2 Fascinating Bird Islands off the West Coast

Malgas and Jutten Islands are marine protected areas within the West Coast National Park.

Malgas Island

Malgas Island is a marine protected area within the West Coast National Park. It Is about 800 m from the mainland at the northern entrance of Saldanha Bay. It is a small island of about 8.3 ha and almost rectangular in shape and fairly flat. The highest point is about 9 m above sea level. Parts of the island consist of smooth rock and big boulders with patches of shallow sand, shell fragments and guano. The island is occupied by nesting Cape Gannets. Other nesting seabirds are mostly on the periphery. However,small numbers of the Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus have established themselves in the centre of the island, Some rocky outcrops amongst the gannets’ nesting ground are used by Crowned and Cape Cormorants. The sparse vegetation is mostly low winter growing herbs but almost no vegetation during summer. There are no mammals on Malgas Island.

Jutten island

Jutten Island is also a marine protected area that is a large, triangular island lying about 800 m from Jut Point at the southern entrance to Saldanha Bay it rises to some 60 m. Sparse vegetation grows over numerous boulders strewn across its flat perimeter and up the sides of two small hills.

The site is part of the NPA and permission to dive has to be obtained. A boat dive can be arranged on the eastern side of the island.

All sorts of plant life, including a huge kelp forest, anemones, and sea urchins, can be seen. Many varieties of fish are also possible encounters.

The coastal islands of southern Africa are part of the continental plate, and during the Pleistocene glaciations (12,000 years ago) were part of the mainland. About 2000 years ago the sea level was at least 3 m higher than it is now so they were often underwater at high tide. Most of the flora and fauna could not establish itself on Malgas and Jutten islands.  Also, the seabirds themselves impact the biodiversity. The area gets covered in guano which, while it has great fertilizing qualities, is in itself quite inert.