Elephant Island, Antarctica: Interesting Facts

It’s not just a very remote island in the Southern Ocean, but a famous place for fans of Antarctic historic exploration! It was here that Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914-1917) had to overwinter after their ship, the Endurance, got trapped in the pack ice. Stranded on this mountainous, rocky and uninhabitable island, Shackleton and six of his men sailed in a gruesome trip across the relentless Southern Ocean to get help. The brave crew made the 1,300 km (800 miles) journey in a small lifeboat and organized a rescue mission to save their men back on Elephant Island. Every single man on the expedition survived!

And given the harsh conditions on this barren island, it’s a miracle how anyone could survive a winter here. Interested in visiting this place? Read on and see why a voyage to Elephant Island is worth the trip!

Where is Elephant Island Situated?

It’s a small island close to the White Continent. The island is located on the northern tip of the Antarctic region, 903 km (561 miles) southeast of Cape Horn, 1,060 km (659 miles) south of Port Stanley on the Falklands and 181 km (112 miles) northeast off the coast of King Georgia Island. Imagine how Shackleton and his men may have felt being stranded on this island in the middle of nowhere. There was hardly any hope for a ship coming by so far away from civilization to rescue them, so the only way to get help was to sail 1,300 km (800 miles) in one of their flimsy lifeboats. And while nowadays the journey may take only a couple of days aboard a modern expedition cruise ship, Shackleton’s journey took 17 days.

If you are interested in seeing the island, book a cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands, and consult with your tour operator which of the specific cruises has Elephant Island on its itinerary. While you won’t be able to land on the island, you’ll get prime views from deck of your expedition ship.

What is the Origin of the Name Elephant Island?

There are definitely no elephants on the island (trust us, we’ve been there many times), but where does its iconic name come from? Well, it depends on whom you ask…

• It looks like an elephant head from above.

If you get a bird’s-eye view (or peek on google maps), you can recognize an elephant’s head with its trunk extended.

• A misunderstanding.

When Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition crew arrived on the ice covered, mountainous island, Sir Ernest Shackleton may have deemed it a “hell of an island”, which may have sounded to some a lot like Elephant Island.

• …or just a hideout for elephant seals?

The sighting of elephant seals along its shores during the first Russian Antarctic Expedition in 1821 may have inspired the island’s iconic name.

How to Visit Elephant Island

You can’t fly to Elephant Island, and we don’t recommend attempting to reach it without a polar expedition ship with a very skilled captain! The best way (and probably the only realistic way) to visit is with an expedition cruise to Antarctica. Aboard your small expedition ship, our skilled captain will bring you as close as possible and you’ll be able to see the island from the deck. Check out our expedition cruises to Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands, and become one of the few who has visited this remote place.

Animals on Elephant Island

The island’s incredibly remote location is a paradise for wildlife! Its rocky shores may be uninhabitable for humans, but wildlife thrives here. While animal sightings are never guaranteed, with a little bit of luck you can see:

• Penguins (Macaroni, gentoo, and chinstrap penguins)

• Whales (humpback and fin whales)

• Seals (leopard, elephant and Antarctic fur seals)

• Sea birds (cape petrels, skuas, snowy sheathbills, Antarctic shags, kelp gulls, Antarctic terns and Wilson’s storm petrels)

Bring your binoculars to get a closer look at the amazing animals inhabiting the island. While conditions on Elephant Island are harsh (and it’s not the place where you want to find yourself stranded like Shackleton’s crew), local wildlife is thriving on the island. On our expedition cruises, you can ask our onboard marine biologists, ornithologists and wildlife experts anything you always wanted to know about the native fauna.

Interesting Facts About Elephant Island

• There are two historic sites for visitors to see: plaques and a bust of Captain Pardo (the captain of the ship that rescued Shackleton’s men) at Point Wild and a wooden shipwreck at Stinker Point (presumably from the ship Charles Shearer).
• The Endurance glacier north of Mount Elder on the island was named after Shackleton’s expedition ship.
• There are a few research camps on the island during the Antarctic summer months.
• It’s a great place to see wildlife.

• Weather tends to be foggy and windy, with lots of snow.

• The highest peak is Mount Pendragon at 973 m (3,192 feet).

• You may get close, but not land: due to its exposure to the waves, few people get to actually step ashore. But don’t worry, your expedition ship will get you close enough to see this incredible island.

FAQs

Why is Elephant Island famous?

It’s the place where Shackleton and his crew of the HMS Endurance got stranded after their ship got trapped in the pack ice of the Weddell Sea. Right after the ship got stuck, the crew camped on ice floes, but after it started to become unstable, the men had to move to firmer ground and reached Elephant Island. While Shackleton ventured on a rescue mission with a small crew of six men aboard a small boat (the James Caird), attempting to reach South Georgia Island without proper navigation or equipment, Frank Wild (second in command) overwintered with the rest of the crew on Elephant Island. They miraculously survived four and a half months of Antarctic winter awaiting the rescue ship. The Endurance Memorial Site at Point Wild on the glacier commemorates this heroic tale of Antarctic exploration.

Can you visit Elephant Island?

It is difficult to visit! Bleak, inhospitable, and with its rugged and rocky shores, it is inaccessible and exposed to the strong waves of the Southern Ocean. Visiting Elephant Island means travelling by expedition cruise ship with a highly skilled captain to maneuver the rough waters. You will get as close as possible to see the island from the deck of your ship.

How many people live on Elephant Island?

There is no human population on Elephant Island. It’s a barren island with no significant flora. The island does not offer safe anchorage, which historically prevented permanent human settlement on the island. It is a small and very remote island in the Southern Ocean, located around 240 km (150 miles) off the Antarctic Peninsula, in the outer reaches of the South Shetland Islands. On its rocky shores, you can see wildlife such as seabirds, chinstrap penguins, and occasionally Weddell seals and elephant seals.