Birdlife

Robben Island hosts about 132 bird species. These include seabirds, waterbirds and terrestrial birds. A few species have been introduced to the Island by humans such as the Chukar Partridge and Guinea Fowl.

The environment provides a sheltered and safe haven for this large variety of bird species, some of which are endangered. Many of the birds use the Island for breeding and roasting. Some birds from the mainland such as crowned cormorant and black crowned night herons breed on the Island in large colonies.

The African penguin (formerly the jackass) is a species that was abundant in the 17th century but was brought to extinction in the 1800s by human activities. By 1983 the penguins were introduced and now has established themselves as a breeding population. They are a favourite attraction for visitors to the island.

Natural vegetation

The types of flora and fauna on Robben Island however has been affected by humans through farming practices and by introducing extensive plantations of shrubs and exotic trees, some of which were planted to provide shade for patients during the period the Island functioned as a leper colony.

The spectacular veld flowers typical of the West Coast also occur on the Island during spring.

Marine and wildlife

The boat trip between Cape Town and Robben Island provides an opportunity to see a wide spectrum of seabirds and marine mammals including Cape Fur seals, Southern Right whales and Dusky and Heaviside Dolphins.

Once on the Island, you will be able to see some of the 23 species of mammals, which have been recorded including small herds of bontebok, springbok, steenbok, fallow deer and eland. An increasing number of ostriches, lizards, geckos, snakes and three species of tortoise can also be found.

Geology

The Island is actually the summit of an ancient, now submerged mountain, linked by an undersea saddle to the Blouberg. Its lower strata consists of Malmesbury shale forming a rocky and somewhat inhospitable coastline. Above this lies a thick limestone and calcrete deposit covered by windblown sands and shell fragments.

The Island is low-lying with the highest point being 24 metres, also known as Minto's Hill, (named after a nineteenth-century Surgeon-Superintendent of the General Infirmary) above sea-level. The climate is Mediterranean, as in nearby Cape Town, but the Island experiences stronger winds and comparative extremes in temperature.