TravellerHints! Sea Lion Island is the largest of the Sea Lion group of the Falkland Islands. It is also the southernmost inhabited island of the Falklands. ( British “UK” Overseas Territory – (483 kilometres) east of South America) and Geographically belong to Argentina.
The island has been named a National Nature Reserve, as well as a Ramsar site, as deemed by the International Convention for the Protection of Wetlands) Historically, Sea Lion Island was a sheep farm and a base for slaughtering penguins from which oil was rendered.
After planting an abundance of tussac grass, the former owners of the island sold it to the Falkland Islands Development Corporation (FIDC) in 1990. Since that point, the only economic activity on the island has been ecotourism.
The island is the home to 56 species of flowering plants, including a particular species of violet that only can be found on Sea Lion Island.
Southern sea lions, southern elephant seals, and penguins can also be found on the shores of the island. Orcas, as well as other species of whale, can been seen in the water offshore of the island.
Visitors to the island will have the opportunity go on a 4WD tour of the island. However, walking around the island is fairly easy and since the island is so small, it is easy to explore all it has to offer on foot.
In 1986, the FIDC developed and built the only the hotel on Sea Lion Lodge, which is located pretty much directly in the middle of the small island.
The accommodation can hold up to 20 guests and is often filled with visitors to the island or researchers.
Due to the remote nature of the island, the lodge had to be pre-built in pieces and then flown to the island, where the pieces were then assembled into the lodge.
Rates to stay at the lodge vary from £100-160 per night depending on the season. However, the price includes room and full board during your stay at the lodge.
