Witless Bay Ecological Reserve
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Witless Bay Ecological Reserve
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 Gull Island |
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| location | Newfoundland and Labrador , Canada | |
| surface | 31 km² | |
| WDPA ID | 18144 | |
| Geographical location | 47 ° 16 ' N , 52 ° 47' W | |
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| Sea level | from 0 m to 62 m | |
| Setup date | 1964 | |
| administration | Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Department of Fisheries and Land Resources, Land Management Division, Natural Areas Program | |
The Witless Bay Ecological Reserve is a nature reserve off the east coast of the island of Newfoundland, which is part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador . The protected area has existed since 1964. In 1983 it was given the status of an Ecological Reserve .
location
The sanctuary is located 33 km south of the city of St. John's . It includes the four islands of Gull Island , Green Island , Great Island and Pee Pee Island as well as the surrounding waters off the coast of Newfoundland. The largest island is Gull Island, 2.2 km offshore . The protected area has an area of 31 km², of which 29 km² is water. Boat tours to the islands are available from the coastal community of Witless Bay . During the main breeding season, from April 1st to September 1st, stricter regulations apply to access to the protected area.
fauna
The islands are home to the largest breeding colony of puffins in North America. It is believed that there are more than 260,000 breeding pairs there in late spring and summer. In addition, the second largest colony of the wave runner ( Oceanodroma leucorhoa ) is located in Witless Bay . The colony comprises 620,000 breeding pairs. Other breeding birds on the islands are the kittiwake and the guillemot . Humpback whales can also be seen in the coastal waters .
Web links
- Witless Bay Ecological Reserve at Natural Resources Canada
- Witless Bay Ecological Reserve at www.protectedplanet.net