Île de Croÿ is an island under French jurisdiction. It is part of an archipelago known as the Kerguelen Islands, situated approximately 10 miles (16 kilometres) north-west of the main island. It is located at 48°38'19.3"S 68°37'18.6"E. It currently has no permanent population.
Île de Croÿ was discovered in 1776 by Captain James Cook as part of his renowned nautical expedition through the southern hemisphere. It is the largest of five islands in a small group Cook named the 'Cloudy Isles', now known as Iles Nuageuses.[1]
Île de Croÿ, at it's highest peak, rises 1,699 feet (518 meters) above sea level. The island stretches 3.49 miles (5.61 kilometers) long between its furthermost points[2], and covers an area of approximately 6.2 square miles (16 square kilometres).The majority of the archipelago is the result of volcanic activity, as indicated by its high concentration of flood basalt and trachytic ignimbrite. The composition and burial depth of the ignimbrite indicates that the last major volcanic eruption in the area occurred between 23,000 and 29,000 years ago,[3] near the end of the Pleistocene.[4]
The temperature in Île de Croÿ is usually very cold, with a temperature averaging 9 degrees celsius in its summer months, and an extremely varying but generally below freezing in winter months. It is classified as a tundra environment[5] due to its low temperature and significant precipitation.[6]
Living on the island are penguins, albatrosses, and seals.[7] [8]
No introduced species are present.[9]
| Antarctic fur seal | Arctocephalus gazella | Least Concern | [1]|-|Antarctic prion|Pachyptila desolata|Least Concern|[2] |
| Black-browed albatross | Thalassarche melanophris | Least Concern | [3]|-|Black-faced sheathbill|Chionis minor|Least Concern|[4]|-|Common diving petrel|Pelecanoides urinatrix|Least Concern|[5]|-|Eaton's pintail|Anas eatoni|Vunerable|[6]|-|Gentoo penguin|Pygoscelis papua|Least Concern|[7] |
| Grey-headed albatross | Thalassarche chrysostoma | Endangered | [8]|-|Kerguelen petrel|Aphrodroma brevirostris|Least Concern|[9]|-|Kerguelen tern|Sterna virgata|Near Threatened|[10]|-|Light-mantled albatross|Phoebetria palpebrata|Near Threatened|[11]|-|Northern giant petrel|Macronectes halli|Least Concern|[12]|-|Snowy albatross|Diomedea exulans|Vunerable|[13]|-|Southern rockhopper penguin|Eudyptes chrysocome|Vunerable|[14]|-|White-chinned petrel|Procellaria aequinoctialis|Vunerable|[15]|-|Wilson's storm petrel|Oceanites oceanicus|Least Concern|[16]|}References |