Halifax Island
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 | |
  Halifax Island | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 26°39′04″S 15°04′48″E / 26.651111°S 15.08°E |
| Area | 0.1 km2 (0.039 sq mi) |
Halifax Island is a small, rocky Namibian island about 100 m (330 ft) from the mainland, near Lüderitz. It is the third most important breeding site for African penguins in Namibia.[1][2]
Captain Charles C. Forsyth of the Cape of Good Hope Station was ordered to take possession of the Penguin Islands and Lüderitz Bay. Captain Forsyth proclaimed British sovereignty over the islands on 5 May 1866. He landed on Halifax Island two days later on HMS Valorous and erected a board claiming the island in the name of the British monarch. Colonial Administrator Philip Wodehouse leased the Penguin Islands in 1867 to De Pass, Spence & Co. and to Robert Granger until 1895. They were given exclusive rights to mine guano and hunt seals.[3]
Penguin guano on the island was 120 feet (37 m) deep in the early 19th century and mining continued until 1949. The penguin population on the island has halved in the 30 years between 1970 and 2000. Houses and sheds used by guano miners and the local headman are currently in various stages of deterioration. The uninhabited buildings are now used by penguins for breeding. The Namibian Government's Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources currently manages the island and monitors the seabird population.[1][2]
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