Seabird sites in southern Africa
Halifax Island, Namibia
Jessica Kemper
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Photo Jessica Kemper
The jetty on Halifax with a penguin welcoming party, but the island is out of bounds
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Photo Jessica Kemper
This area used to be covered with penguins, but the population has
dwindled dramatically, with the birds concentrated in a few small clusters
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Halifax Island (26 39 S,
15 04 E) is situated roughly 10 km west of Lüderitz near
Diaz Point, about 100 m off the mainland. It is the third most
important breeding site for African Penguins in Namibia, even
though it is estimated that the population has more than halved
in the last 30 years. Much of the 10 ha island is rocky, with a
flat, gravelly central plain. Several houses and sheds, once
used by the guano harvesters and the island headman, have
deteriorated and are falling apart. The island is no longer
staffed, and penguins now breed in the buildings. It is
difficult to imagine that Halifax Island was once covered in
guano. All that remains now are six small patches, three of
which are no longer used by penguins. The other three
guano-patches are used by the three remaining breeding colonies,
with shallow nest bowls scraped into the guano, all spaced a
pecking distance away from the next nest bowl. Isolated nests
are also found under bushes and under boulders.
Halifax Island is also home to a growing number of Kelp
Gulls, which also breed on the island during summer (roughly
350 nests in 2000). Numbers have possibly been bolstered by the
nearby rubbish dump at Lüderitz. Since the penguins are
largely surface nesters, unguarded eggs or small chicks are
particularly susceptible to gull predation on Halifax Island.
Artificial nests have been put up on Halifax Island during
August 2001 to monitor whether breeding success could be
significantly improved by providing a more sheltered nesting
environment.
Other seabirds breeding on Halifax Island include Crowned
Cormorants, Swift Terns and Hartlaub's Gulls. In May 2001,
three African Black Oystercatcher chicks fledged successfully.
Cape Cormorants and Whitebreasted Cormorants often roost on the
island. Other seabirds seen regularly include Cape Wagtails,
Turnstones as well as the occasional Greater Flamingo and
Whimbrel. Heavisides Dolphins are often seen in the bay. The
island is managed by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine
Resources and although it is not permanently staffed, seabird
populations are regularly monitored. Owing to its proximity to
Lüderitz and the mainland, there have been some incidents
of trespassing and illegal egg collecting in the recent past.
These have resulted in disturbance to breeding seabirds.
Because of its sensitivity, Halifax Island is off-limits to the
public, but tourists are able to get a glimpse of the island
from the schooner "Sedina" which offers daily sailing
tours past the island.
Photo Jessica Kemper
New occupants...
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Photo Jessica Kemper
... probably the best tenants the island could have
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