San Telmo Island


San Telmo Island is an island forming the west side of Shirreff Cove on the north-west coast of Ioannes Paulus II Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It has a surface area of.

History

Named by the UK-APC in 1958 after the Spanish vessel San Telmo commanded by Captain Rosendo Porlier, which was the flagship of a Spanish naval squadron bound for Callao to reinforce colonial forces there fighting the independence movements in Spanish America. Very severe weather was encountered in Drake Passage in about 61S, 60W, but hawser after hawser parted and she was ultimately left to her fate in about 62S. Some of her spars and her anchor-stock were found by sealers on nearby Half Moon Beach in about 1821.

Antarctic Specially Protected Area

The island, along with nearby Cape Shirreff, has been designated an Antarctic Specially Protected Area for the diversity of its plant and animal life, especially its penguin and fur seal breeding colonies.

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