Page 201 - Atlas Sea Birds Ver1

Geyser Island Geyser Island had substantial colonies of African Penguin
Coordinates: 34.6901 S; 19.4130 E (328 pairs in 1991), Cape Cormorant (545 pairs in 1979),
Description: A barren, rocky island c. 3 ha in extent that Bank Cormorant (38 pairs in 1978), and White-breasted
lies to the south of Dyer Island. It is mainly a seal rookery Cormorant (58 pairs in 1993). However, expansion of the
(Rand 1963). seal herd since the 1990s (Seakamela et al. 2024) led to
Conservation status: It was gazetted as the Geyser Is- extinctions of the penguin, Cape and White-breasted cor-
land Provincial Nature Reserve in 1988 (Province of the morant colonies and a decrease in numbers of Bank Cor-
Cape of Good Hope 1988) and is administered by Cape- morants. Small numbers of Crowned Cormorant and Kelp
Nature. Gull have bred at the island. Details are given on the follow-
Species and numbers breeding: Until the early 1990s, ing Geyser Island table.

African Cape Bank White-breasted Crowned
Year Kelp Gull
Penguin Cormorant Cormorant Cormorant Cormorant
1956 1
1971 5
1978 151 0 38 17 2
1979 318 545 51 1
1981 48
1985 0
1987 291 56
1990 20
1991 328
1992 1
1993 172 3 58
1994 0
1995 50 0 16 36
1996 47 0
1997 5 0 9 0
1998 0 0
1999 1 0 1 0
2000 0 5 0
2001 0 0
2002 0 3 0
2003 0 9 0
2004 2 0 8 0
2005 1 0 10 0
2006 0 8 0
2007 6 0 8 0 5
2008 6 0 4 0
2009 4 0 2 0 0
2010 3 0 2 0 1
2011 2 0 11 0 0 0
2012 2 0 2 0 0
2013 0 0 15 0 0
2014 0 0 6 0
2015 0 0 10 0
2016 0 0 8 0
2017 0 0 9 0 0
2018 0 0 10 0 0
2019 0 0 9 0 0
2020 0 9 0 0 1

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