straight line west of Stanley. It is 6 km long and up to 4 km wide, and its west-facing cliffs are the highest in the Falkland Islands, rising to 381 m at Cliff Mountain. It was originally known as Albatross Island. The island has been a sheep farm since 1879, when it was set up by Arthur Felton, and it is still owned and run by his relatives. In 1968 the first ship to bring tourists to the Falklands called here, and since then West Point has become one of the most visited landing sites in the islands. A walk across the island leads to a large colony where black-browed albatrosses and southern rockhopper penguins nest side by side among the tussac grass on the cliffs. The albatrosses sit on raised mud nests and glide on long wings, Commerson's dolphins are often seen in the surrounding waters, and Felton's flower, endemic to the Falklands, grows here in relative abundance. Most visitors come ashore in small boats from expedition ships, or fly in by small plane from Stanley. Keep your distance from the nests, never block the birds' paths to the sea, and wear windproof clothing, as winds on the clifftops are strong.