Bird Bay National Park

Bird Bay National Park (French: Parc national de Baie de l'Oiseau) is a national park in the province of West Kerguelen in the Republic of the Southern Indian Ocean Islands. With a total are of 426 km² (including water), it is the sixth smallest national park in the country.

The national park covers most of the northernmost point of the Péninsule Lorenchet and Grande Terre and surrounds the city of Port-Christmas on all but the southern sides.

Bays
The national park covers two bays, namely the Baie de l'Oiseau and the Baie Ducheyron, which are located east and west of Port-Christmas respectively. Additionally it covers parts of the Baie de la Dauphine and the Anse de l'Écume.

Arche des Kerguelen


The most popular feature of the national park is the Arche des Kerguelen, which has the status of national monument. This means that the arch itself is not open to visitors, and walking on or around the arch is prohibited.

Despite still being officially referred as an, the Arche des Kerguelen collapsed in 1910 and has not been an arch for over 100 years. Regardless, the arch has remained a status symbol for Port-Christmas and the national park, still attracting many visitors each year.

Though walking on or around the arch is prohibited, visitors are allowed to follow the trail that runs across the length of the Pointe de l'Arche, which also belongs to the national park. Following this trail it is possible to reach the edge of the cliffs, and watch the arch from above from approximately 70 metres away.

Table de l'Oiseau


The Table de l'Oiseau is a small peninsula of approx. 7.2 km² located directly to the north of the city of Port-Christmas, on which both the Cap Français and the Cap d'Estaing are located. The whole peninsula is open to the public, as long as they follow the official hiking routes.

The Table de l'Oiseau is an especially popular sight during spring season, as the melting of the snow provides a spectacular view of waterfalls consisting of meltwater that drain directly into the bay below.