The Cuverville Island also called island of Cavelier de Cuverville is a dark island that is in the Errera Channel between Arctowski peninsula and the northern part of the island Rongé, on the west coast of Graham Land in Antarctica.
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| Cuverville Island |
It was discovered by Antarctic Expedition Belgian of 1897-1899, led by Adrien de Gerlache, who named it in honor of JMA Cavelier de Cuverville (1834-1912), a vice - admiral of the French Navy.
Cuverville Island sits at the entrance to the Errera Channel and is flanked by the rugged mountains and glaciers of mainland Antarctica. The island is a 252-meter-high (826-foot) rock with a long pebble beach on its shore, home to a sizeable colony of Gentoo penguins.Cuverville Island's abundant penguinsSome 6,500 breeding pairs of Gentoo penguins make Cuverville Island their home, making it the largest colony on the Antarctic Peninsula. This population is considered by BirdLife International as an “Area of importance for birds and biodiversity”. The flora of the place is just as appreciable: Antarctic grass ( Deschampsia antarctica ) and Antarctic carnation ( Colobanthus quitensis ) can also be found here.
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| Cuverville Island |
In the summer the island serves as a colony for the Gentoo penguin or Juanito penguin ( Pygoscelis papua ).
Cuverville Island is located at the entrance to the small Errera Channel, and the drift of icebergs is frequent, leaving some backwaters to the north of the island. Contemplating icebergs is something that is worth it each and every time. When you've never seen them, you imagine them as little more than giant drifting ice cubes, but we will soon realize that each one has a whimsical, unique and unrepeatable shape, and that many are the ones who acquire the fascinating blue color typical of glacial ice, compacted over tens or hundreds of years, instead of the usual white tones. We had the opportunity to take our first zodiac ride around the glaciers on this island, marveling at their shapes and the indescribable blue color of the ice.