28/06: Robben Island, Waterfront, Cape Town, history
The History of Robben Island:
Robben Island is actually the summit of an ancient, now submerged mountain, linked by an undersea saddle to the Blouberg. Its lower strata consists of Malmesbury shale forming a rocky and somewhat inhospitable coastline. Above this lies a thick limestone and calcrete deposit covered by windblown sands and shell fragments.
The Island is low-lying with the highest point being 24 metres, also known as Minto's Hill, (named after a nineteenth-century Surgeon-Superintendent of the General Infirmary) above sea-level. The climate is Mediterranean, as in nearby Cape Town, but the Island experiences stronger winds and comparative extremes in temperature.
Robben Island is a complex, sensitive eco-system. In terms of South African law, the Island is a protected nature conservation area and, as a World Heritage Site, has to balance additional stringent conservation requirements with the Museum's mission of ensuring public access to the Island's heritage.
The types of flora and fauna on Robben Island however has been affected by humans through farming practices and by the introduction of extensive plantations of shrubs and exotic trees, some of which were planted to provide shade for patients during the period in which the Island functioned as a leper colony. The spectacular veld flowers typical of the West Coast also occur on the Island during spring.
Robben Island hosts about 132 bird species. These include seabirds, waterbirds and terrestrial birds. Humans have introduced a few to the Island by humans, such as the Chukar Partridge and Guinea Fowl.The environment provides a sheltered and safe haven for a large variety of bird species, some of which are endangered. Many of the birds use the Island for breeding and roosting. Some birds from the mainland such as Crowned Cormorant and Black Crowned Night Herons breed on the Island in large colonies.The African Penguin (formerly known as the Jackass Penguin) is a species that was abundant in the 17th century but was brought to the brink of extinction in the 1800s by human activities. By 1983 the penguins were re-introduced and have since established a breeding population. They are a favourite attraction of visitors to the island.
information www.robben-island.org.za
Robben Island is actually the summit of an ancient, now submerged mountain, linked by an undersea saddle to the Blouberg. Its lower strata consists of Malmesbury shale forming a rocky and somewhat inhospitable coastline. Above this lies a thick limestone and calcrete deposit covered by windblown sands and shell fragments.
The Island is low-lying with the highest point being 24 metres, also known as Minto's Hill, (named after a nineteenth-century Surgeon-Superintendent of the General Infirmary) above sea-level. The climate is Mediterranean, as in nearby Cape Town, but the Island experiences stronger winds and comparative extremes in temperature.
Robben Island is a complex, sensitive eco-system. In terms of South African law, the Island is a protected nature conservation area and, as a World Heritage Site, has to balance additional stringent conservation requirements with the Museum's mission of ensuring public access to the Island's heritage.
The types of flora and fauna on Robben Island however has been affected by humans through farming practices and by the introduction of extensive plantations of shrubs and exotic trees, some of which were planted to provide shade for patients during the period in which the Island functioned as a leper colony. The spectacular veld flowers typical of the West Coast also occur on the Island during spring.
Robben Island hosts about 132 bird species. These include seabirds, waterbirds and terrestrial birds. Humans have introduced a few to the Island by humans, such as the Chukar Partridge and Guinea Fowl.The environment provides a sheltered and safe haven for a large variety of bird species, some of which are endangered. Many of the birds use the Island for breeding and roosting. Some birds from the mainland such as Crowned Cormorant and Black Crowned Night Herons breed on the Island in large colonies.The African Penguin (formerly known as the Jackass Penguin) is a species that was abundant in the 17th century but was brought to the brink of extinction in the 1800s by human activities. By 1983 the penguins were re-introduced and have since established a breeding population. They are a favourite attraction of visitors to the island.
information www.robben-island.org.za
