Mocha Island
The island of Mocha (Spanish Isla Mocha ) is located off the Chilean coast and belongs to the Región del Bío -Bío / Comuna Lebu in southern Chile.
Geography and climate
The island of Mocha located 32 km from the coast of Chile, across the coastal Tirúa. The city is located about 200 km north of Concepción, Temuco, some 150 km to the east. The easiest access route leads from Concepción on Cañete after Tirúa, is another way of Angol or to go on Capitan Pastene after Tirúa.
The island is mostly flown, but it can also be a fishing boat can be rented.
With a length of 14 km and a width of 6 km, the island of Mocha has an area of 48 km ². The highest elevation of the island is 390 m high. The population is 740 ( 2005). In the center of the island is a nature reserve, which is administrated by CONAF and species such as the arrayán ( Luma apiculata ), various Südbuchenarten and houses many, many bird species such as the Chucao. The red footed shearwater ( Puffinus Creatopus ), only about 50,000 copies exist of the world, nests on the island, with some copies fly to Alaska. The said specie builds burrows on the island and hunts at night, with a tree must be climbed in order to fly out to.
The climate is rainy. In summer, temperatures are between 15 and 30 ° C and in winter 10-15 ° C.
History
On the island lived long before the discovery by the Spaniards the people of the Lafkenches - Mapuche. The island was already underway by early English and Dutch pirates. Francis Drake was the island on his voyage around the world in 1578. He was attacked and injured by the Lafkenches - natives. The Dutch navigator Olivier van Noort joined in 1600 to Aboriginal people much more civilized and was handsomely rewarded with food. Between 500 and 800 residents were living on the island. The Mapuche lived until about 1687 on the island.
Only in 1850 began the colonization by Chileans who often subsisted on fishing. 1929, the island was divided into a number of agricultural parcels.
The writer Herman Melville was inspired to write his 1851 novel Moby Dick, by the white sperm whale Mocha Dick. This whale attacked from 1810 to repeatedly Walfängerschiffe off the island of Mocha, until he was killed in 1839. According to Jeremiah N. Reynolds Mocha Dick said to have been about 20 meters long. The whalers were twenty harpoons in his body, which came from the countless hunts for him that he had survived over the decades.
National Nature Reserve Isla Mocha
Around 45 % of the island ( 23.5 km ²) are now a national reserve, the Isla Mocha Reserve. Here you can wander through the hilly forests where many species of birds. In the center of the island is a nature reserve, which is administrated by CONAF and species such as the arrayán ( Luma apiculata ), hosted the Chilean Scheinulme Olivillo and various Südbuchenarten and many bird species such as the Chucao. The Rotfußsturmtaucher ( Puffinus Creatopus ), only about 50,000 copies exist of the world, nests on the island, with some copies fly to Alaska. The above-mentioned species builds burrows on the island and hunts at night, with a tree must be climbed in order to fly out to.
The forests consist of trees of species punctatum Luma apiculata, Chilean Scheinulme and Aextoxicon. The " Sendero Camino Nuevo " is a one and a half hours hiking through the island, which was created by the Chilean Forest Service CONAF.
The Pazifikdegu, one rodent species is endemic to this island.
Tourism
In addition to the national reserve, the island is particularly interesting for divers. Before the island are more than 100 shipwrecks. The area is rich in fish and ideal for anglers. There are long sandy beaches. The island is used by windsurfers and sailors.
South of Mocha, the Isla de los Pájaros, which is inhabited by Magellan and Humboldt penguins. On rocks on a more eastern island is home to around 2,000 seals and South American sea lions.
Economy
The island lives almost exclusively on tourism and fishing. There are two small airports on the island, however, is a private. The Aeródromo Isla Mocha is a state airport with a runway of 1,200 m. A flight from the mainland ( Tirúa ) with a sport airplane Cessna 172 takes about 12 minutes.