Cape Washington is a prominent cape, , marking the south extremity of the cove which separates

Wood Bay Wood Bay is a large bay which is bounded by Cape Johnson and Aviator Glacier Tongue on the north, and Cape Washington on the south, along the coast of Victoria Land, Antarctica. It was discovered in 1841 by Captain James Clark Ross Sir James ...

and Terra Nova Bay, in

Victoria Land Victoria Land is a region in eastern Antarctica which fronts the western side of the Ross Sea and the Ross Ice Shelf, extending southward from about 70°30'S to 78°00'S, and westward from the Ross Sea to the edge of the Antarctic Plateau. It ...

, Antarctica. It separates the Borchgrevink Coast to the north from the

Scott Coast Scott Coast () is the portion of the coast of Victoria Land, Antarctica between Cape Washington and Minna Bluff. It was named by the New Zealand Antarctic Place-Names Committee in 1961 after Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Royal Navy, leader of the ...

to the south. It was discovered in 1841 by Captain James Clark Ross,

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

, and named by him for Captain Washington, Royal Navy, who was secretary of the

Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

, 1836–40.

Wildlife

Cape Washington is high in biodiversity. It is home to the second-largest colony of

emperor penguin The emperor penguin (''Aptenodytes forsteri'') is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica. The male and female are similar in plumage and size, reaching in length and weighing from . Feathers of th ...

s in the world, with a population of over 25,000 breeding pairs. A small colony of south polar skuas, numbering over 50 breeding pairs, is present on the headland that stands high above the penguins. The huge monolith that the skuas nest on provides shelter for the tens of thousands of penguins below. An area of 28,584 ha was designated

Antarctic Specially Protected Area An Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) is an area on the continent of Antarctica, or on nearby islands, which is protected by scientists and several different international bodies. The protected areas were established in 1961 under the Antarct ...

No.173 in 2013 for its outstanding ecological and scientific values, particularly the large emperor penguin colony. The site was also recognised as an

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

(IBA) by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

References

External links

* Antarctic Specially Protected Areas Important Bird Areas of Antarctica Penguin colonies Headlands of Victoria Land Borchgrevink Coast Scott Coast {{ScottCoast-geo-stub