Inaccessible Islands

Not to be confused with Inaccessible Island

Location of the Inaccessible Islands (ringed)

The Inaccessible Islands are a group of small, precipitous islands ranging from 390 feet to 705 feet high, and which are the westernmost features of the South Orkney Islands, in the British Antarctic Territory. These islands lie 12½ miles west of Coronation Island.

The Inaccessible Islands were discovered in December 1821 by Captain George Powell, a British sealer in the sloop James Monroe, though it is possible they are the "Seal Islands" seen by Nathaniel Palmer a year earlier. The islands were so named by Powell from the Dove on 6 December 1821, because of their appearance of inaccessibility: he described then as 'three spiral rocks quite inaccessible' and named them 'Inaccessible Isles'. The islands were recharted by Discovery Investigations in January 1933, on which occasion the first landing was made.

Important Bird Area

The islands have been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because they support a large breeding colony of southern fulmars (50,000 pairs). Other birds nesting at the site include chinstrap penguins (1000 pairs) and imperial shags (100 pairs).

Location

• Location map: 60°34’59"S, 46°39’58"W

References

• Gazetteer and Map of The British Antarctic Territory: Inaccessible Islands