Jason Islands - Geography

Geography

The islands include Steeple Island, Grand Island, Elephant Island, Flat Island and South Island.

• Steeple Jason Island is runs south-east to north-west. A narrow neck of land breaks the island into two sections, both with steep slopes on both sides. The northern point has a wide low plateau which is an important area for breeding seabirds.

• Grand Island, the largest of the group, has a varied terrain with steep cliffs and high plateaux with gullies. There are tussac-covered west and south facing slopes, but severely eroded areas, especially at the northern, south-eastern and western ends. Above 60–90 metres (197–295 ft), tussac is sparse and there are low grasses and small cushion plants

• Steeple Islet is generally low-lying and slopes towards a rocky north-western point. It is almost completely covered in dense tussac grass.

• Flat Jason Island is low-lying.

• Elephant Jason Island has a long ridge with a maximum height of 208 metres (682 ft). On the western coast thee are sheer cliffs; on the northern and eastern coasts the land slopes into low-lying plateaux covered with dense tussac. The tussac extends round most of the island except at the most northerly point, where there are areas of grass and heath. Early in the 20th century it was used as a base for government sealing inspectors.

• South Jason Island has a central ridge with a high point about 300 metres (980 ft).

• South Fur Island, about 3 miles (4.8 km) off the south coast of South Jason Island, is notable for its dolerite boulders.

• North Fur lies east of Flat Jason. It has steep cliffs and has never been stocked probably because access is difficult.

• Clarke's Islet is about 0.3 miles (0.48 km) off the north-eastern coast of Grand Jason Island. The Fridays are two small, low-lying islands about 3 miles (4.8 km) off the north-west coast of Flat Jason.

The Spanish name for the archipelago is Islas Sebaldes, however, this is sometimes subdivided into "Islas los Salvajes" (western, Grand Jason, and Steeple Jason) and "Islas las Llaves" (eastern, Flat Jason, Seal Rocks and North Fur Island),. No such distinction exists in English-language toponymy.

The Jason Islands are somewhat geologically distinct described by Ian Strange as "sharply rising peaks give them a grandeur found in few other areas of the archipelago.