Kerguelen Islands

The Kerguelen Islands, also known as the Desolation Islands, form a remote sub-Antarctic archipelago located in the southern Indian Ocean. These windswept lands are noted for their isolation, harsh climate and scientific importance. Together with neighbouring island groups and Adélie Land, they constitute part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands and are administered as a separate district. The islands represent one of the two emergent portions of the Kerguelen Plateau, a vast igneous province mostly submerged beneath the ocean. Their remoteness and uninhabited nature have made them a centre for scientific research, ecological observation and historical maritime interest.

Location, Geography and Climate

Situated more than a thousand kilometres from any neighbouring land and thousands from inhabited territories, the Kerguelen Islands rank amongst the most isolated places on Earth. The closest land mass is the Heard and McDonald Islands, while the nearest inhabited territory is Madagascar. The archipelago comprises the main island, Grande Terre, and roughly three hundred smaller islands and islets scattered around its fringes. Grande Terre is approximately three-quarters the size of Corsica and contains a rugged landscape shaped by glaciation, volcanic activity and persistent winds.
The climate is classically sub-Antarctic: temperatures average around 4–5°C in winter and may reach approximately 10–11°C in summer. High winds are common throughout the year, giving rise to rough seas, although the surrounding waters remain ice-free. The interior features the Gallieni Massif, from which Mont Ross rises as the highest point. The central and western portions of the island are dominated by the Cook Ice Cap, the largest glacier in the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. Deep fjords, broad inlets and numerous peninsulas such as the Presqu’île de la Société de Géographie and the Presqu’île du Prince de Galles further define the island’s distinctive outline.
There are no indigenous inhabitants, but France maintains a permanent scientific presence of around forty-five to one hundred personnel at Port-aux-Français. This base includes laboratories, living facilities, a satellite tracking station and support infrastructures essential for year-round occupation. With no airport anywhere on the islands, access is solely by ship, typically via supply vessels from Réunion.

Early Cartography and European Discovery

The Kerguelen Islands appeared on maps prior to their confirmed discovery. In 1754 Philippe Buache charted an island named Île de Nachtegal, possibly referencing a vessel once used by Abel Tasman. This map placed the landmass roughly north of its true location. The official discovery occurred on 12 February 1772, when Yves-Joseph de Kerguelen-Trémarec sighted the main island. His associate Charles de Boisguehenneuc went ashore, claiming the archipelago for France. A further French expedition in 1773 left formal documentation of France’s claim.
Subsequent visits by explorers, including James Cook in 1776, contributed further mapping and confirmation of the earlier French expeditions. Cook named the territory “Kerguelen Land” in honour of its discoverer, though he simultaneously claimed it for Britain. The island’s forbidding environment discouraged permanent settlement, but its strategic location in whaling and sealing waters soon attracted commercial interest.

Sealing Era and Nineteenth-Century Exploration

From the late eighteenth century onward, sealers and whalers—mainly British, American and Norwegian—frequented the archipelago. The pursuit of fur seals in the eighteenth century and elephant seals in the nineteenth resulted in dramatic population declines. Sealing vessels visited the islands hundreds of times between 1781 and 1922, and some ships were wrecked during these ventures. Over time, relics such as try pots, abandoned huts, graves and carved inscriptions accumulated along the coasts.
The early nineteenth century saw attempts to chart the islands more systematically. In 1800 a sealing expedition mapped elements of the coastline, while in 1825 the ship Favourite was wrecked, leaving four men stranded until they were rescued two years later. Full surveying of the archipelago was not completed until the Ross expedition in 1840. The first recorded birth south of the Antarctic Convergence occurred here in 1859, when James Kerguelen Robinson was born on a sealing ship anchored in Golfe du Morbihan.
Scientific interest intensified in the 1870s, with British, German and American expeditions visiting the islands to observe the 1874 transit of Venus. Observatories were erected at sites such as Observatory Bay and Thumb Peak, and the island’s challenging meteorological conditions formed an essential part of scientific observations. Later expeditions, including the German Antarctic Expedition of 1902–1903, contributed archaeological sites and furthered research on sub-Antarctic environments.

French Reassertion and Administrative History

By the late nineteenth century the French government renewed interest in asserting sovereignty over the archipelago. Motivated in part by private parties who considered the islands suitable for sheep farming, France dispatched the vessel Eure and formally recommitted its claim on 1 January 1893. International recognition followed, and a lease was granted to French entrepreneurs for pastoral development, although large-scale settlement never materialised.
In the early twentieth century Australia expressed interest in acquiring the islands, citing strategic concerns and potential for resource use. However, Britain declined to pursue negotiations with France. Explorers such as Raymond Rallier du Baty continued to survey and exploit local marine resources, contributing further autobiographical and cartographic records.
In 1924 administrative responsibility for the Kerguelen Islands, along with nearby territories and Adélie Land, was transferred to Madagascar. This arrangement lasted until 1955, when the French Southern and Antarctic Lands were created as a distinct administrative entity. The islands have been continually occupied since 1950, primarily for scientific research. In 2004 additional outlying island groups in the Indian Ocean were incorporated under the same administration.

Modern Scientific Presence and Environmental Features

Port-aux-Français serves as the hub of modern activity. It houses scientific research programs focused on geology, meteorology, glaciology, ecology and satellite tracking. The settlement includes accommodation blocks, a small hospital, workshops and recreational facilities. The windswept chapelle Notre-Dame des Vents stands as one of the most southerly functioning chapels in the world.
Grande Terre contains numerous prominent geographical features. Peninsulas such as the Presqu’île Joffre, the Presqu’île du Gauss and the Presqu’île d’Entrecasteaux form natural divisions between major bays, while areas like Anse Betsy and Port-Christmas appear in historical accounts. The Cook Ice Cap and associated glaciers occupy a significant portion of the western highlands, contributing to the island’s hydrology and landscape evolution.
The sub-Antarctic environment supports resilient plant and animal species adapted to cold, windy and nutrient-rich conditions. As sealing declined, elephant seals, fur seals and bird populations began to recover, illustrating the ecological resilience of isolated ecosystems when exploitation ceases.