Rangatira
- ISS005-E-15332
- 21 September 2002
- 22:07 UTC
Rangatira (South East Island), located 2 km off the southeast coast of Pitt Island, covers 2.18 km² rising to height of 224 m near the cliffs on the west coast. Rangatira was extensively over-grazed in the past, but has since been protected as a Nature Reserve, with the natural vegetation of species such as Chatham Island Ribbonwood (Plagianthus divaricatus), Mahoe (Melicytus ramiflorus) and some of the megaherbs making a recovery.
The reserve protects numerous endangered invertebrates, but is best known for its population of Black Robin (Petroica traversi) that was transferred from Mangarere after being brought back from the brink of extinction. The island is also home to thousands of Storm Petrels, Sooty Shearwaters (Puffinus griseus) and the Chatham Petrel (Pterodroma axillaris) that breeds only on Rangatira. At the south end of the island is a colony of New Zealand Fur Seals (Arctocephalus forsteri).
The feature visible near the centre of the image is known as Fancy Rock.
image: earth sciences and image analysis laboratory, nasa johnson space center
