Annual report on the Falkland Islands and Dependencies / Colonial Office.

  • Great Britain. Colonial Office.
Date:
[1951]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on the Falkland Islands and Dependencies / Colonial Office. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    9/60 (page 5)
    Deception Island and arranged for early installation of radio beacons on Jason and Welcome Islands in South Georgia. The valuable scientific and exploratory work of the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey has continued and forms a separate chapter of this Report. The meteorologists have continued their observations and a begin¬ ning was made, late in the 1949-50 whaling season, in providing (from South Georgia) forecasts for the whaling fleets. During the follow¬ ing season regular forecasts were issued and these were continued, on a limited basis, throughout the winter for the benefit of the shore stations engaged on ship repairs. In October, 1951, this service was improved to provide regular forecasts for the area 40° to 10° west, and between 50° south and the ice-edge (including the South Georgia area) ; and these were supplemented with others from Stanley, which extended the area covered westwards to Cape Horn, and the northern coasts of Grahamland. Special forecasts for ships entering and leaving these waters were also supplied as required. The geologists of the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey have examined further areas of rock and the biologists have made a study of the life-history and status of the elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) which was begun in the South Orkneys four years ago and continued at South Georgia in 1951. The ornithologists have carried out a very detailed study of penguin colonies and the life-histories of the birds and some 700 birds of various species have been ringed. Three of these, Giant Petrels (Macronectes giganteus), have recently been recovered in New Zealand. During 1950 the Compania Argentina de Pesca lost the 5,732-ton vessel Ernesto Tomquist, Clyde-built 53 years before, which in the early hours of 15th October ran aground and became a total wreck. The crew and passengers, totalling 260 persons, managed to get ashore in the ship’s lifeboats and when the gale had subsided were taken to Grytviken by whale catchers. The following year, on 11th November, the same Company lost the seal-catcher Don Samuel off Cape Nunez. The crew of 16 were saved. Since physical, climatic and economic conditions are so different in the Colony from those in the Dependencies, this report is divided into two sections.