Eldey, a small island off the coast of Reykjanes Peninsula towards the south–west region, is a popular habitat of different bird species and one of the world’s biggest northern gannet colonies. The island, which is at an altitude of 77 metres and is about 7 acres, was home to the great auk which is now said to be extinct.
Eldey, a small island off the coast of Reykjanes Peninsula towards the south-west region, is a popular habitat of different bird species and one of the world’s biggest northern gannet colonies. The island, which is at an altitude of 77 metres and is about 7 acres, was home to the great auk which is now said to be extinct.
Located about 10 nautical miles from the coast, tectonic upheavals and mini eruptions is said to have resulted in the formation of Eldey, which fishermen from Britain termed as “count rock” and ‘flour sack’. Eldey, which constitutes hyaloclastite structure, is among the last known nesting sites of a flightless bird, the great auk and records suggest that the last pair was killed on 3rd June 1844. A volcanic eruption on Geirfuglasker, the great auk’s original nesting site, compelled the birds to choose Eldey in 1830, Geirfuglasker, literally translates from Icelandic to ‘the island of the great auk’. The island includes rocks and skerries, known as Fuglasker or bird-skerries which extend into the Atlantic Ocean.
Geologists believe that the region has witnessed several eruptions in the past centuries, which has led to the creation and disappearance of many islands. According to them at least a dozen eruptions may have occurred in the area, with the last eruption being well-documented in 1783. In the past, hunters have often scaled the rocky island in search of birds and eggs. Authorities have now set up two webcams on Eldey Island to observe the gannet colony, which is home to over 70,000 birds.
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