Marion and Prince Edward Islands Marion and Prince Edward Islands Dec 28, 2003 Author: Terry Hutson The name of Marion Island is familiar to most South Africans, but few are likely to have gone anywhere near the place. From time to time the name appears in the newspapers or on television, usually in connection with a visit to that inhospitable place by the supply vessel SA Agulhas. Sometimes the news is that one of the scientists manning its weather station needs medical care and a navy ship has been despatched to the southern Indian Ocean to perform a rescue. More recently Marion was again in the news with the arrest of a Uruguayan fishing vessel named Viarsa 1. The Spanish-crewed ship had fled the length of the Southern Ocean, hotly pursued (if one can be forgiven for using such an expression about such a cold place) by an Australian sea fishery patrol boat named Southern Supporter. During this weeks-long saga the supply ship SA Agulhas, which was on her way to Marion Island with building material for a new weather station, was brought into the chase.

Apart from these isolated reports and stories, the small group of islands that form South Africa�s only dependency remain a mystery to most, with few knowing the history or background of this inhospitable place, or how they came to be a part of South Africa so late in the history of exploration. The Prince Edward Island group consists of Prince Edward and Marion Islands and is South Africa�s only dependency. This in itself is quite remarkable given South Africa�s turbulent history since 1652, which includes having taken part in the invasion of several other countries during the course of two world wars � German South West Africa (now Namibia), German East Africa (now Tanzania), Ethiopia, Madagascar and subsequent to World War II, Angola. The first explorers to see Marion Island were probably the Dutch - there is a record of the ship Maerseveen under the command of Barent Barentszoon Lam, which sailed past the islands in 1663 on the way to the Dutch East Indies. Due to an error in reporting the position of the two islands neither could be found again by subsequent Dutch sailors.

Lam was followed more than a hundred years later by the French explorer Marion du Fresne on board his ship Le Mascarin, who called on 13 January 1772. It was in honour of this man that the main island was eventually named. Du Fresne continued with his voyage, discovering the Crozet islands some 500 nautical miles further east before continuing on to his untimely end in New Zealand. Four years after du Fresne came Captain James Cook, who left his indelible mark by naming the group of islands in honour of King George�s fourth son, Prince Edward, but who, like his predecessors, failed to land. The first recorded landing was as late as 1803 when a number of sealers made their way ashore. Here they uncovered evidence that others, most likely other sealers, had indeed been there before, although no written record had been left of their visit. Which is how things remained with both islands remaining uninhabited, apart from occasional visits by sealers or whalers and the odd explorer, until Britain began assuming ownership in 1908 when it granted one of its citizens a 21-year lease to gather guano deposits.

The British government later issued licences to the Kerguelen Sealing & Whaling Company to exploit whales, seals, guano and minerals on several Southern Ocean islands from the mid 1920s. The aftermath of World War II was to bring about the end to isolation for the Prince Edward Group of islands, and is said to have come about through a realisation by the major powers that long-range warfare encompassing the entire globe was now a distinct possibility. With the encouragement of the British government, Field Marshall Jan C Smuts, then prime minister of South Africa, commissioned an enquiry that led to a decision to send a South African warship to the islands to annex and take formal occupation of both in the name of South Africa. The ship chosen for this lonely task was the Loch class frigate HMSAS Transvaal, under command of Lt-Commander John Fairburn. He had among the ships company a specialist from the SA Engineering Corps and another specialist from the South African Air Force, whose task it was to assess the possibility of building an airstrip on the island.

The highly secret operation was dubbed Operation Snoektown, and began on 12 December 1947 with the departure of the ship from Cape Town under a cloak of secrecy. HMSAS Transvaal set off eastward along the coast as far as Mossel Bay before turning south for the Southern Ocean. Four days later, in time for Christmas, the outline of Marion Island was visible on the horison. After a thorough reconnoitre of the island, made necessary by the inaccuracy of the charts, a landing place was identified on the north-east coast on which Lt-Cmdr Fairburn and Petty Officer Steward Schott were able to go ashore and place a metal South African flag and brass plate inscribed: �HMSAS TRANSVAAL � date 29:12:47. The ship�s commander then read a memorandum previously prepared in Pretoria: TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN This flag has been raised on behalf of His Majesty�s Government in the Union of South Africa on the fourth day of January 1948, preparatory to the permanent occupation by the Government of the Union of South Africa of this territory, known as Marion Island.

This occupation will take place within the course of the next few weeks. John Fairburn Lieutenant Commander, SANF Captain, HMSAS Transvaal The occasion was filmed for posterity by Petty Officer Schott, a photographic enthusiast, who recorded the document being signed and placed in a brass cylinder made from a Bofors cartridge, which was then buried in a penguin hole. The news was then transmitted by radio to Defence Headquarters in Pretoria. A party of 12 from the ship including the SAEC engineer later volunteered to go ashore as the occupying party, which was accomplished on 4 January 1948 in spite of strong winds and huge swells battering the coastline. Later that day Lt-Cmdr Fairburn undertook the occupation and annexation of the smaller and low-lying Prince Edward Island, 21 miles away, which was completed in short time in spite of Fairburn receiving a thorough soaking as he stepped mistakenly into what he thought was shallow water. The only protection that the initial party on Marion Island had between them and the harsh winds and almost constant rain sweeping across the ocean from the direction of Antarctica was canvas tents.

The intention was to remain on the island for one month while more permanent quarters were built for a following group. Despite the hardships the ship�s company succeeded in building a rudimentary landing stage from timbers set 2m above the sea and suspended from the cliff side by wire cables 23metres long. This precarious-looking structure not only proved suitable for the landing of stores and men but also remained in use for a lengthy period. HMSAS Transvaal was replaced by another frigate, HMSAS Natal, which was under the command of Lt-Cmdr Paul Drymond. The new arrival was to have a narrow escape from disaster after a sudden storm hit the islands while the ship was at anchor and only quick action involving slipping the anchor and cable saved Natal from possible disaster. Incidentally HMSAS Natal held the distinction of sinking a German U-boat during WWII within four hours of leaving the builders yard at Newcastle-on-Tyne. The ship under the command of Lt-Cmdr DA Hall was off St Abb�s Head in Scotland and heading for Scapa Flow when news was received that a German U-boat nearby had torpedoed a merchantman.

Hastening to the scene to render assistance, HMSAS Natal established contact with the submerged enemy vessel and despatched Squid anti-submarine mortars in the supposed direction. A second attack brought oil to the surface and shortly afterwards contact was lost. Following the recovery of oil and debris, the British Admiralty later confirmed the �kill�. At the conclusion of the war it was confirmed that U-714, under the command of Kapitan Leutnant Hans-Joachim Schwebke, had indeed been destroyed by Natal. There were no survivors. HMSAS Natal also served in Far East waters in the Pacific Theatre. Although she sailed from Durban after VJ Day the ship was involved in escort work and relief convoys to Singapore shortly after the Japanese surrender of that port city. The ship took part in the allied occupation of Malaya and returned to Durban towards the end of 1945 to a huge welcome. Returning to the tale about Marion Island, the third ship involved in the annexation of the group was the coaster Gamtoos (which later became the last coal-fired coaster remaining in service on the South African coast).

Gamtoos was a former Smith�s Coasters ship but had been sold to the South African government shortly after the end of hostilities. The government used the little ship to move guano from the West Coast islands to Cape Town, so she was well placed for her unexpected and secret mission. Under the command of Captain W Finlayson, Gamtoos took on stores and prefabricated huts in Cape Town, a deck full of sacks of coal for the return journey, as well as a number of �permanent� settlers who included six islanders from Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic. In charge of this group was a meteorologist, Allan Crawford, who had established a South African Air Force meteorological office on Tristan da Cunha during World War II, where South Africa continued to maintain a weather station. Also among the overcrowded Gamtoos� passengers was a detachment of South African Army Engineers who were tasked with erecting the permanent camp on Marion Island. The ship arrived off the Marion Island anchorage, now named Transvaal Cove, on the morning of 20 January 1948. Among the party were two civilian journalists.

They were the SA Newsreel�s cameraman Ken Sara, and John Marsh, who was then working as a journalist for the Star in Johannesburg. Marsh was a former Cape Town shipping journalist and the author of the best-selling book Skeleton Coast, which told of the rescue of crew and passengers from the Dunedin Star which sank off the South West African coast (now Namibia). Until then Operation Snoektown had remained a top secret and no word of the event had been leaked, and it required special authority from Prime Minister Smuts for the two journalists to accompany the expedition. Typical of the frugality of the time was the accompanying message from Army Headquarters in Pretoria, �These gentlemen are to be supplied with suitable kit on loan, if required.

Suggest army field dress and boots from Q stores most suitable.� The occupation and annexation of Prince Edward and Marion Islands was then repeated in a more formal and ceremonious fashion, before an armed party of 11 from HMSAS Natal that formed the honour guard as Lt-Cmdr Dymond read out the English and Afrikaans versions of the formal proclamation: PROCLAMATION By His Excellency the Right Honourable Gideon Brand van Zyl, a member of His Majesty�s most Honourable Privy Council, Governor-General of the Union of South Africa. PRINCE EDWARD ISLANDS Whereas the National Flag of the Union of South Africa was hoisted by the commander of His Majesty�s South African frigate Transvaal on Marion Island, situated latitude 46.53 south, longitude 37.45 east, on December 29, 1947, and on Prince Edward Island, situated latitude 46.36 south, longitude 37.57 east, on January 4, 1948.

And whereas effective occupation and administration of the said Islands by His Majesty�s Government in the Union of South Africa were established as from the aforesaid dates and will continue permanently. Now therefore, by virtue of the powers vested in me by Section Six of the Royal Executive Functions and Seals Act, 1934, I do hereby proclaim and declare that His Majesty�s sovereignty of Marion Island and Prince Edward Island is henceforth to be exercised by His Majesty�s Government in the Union of South Africa. GOD SAVE THE KING Given under my hand and the Great Seal at Cape Town this 12th Day of January, One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Forty Eight. G. Brand van Zyl By Command of His Excellency the Governor-General-in-Council JC Smuts PRIME MINISTER The ceremony was duly filmed and recorded before the enterprising PO Schott then produced a case of champagne to salute the occasion less formally. Over the coming months the three frigates, Transvaal, Natal and Good Hope paid repeated visits to the islands bringing supplies. Among these supplies was a quantity of high-octane aviation fuel, intended to refuel a Sunderland seaplane on a reconnaissance flight from South Africa.

Eventually another merchant ship, the 3,000 ton Norse Captain was chartered to deliver stores from Cape Town to Marion Island including those left behind by the overloaded Gamtoos. These included the generators for a power plant, and shortly afterwards electricity lit up the small base camp on the island for the first time. A power driven radio station also began broadcasting weather and other reports to Pretoria, a feature that continues to this day. In 1950 a new naval chart of the islands was prepared, replacing an inaccurate chart dating back to the 1870s. In 1961 the South African Department of Transport placed an order for a supply ship to be named RSA with the shipyard in Osaka, Japan. The ice-strengthened and helicopter-carrying RSA would undertake future voyages to Marion Island, Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha and to the Antarctic. In 1978 RSA was replaced by another Japanese-built supply vessel, the SA Agulhas, which continues her regular service between South Africa and her only dependency. In the next year or so SA Agulhas will be joined on this service by a new sea fisheries patrol vessel, undertaking guard duties around the important fishing grounds.

From time to time, such as for a medical emergency, a navy ship has returned to the island bringing help and assistance, thus maintaining the link formed by the frigates Transvaal, Natal and Good Hope. The Island Marion Island contains South Africa�s only active volcano, which last erupted in June 1980. The island reaches to a height of 1230m and has several lava flows that do not yet contain vegetation � suggesting they could be only a few hundred years old. Volcanic forces that built up the mountain from the ocean floor formed the island, and if measured from that depth the mountain would reach 5,000m in height. Marion Island lies 2,300km south east of Cape Town and is 290 square kilometres in extant. There are a number of small lakes with small hills formed from secondary craters dotted around. Prince Edward Island is much smaller and lacks any large mountain, but does have a rocky coastline dominated by steep cliffs falling into the sea. Both islands are declared nature reserves and have extensive colonies of birdlife, including skuas, giant petrels, and various penguins and albatross species.

Mice were inadvertently introduced on Marion Island by sealers in the 19th century and these have evolved into smaller than normal creatures as a result of the climate. The South Africans introduced a population of five cats � a male, a female and three kittens in 1949 in an attempt to control the mice. Although the male cat was castrated before being taken to the island, no account was taken of the sexual potential of three kittens. They quickly multiplied into thousands with a preference for birds instead of mice, but have since been totally eradicated. An accidental introduction of the diamond-backed moth has severely damaged the Kerguelen cabbage, which is found on the island. Other vegetation consists of mosses, lichens and small ferns. There are no trees and sunshine is described as rare. Acknowledgements South Africa�s Fighting Ships by Allan du Toit (publisher Ashanti), South Africa�s Navy � the first fifty years, compiled by the SA Naval Authorities under the direction of Commander JC Goosen. Several websites were also consulted including which includes a webcam.

Other useful sites are found at and ~sa_sa/marion_island/marion_island.html Prince Edward Islands - 必应 Sign in Prince Edward Islands The Prince Edward Islands are two small islands in the sub-antarctic Indian Ocean that are part of South Africa. The islands are named Marion Island (named after Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne) and Prince Edward Island (named after Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn). The islands in the group have been declared Special Nature Reserves under the South African Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, No. 57 of 2003, and activities on the islands are therefore restricted to research and conservation management. The onl ... (展开) y human inhabitants of the islands are the staff of a meteorological and biological research station run by the South African National Antarctic Programme on Marion Island. The Prince Edward Islands and particularly Marion Island feature prominently in the 1929 novel Mary of Marion Isle by H. Rider Haggard. Amateur radio Prince Edward Island is located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, west of Cape Breton Island, north of the Nova Scotia peninsula, and east of New Brunswick.

Whether it's a day at the beach, an evening at the theater, or the best seafood you've ever tasted, the memories you make last longer on Prince Edward Island. This camera overlooks the School of Sustainable Design Engineering building at the University of Prince Edward Island. Share this page: Email this page to a friend. Wood Islands is a rural farming and fishing community located in southeastern Queens County, Prince Edward Island on the Northumberland Strait. It takes its name from ... Prince Edward Islands (Prince Edward & Marion islands) - SkyscraperCity Prince Edward Islands (Prince Edward & Marion islands) User Name As a general reminder, please respect others and respect copyrights. Go here to familiarize yourself with our posting policy. Page 1 of 2 Likes (Received): 220 Prince Edward Islands (Prince Edward & Marion islands) Wikipedia: The Prince Edward Islands are two small islands in the sub-antarctic Indian Ocean that are politically part of South Africa.

As a group of two islands, the Prince Edward Islands are located at 46ï¿½46′23″S 037ï¿½51′09″E﻿ / ﻿46.77306ï¿½S 37.8525ï¿½E﻿ / -46.77306; 37.8525. The two islands are named Marion Island and Prince Edward Island. The only human inhabitants of the islands are the staff of a meteorological and biological research station run by the South African National Antarctic Program on Marion Island. Geography and Geology Marion Island, the larger of the two islands, is located at 46ï¿½54′45″S 37ï¿½44′37″E﻿ / ﻿46.9125ï¿½S 37.74361ï¿½E﻿ / -46.9125; 37.74361﻿ (Marion Island).

It is roughly 19 km (12 miles) long and 12 km (7 mi) wide with a surface of 290 kmï¿½ (112 sq mi) and a coastline of some 72 km (45 mi), most of which are high cliffs. The highest point on Marion Island is Mascarin Peak (formerly State President Swart Peak), reaching 1242 m (4,274 ft) above sea level. Boot Rock is about 150 metres (500 ft) off the northern coast. Prince Edward Island is much smaller (only about 45 kmï¿½, 17 sq mi) and lies some 12 nm (19 km) to the north-east. Prince Edward Island is located at 46ï¿½38′39″S 37ï¿½56′36″E﻿ / ﻿46.64417ï¿½S 37.94333ï¿½E﻿ / -46.64417; 37.94333﻿ (Prince Edward Island).

At the Von Zinderen Bakker Peak north-west of the center, it reaches a height of 672 metres (2,204 ft). There are a few offshore rocks along the northern coast, like Ship Rock (100 metres, 330 ft, north of northernmost point) and Ross Rocks (500 metres, 1650 ft, from the shore). The island group is about 955 nm (1770 km) south-east of Port Elizabeth in mainland South Africa. Both islands are of volcanic origin. Marion Island is one of the peaks of a large underwater shield volcano that rises some 5000 m (16,500 ft) from the sea floor to the top of Mascarin Peak. The volcano was thought to be extinct, but erupted in 1980 and is now classified as "active". Climate The islands lie directly in the path of eastward-moving depressions all year round and this gives them an unusually cool and windy climate. Strong winds blow almost every day of the year and the prevailing wind direction is north-westerly.

Annual rainfall averages from 2400mm up to over 3000mm on Mascarin Peak. It rains on average about 320 days a year (about 28 days a month) and the islands are among the cloudiest places in the world - about 1300 hours a year on the sheltered eastern side of Marion island but falling to around 800 hours away from the coast and on the wet western sides of Marion and Prince Edward Island. Summer and winter have fairly similar climates with cold winds and threat of snow or frost possible at any time of the year. However, the mean temperature in February (midsummer) is 8.3 ï¿½C (46.9 ï¿½F) and in August (midwinter) it is 3.9 ï¿½C (39.0 ï¿½F). Legal status Marion Island and Prince Edward Island were claimed for South Africa by a South African Navy force from the HMSAS Transvaal on 29 December 1947 and 4 January 1948 respectively.

On 1 October 1948 the annexation was made official when Governor-General Gideon Brand van Zyl signed the Prince Edward Islands Act, 1948. Because the United Kingdom relinquished its claims on the islands to South Africa, no other nation has made a claim on the islands, and they have been occupied continuously since 1948 by South Africa, the status of the islands is not in dispute. In terms of the Act, the islands fall under the jurisdiction of the Cape Town Magistrate's Court, and South African law as applied in the Western Cape applies on them. The islands are also deemed to be situated within the electoral district containing the Port of Cape Town; as of 2006[update] this is ward 55 of the City of Cape Town.

RSA Marion Station (Marion Island) For Starters_____________ Prince Edward Islands: Valuable Research Centre - English Blog | By South Africa Channel Features Prince Edward Islands: Valuable Research Centre Located in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean around 955 nautical miles southeast of Port Elizabeth , Marion Island and Prince Edward Island are both of volcanic origin, with the volcano peak of Marion Island having experienced an eruption as recently as 2004. The two islands and some smaller islands, known collectively as the Prince Edward Islands, have been declared as Special Nature Reserves by South African authorities, and access to the islands is limited to research and conservation teams. Ongoing meteorological and biological research is being conducted on Marion Island by the South African National Antarctic Program in an effort to gain a better understanding of the natural environment and life in the harsh conditions of the Antarctic. The Prince Edward Islands experience cold and windy weather all year round, with strong winds blowing almost continually and an annual rainfall of between 2,400 mm and 3,000 mm with rain falling about 28 days a month. Because of the continually cold climate, plant life on the islands consists mainly of mosses, lichens and some grasses.

Resident animals include large populations of seals, penguins and seabirds, as well as an assortment of insects. Several species of whales can be spotted in the waters around the islands, attracted there by the penguins and seals they prey on. At one stage bird populations on the island where threatened by cats that had been introduced to deal with a mouse problem at the base in 1949. The cats had multiplied to an estimated 3,400 cats by 1977. Using various means these numbers were eventually drastically reduced, and today it is believed that there are no more cats to be found on Marion Island - and birdlife is once again abundant. Unfortunately some species of petrels were hunted to extinction before the problem was rectified. The history of Prince Edward Islands goes back to 1663 when they were discovered by Dutch mariners. In 1776, renowned explorer James Cook set sail from Cape Town for the islands, but was unable to land due to adverse weather conditions.

He named the smaller of the two main islands after Prince Edward, and the larger island Marion Island, believed to be a reference to the explorer Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne who had visited the island in 1772. The islands were annexed by South Africa in 1947/1948 and a research station was set up on the north-east coast of Marion Island. The islands continue to be of great importance to the international scientific community. Tags: Prince Edward Islands - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles . Related top topics From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about two South African sub-antarctic islands. For the Canadian province, see Prince Edward Island . Orthographic projection centred on the Prince Edward Islands Map of Prince Edward Islands The Prince Edward Islands are two small islands in the sub-antarctic Indian Ocean that are politically part of South Africa .

As a group of two islands, the Prince Edward Islands are located at 46°46′23″S 037°51′09″E﻿ / ﻿46.77306°S 37.8525°E﻿ / -46.77306; 37.8525 . The two islands are named Marion Island and Prince Edward Island. The only human inhabitants of the islands are the staff of a meteorological and biological research station run by the South African National Antarctic Programme on Marion Island. Contents 6 External links Geography and geology The island group is about 955 nm (1770 km) south-east of Port Elizabeth in mainland South Africa .

Marion Island ( 46°54′45″S 37°44′37″E﻿ / ﻿46.9125°S 37.74361°E﻿ / -46.9125; 37.74361﻿ (Marion Island) ), the larger of the two, is 25.03 km (15.6 miles) long and 16.65 km (10.3 mi) wide with a surface of 290 km² (112 sq mi ) and a coastline of some 72 km (45 mi), most of which are high cliffs. The highest point on Marion Island is Mascarin Peak (formerly State President Swart Peak), reaching 1242 m (4,274 ft) above sea level. Boot Rock is about 150 metres (500 ft) off the northern coast.

Prince Edward Island ( 46°38′39″S 37°56′36″E﻿ / ﻿46.64417°S 37.94333°E﻿ / -46.64417; 37.94333﻿ (Prince Edward Island) ) is much smaller — only about 45 km² (17 sq mi), 10.23 km (6.36 miles) long and 6.57 km (4.08 mi) wide — and lies some 12 nm (19 km) to the north-east. At the Von Zinderen Bakker Peak north-west of the center, it reaches a height of 672 metres (2,204 ft). There are a few offshore rocks along the northern coast, like Ship Rock (100 metres, 330 ft, north of northernmost point) and Ross Rocks (500 metres, 1650 ft, from the shore). Both islands are of volcanic origin.

Marion Island is one of the peaks of a large underwater shield volcano that rises some 5000 m (16,500 ft) from the sea floor to the top of Mascarin Peak. The volcano was thought to be extinct, but erupted in 1980 and is now classified as "active". Advertisements Climate The islands lie directly in the path of eastward-moving depressions all year round and this gives them an unusually cool and windy climate. Strong winds blow almost every day of the year and the prevailing wind direction is north-westerly. Annual rainfall averages from 2400mm up to over 3000mm on Mascarin Peak. It rains on average about 320 days a year (about 28 days a month) and the islands are among the cloudiest places in the world - about 1300 hours a year on the sheltered eastern side of Marion island but falling to around 800 hours away from the coast and on the wet western sides of Marion and Prince Edward Island. Summer and winter have fairly similar climates with cold winds and threat of snow or frost possible at any time of the year.

However, the mean temperature in February (midsummer) is 8.3 °C (46.9 °F) and in August (midwinter) it is 3.9 °C (39.0 °F). [1] [2] Flora and fauna The islands are part of the Southern Indian Ocean Islands tundra ecoregion that includes several subantarctic islands. In this cold climate plant life is mainly limited to grasses, mosses and lichens , while the main indigenous animals are insects along with large populations of seabirds , seals and penguins . [3] The waters surrounding the islands are also often frequented by several species of whale, especially orcas which prey on penguins and seals. The wildlife is particularly vulnerable to introduced species and one particular problem has been cats. In 1949, five domestic cats were brought to Marion Island to deal with a mouse problem in the station. However, the cats multiplied quickly, and by 1977 there were about 3,400 cats living on the island, feeding on the burrowing petrels instead of the mice, threatening to drive the birds to extinction on the island.

Some species of petrels did become extinct on Marion Island, and thus a "cat eradication program" was set up: a few cats were infected with the highly specific feline panleukopenia virus, which reduced the number of cats to about 600 by 1982. [4] The remaining cats were killed by night-time shooting, and in 1991, only eight cats could be trapped in a twelve-month period. It is believed that there are no cats left on Marion Island today. History The islands were discovered in 1663 by the Dutch ship Maerseveen. In 1772, Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne visited the islands and spent five days trying to land, thinking he had found Antarctica (then not yet proven to exist). In 1776, his expedition, now headed by his second-in-command, Jules Crozet, after the death of du Fresne, met James Cook in Cape Town . Cook subsequently set sail for the islands, but was unable to attempt a landing due to bad weather conditions.

He named [1] the smaller island after Prince Edward , the fourth son of King George III , and to the larger gave the name of Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne .[citation needed] The first recorded landing was in 1803 and was made by a group of seal hunters. These sealers, however, found signs of earlier human occupation, probably other sealers.[citation needed] James Clark Ross also visited the islands in 1840 but was also unable to land. Finally, the islands were surveyed by Captain George Nares in 1873.[citation needed] In 1908, the British government granted William Newton the rights to exploit guano deposits for the next twenty-one years, and a ten-year grant for seal exploitation to a sealing company in 1926. Also in 1908, shipwrecked hunters established a village at the north coast, called Fairbairn Settlement.[citation needed] Logo of Marion Island In late 1947 and early 1948, South Africa annexed the islands and installed the meteorological station on Transvaal Cove on the north-east coast of Marion Island.

The research station was soon enlarged and today researches the biology of the islands, in particular the birds ( penguins , petrels , albatrosses , gulls ) and seals. Today, the research station is called RSA Marion Station. [5] The researchers have observed a seal trying to have sex with a penguin, "At first glimpse, we thought the seal was killing the penguin. But then we realised that the seal's intentions were rather more amorous. It was most certainly a once-off and has never previously or since been recorded anywhere in the world to our knowledge," said Nico de Bruyn of the University of Pretoria . [6] On September 22, 1979, one of the US Vela spy satellites recorded an activity near the Prince Edward Islands, which was initially interpreted as the "double flash" of a small nuclear test. The event is still controversial and is known as the Vela Incident . Legal status Marion Island and Prince Edward Island were claimed for South Africa by a South African Navy force from the HMSAS Transvaal on 29 December 1947 and 4 January 1948 respectively.

On 1 October 1948 the annexation was made official when Governor-General Gideon Brand van Zyl signed the Prince Edward Islands Act, 1948. Because the United Kingdom relinquished its claims on the islands to South Africa, no other nation has made a claim on the islands, and they have been occupied continuously since 1948 by South Africa, the status of the islands is not in dispute. In terms of the Act, the islands fall under the jurisdiction of the Cape Town Magistrate's Court , and South African law as applied in the Western Cape applies on them. The islands are also deemed to be situated within the electoral district containing the Port of Cape Town ; as of 2006 this is ward 55 of the City of Cape Town . See also ^ General Survey of Climatology, V12 (2001), Elsevier ^ GISS Climate data averages for 1978 to 2007, source - GHCN Buy Marion Island and Prince Edward Island (sometimes collectively called the Prince Edward Islands, even though Marion is the larger and more visited island) are two islands of the Southern Ocean , south of – and territory of – South Africa .

They should not be confused with Prince Edward Island , the province of Canada . Get in The only way to travel to Marion Island is as a team member. Communication is served by the ship S.A. Agulhas that travels Cape Town-Marion Island once a year. Understand Marion Island is run as a research station by SANAP . Marion Island is not a tourist destination and access is limited to SANAP team members. Buy There are no shops on Marion island. This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow! Earth Snapshot • Marion Island October 17th, 2008 Category: Snapshots Price Edward Islands wave clouds - October 16th, 2008 Prince Edward Islands Map The Prince Edward Islands are two small islands in the sub-antarctic Indian Ocean that are politically part of South Africa. They are located about 1770 km south-east of Port Elizabeth, in mainland South Africa. The two islands are named Marion Island and Prince Edward Island. Their only human inhabitants are the staff of a meteorological and biological research station run by the South African National Antarctic Programme on Marion Island.

Both islands are of volcanic origin. Marion Island is one of the peaks of a large underwater shield volcano that rises some 5000 m (16,500 ft) from the sea floor to the top of Mascarin Peak. The volcano was thought to be extinct, but erupted in 1980 and is now classified as active. The islands are among the cloudiest places in the world, and it rains on average about 320 days a year (about 28 days a month). Although the islands are covered by clouds in the image, their location is clearly visible at the apex of the clouds with the form of waves from a ship’s wake. These wave cloud patterns form as stable air flows over a mountain range, and can either form above the range or on the side protected from the wind. As an air mass travels through the wave, it undergoes repeated uplift and descent. If there is enough moisture in the atmosphere, clouds form at the crests of these waves. In the descending part of the wave this cloud evaporate due to adiabatic heating, leading to the characteristic repeating cloud/clear bands.

The cloud base on the leeward side (the side sheltered from the wind) is higher than on the windward side because precipitation on the windward side removes water from the air. Private Islands For Sale: South Africa Islands - The Prince Edward Islands Private Islands For Sale, View all of the world's finest islands with pictures, videos , and much more. Also view private island resorts, homes and vacation rentals. Sunday, March 23, 2008 South Africa Islands - The Prince Edward Islands The Prince Edward Islands are two small islands in the sub-antarctic Indian Ocean that are politically part of South Africa. As a group of two islands, the Prince Edwards Islands are located at 46°46′23″S, 037°51′09″E. The two islands are named Marion Island ( 46°54′45″S, 37°44′37″E) and Prince Edward Island ( 46°38′39″S, 37°56′36″E).

The only human inhabitants of the islands are the staff of a meteorological and biological research station run by the South African National Antarctic Programme on Marion Island. Geography and geologyMarion Island, the larger of the two islands, is located at 46°54′45″S, 37°44′37″E. It is roughly 19 km (12 miles) long and 12 km (7 mi) wide with a surface of 290 km² (112 sq mi) and a coastline of some 72 km (45 mi), most of which are high cliffs. The highest point on Marion Island is Mascarin Peak (Formerly State President Swart Peak), reaching 1242 m (4,274 ft) above sea level. Boot Rock is about 150 meters (500 ft) off the northern coast. Prince Edward Island is much smaller (only about 45 km², 17 sq mi) and lies some 12 nm (19 km) to the northeast.

Prince Edward Island is located at 46°38′39″S, 37°56′36″E. At the Von Zinderen Bakker Peak northwest of the center, it reaches a height of 672 meters (2,204 ft). There are a few offshore rocks along the northern coast, like Ship Rock (100 meters, 330 ft, north of northernmost point) and Ross Rocks (500 meters, 1650 ft, from the shore). The island group is about 955 nm (1770 km) south-east of Port Elizabeth in mainland South Africa. Both islands are of volcanic origin. Marion Island is one of the peaks of a large underwater shield volcano that rises some 5000 m (16,500 ft) from the sea floor to the top of Mascarin Peak. The volcano was thought to be extinct, but erupted in 1980 and is now classed as "active". ClimateThe islands lie directly in the path of eastward-moving depressions all year round and this gives them an unusually cool and unpleasant climate.

Strong winds blow almost every day of the year and the prevailing wind direction is north-westerly. Annual rainfall averages from 2400mm up to over 3000mm on Mascarin Peak. It rains on average about 320 days a year (about 28 days a month) and the islands are among the cloudiest places in the world - about 1300 hours a year on the sheltered eastern side of Marion island but falling to around 800 hours away from the coast and on the wet western sides of Marion and Prince Edward island. Summer and winter are not remarkably different with cold winds and threat of snow or frost possible at any time of the year. However, the mean temperature in February is 8.3°C (midsummer) and in August it is 3.9°C (midwinter). HistoryThe islands were discovered in 1663 by the Dutch ship Maerseveen. In 1772, Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne visited the islands and spent five days trying to land, thinking he had found Antarctica (then not yet proven to exist).

In 1776, his expedition, now headed by his second-in-command, Jules Crozet after the death of du Fresne, met James Cook in Cape Town. Cook subsequently set sail for the islands, but was unable to attempt a landing due to bad weather conditions. He named the smaller island after Prince Edward, the fourth son of King George III and to the larger gave the name of Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne. The first recorded landing was in 1803 and was made by a group of seal hunters, who did, however, find signs of earlier inhabitation, probably other sealers. James Clark Ross also visited the islands in 1840 but was also unable to land. Finally, the islands were surveyed by Captain George Nares in 1873. In 1908, the British government granted William Newton the rights to exploit guano deposits for the next twenty-one years, and a ten-year grant for seal exploitation to a sealing company in 1926.

Logo of Marion IslandIn late 1947 and early 1948, South Africa annexed the islands and installed the meteorological station Fairbairn Settlement on Transvaal Cove on the northeast coast of Marion Island. The research station was soon enlarged and today researches the biology of the islands, in particular the birds (penguins, petrels, albatrosses, gulls) and seals. In 1949, five domestic cats were brought to Marion Island to deal with a mouse problem in the station. However, the cats multiplied quickly, and by 1977 there were about 3,400 cats living on the island, feeding on the burrowing petrels instead of the mice, threatening to drive the birds to extinction on the island. Some species of petrels did become extinct on Marion Island, and thus a "cat eradication program" was set up: a few cats were infected with the highly specific feline panleukopenia virus, which reduced the number of cats to about 600 by 1982. The remaining cats were killed by night-time hunting, and in 1991, only eight cats could be trapped in a twelve-month period.

It is believed that there are no cats left on Marion Island today. On September 22, 1979, one of the U.S. Vela spy satellites recorded an activity near the Prince Edward Islands, which was initially interpreted like the "double flash" of a small nuclear test. The event is still controversial and is known as Vela Incident. Legal statusMarion Island and Prince Edward Island were claimed for South Africa by a South African Navy force from the HMSAS Transvaal on 29 December 1947 and 4 January 1948 respectively. On 1 October 1948 the annexation was made official when Governor-General Gideon Brand van Zyl signed the Prince Edward Islands Act 43 of 1948. Because the United Kingdom relinquished its claims on the islands to South Africa, no other nation has made a claim on the islands, and they have been occupied continuously since 1948 by South Africa, the status of the islands is not in dispute. In terms of the Act, the islands fall under the jurisdiction of the Cape Town Magistrate's Court, and South African law as applied in the Western Cape applies on them.

The islands are also deemed to be situated within the electoral district containing the Port of Cape Town; as of 2006 this is ward 55 of the City of Cape Town. Marion Island Marion Island History Life at the base Teams Newsletters Weather Gallery News Marion Island lies at 46°52'34" South 37°51'32" East in the Southern Indian Ocean. Marion Island is 19 km long by 12 km wide, and the two islands have a combined area of 316 square km and politically form part of South Africa's Western Cape Province. The islands are volcanic in origin, with Marion having many hillocks (secondary craters) and small lakes. Prince Edward Island has spectacular cliffs up to 490m high on its south western side. Marion is the higher of the two islands, and State President Peak, it's highest point at 1,230m, is permanently covered in snow and ice. It is surrounded by a large number of secondary craters, betraying its volcanic origin. There is little vegetation, except for lichen, in the island's centre.

Elsewhere the vegetation is mainly mosses and ferns, and the terrain is very boggy. This is due to the abundant snow and rain. There are no trees, due to the persistent, strong westerly winds commonly termed the Roaring Forties. Marion Island's position relative to the rest of the world. Marion Island (click for large view of Marion and Prince Edward Island) Research..... Biological/environmental research is a major function of the Marion Island base (weather data collection being the other). Close to 1000 scientific papers and dozens of post-graduate theses have been produced from research on Marion, and the long-term biological monitoring programmes provide exceptional research potential into the rate and impacts of climate change as a result of global warming. The research on Marion Island focuses mainly on the following themes: Weather and Climate studies; the interactions between marine and terrestrial systems; the life histories of seals, seabirds and killer whales; the structure and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems and the structure and functioning of near shore ecosystems. The station on Marion Island is usually manned by the following personnel: 1 Senior meteorologist

Question: Where are The Prince Edward Islands, two islands named Marion Island and Prince Edward Island, which are politically part of South Africa?
Answer: Indian Ocean