Open Bay Islands

Wildlife

The Open Bay Islands support several endemic species, including a terrestrial leech (Hirudobdella antipodum), and a skink (Oligosoma taumakae). In 2010 the skink was discovered on the Barn Islands, two rock stacks near Haast, as well as a terrestrial leech likely to be Hirudobdella antipodum; the gecko, however, has only ever been recorded from Taumaki Island, and only 15 have been seen.

Taumaki Island has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because it is a breeding site for Fiordland penguins. New Zealand fur seals currently numbering in the thousands have recolonized the islands following the end of commercial sealing. Hector's dolphins and bottlenose dolphins (occasional) are present at Jackson Bay, and migratory southern right and humpback whales are also present. Great white sharks have also been confirmed in the area.

Wekas

Although introduced mammals are not known ever to have reached the Open Bay Islands, the introduction of weka (a native flightless rail, Gallirallus australis) from the South Island in the early 1900s has had an adverse impact on the flora and fauna of the islands. The Department of Conservation have recommended to the Minister of Conservation that weka should be removed from the islands. The Trust which governs the island has agreed to removal on the condition that they are not killed.

Castaways

The sealer , brought a ten-man sealing gang from Sydney to the islands. The men had very basic provisions: some food, salt, an axe, an adze, and a cooper's drawing knife. The ship, which left the islands on 16 February 1810, was not seen again, and the sealing gang was assumed to have been lost with the ship. After years of considerable hardship, they finally saw a ship, the Governor Bligh, and attracted its attention. They were picked up and arrived back in Sydney on 15 December 1813.

The men's fate has been turned into a song, Davy Low'ston, that tells their ordeal.

References

References

1. Miller, Craig. (September 1997). "Occurrence and ecology of the Open Bay Islands leech, Hirudobdella antipodium". Department of Conservation.
2. Miller, Craig. (December 1999). "Conservation of the Open Bay Islands' leech, ''Hirudobdella antipodum''". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
3. Hoplodactylus granulatus]]''),Hitchmough, R., Bull, L. and Cromarty, P. (compilers) (2007) "New Zealand Threat Classification System lists— 2005", Dept of Conservation, Wellington.
4. (2013). "A significant range extension and sanctuary for the rare Open Bay Island skink (''Oligosoma taumakae'')". New Zealand Journal of Zoology.
5. Wilson, Kerry-Jayne. (2013). "West Coast Walking: a naturalist's guide". Canterbury University Press.
6. (2024). "Important Bird Area factsheet: Open Bay Islands.". BirdLife International.
7. Gilchrist, Shane. (3 November 2014). "Up close to the coast". [[Otago Daily Times]].
8. Baird, S.J.. "New Zealand fur seals – summary of current knowledge".
9. "Sealions and furseals".
10. "A seal colony on Taumaki Island, one of the Open Bay islands off the Haast River, West Coast | NZETC".
11. "ArcGIS Web Application".
12. "Marine Reserves Application for five sites in the West Coast ''Tai Poutini'' Conservancy, in the localities of Kahurangi, Punakaiki, Ōkārito, Ship Creek and Gorge".
13. (24 February 2014). "West Coast Shark Catch Early 1990s".
14. Burrows, C.J. (1972) "The flora and vegetation of Open Bay Islands", ''Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand'' 2 (15-42).
15. Glass, Amy. (23 July 2010). "Colony of inbred wekas may have a lucky escape". [[The Press]].
16. Fyfe, Frank. (1970). "The story of David Lowston, a pre-colonial NZ song". Journal of New Zealand Folklore.
17. Smith, Ian W.G.. (June 2002). "The New Zealand Sealing Industry". Department of Conservation.
18. McSaveney, Eileen. (25 September 2011). "Nearshore islands". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
19. {{youTube. vYDaOQ0ws3A. Martin Carthy's version of ''Davy Low'ston''