Breeding terns on Al Jarrim islands

Fasht Al Jarrim is a sandy shoal situated approximately 20 km north (QA29) of the main island of Bahrain. Three small islands occur on the fasht. The northernmost of these is a natural island which belongs to the ruler of Bahrain and has been occupied by two caretakers until 2009. An access channel is maintained through the fasht from the deeper water to the south-west. Two further islands are found to the south-east of the channel in shallow water. These are manmade, created from the spoils of industrial exploration over 20 years ago. While the islands have no official names, they are referred to in this note as Al Jarrim south, middle and north for ease of identification.