Window3

Wildlife.

IS THERE ANY INDIGENOUS WILDLIFE?

Actually no there isn`t.But this does not stop the island being host to a large range of animals,birds and of course fish. Lets start with the animals.As i said,all the animals on the island have been introduced by man.Some of the species you will find roaming about are ferral cats,rats,mice,sheep,rabbits and donkeys.The ferral cats have made a particular impact on the island.Once the island was literaly covered with seabirds, but the presence of the cats has forced the birds into nesting elsewhere.That does not mean the island is without its birdlife though.

SO TELL ME ABOUT THE BIRDS?

The bird you are most likely to see on Ascension is the Frigate,or Men O`War as they otherwise known. They obtain the majority of their food by stealing it off of other birds and have even been known to take baby turtles.

Baby turtle and chips please There are five species of the Frigate around the world but the one found on Ascension is unique to the island. Breeding takes place only on Boatswain Bird Island(see map)but they can be seen all round the island scavaging for food.

Other birds that inhabit the island include Boobies.These birds mate for life and can be found on Boatswain Bird Island and the cliffs around Clarence Bay. There are two types,the Brown Booby and the much rarer Masked Booby.They feed by diving into the sea and picking off fish. Fairy Terns and Sooty Terns can also be found around the island.Fairy Terns breed on Boatswain Bird Island but the Sooty Terns only come ashore once a year to breed.During this time they can be seen in their thousands in the Mars bay area of the island.

Are you sure theres a Harry Ramsdens here

AND THE FISH?

The sea life around the coast of Ascension is incredible.If you are into snorkeling or scuba diving there are few places around the world that can top it.The variety of fish is emense. One of the islands most famous fish is the Blackfish.These are related to the Piranha and a close inspection will reveal a whole load of little sharp teeth.But they are not dangerous and it is perfectly safe to swim with them,as long as you don`t have any cuts.A taste of blood could induce a bite here or there.

Hungry fish If you want to see Blackfish just go to any of the beaches with a stash of bread rolls or crisps or leftovers from your dinner plate,they pretty much eat anything.Years of people feeding them have taught them to hang around the beaches.

There are many other types of fish that live round the coastline of Ascension.On and offshore you can find Tuna,Wahoo,Blackjacks,sharks,porpoises,eels and Grouper to name but a few.

Big fish Flipper and friend

Another animal worth mentioning when talking about Ascension is the turtle.Ascension is a very popular place amongs turtles.It must be,every year in December green turtles make the long journey from the waters around Brazil to Ascension. They mate at sea,then the females go ashore,drag themselves up the beach,use their flippers to dig a hole and then lay about 150 eggs.She then fills in the hole and drags herself back into the sea.She will do this once every two weeks while the breeding season lasts. At the end she may have laid up to 1000 or more eggs.After 60 days the eggs hatch and the young have to dig themselves out of the hole and make the dangerous journey to the sea.Dangerous because there are a whole load of predators waiting to eat them.It is so dangerous that out of 1000 eggs laid only two of the young are likly to make it to adulthood.