Elephant Island is an island in the Southern Ocean, located 250 kilometers northeast of the Antarctic Peninsula. It has gotten some attention due to the story of the Endurance Expedition. In 1915, explorer Ernest Shakelton and his crew lost their ship to an ice pack and spent months drifting on ice floes and lifeboats. Survival seemed very unlikely, but miraculously, they found Elephant Island and were able to take refuge. Everyone ended up surviving.

The origin of the name of the island is disputed. Some think it’s called Elephant Island due to the large amounts of elephant seals along the shores. Others think it was named for the elephant-like shape of an island when you look at it from above. But Shakleton’s captain claimed it came from a nickname given by the crew: Hell-of-an-Island. The island is rocky, icy, and isolated.

In terms of wildlife, there isn’t much of it. There are no natural inhabitants of the island, and the only animals that are found there are only temporary. Gentoo penguins, with their red-orange beaks and white-feather caps, migrate through here. There’s also the Chinstrap penguins, with their black bands, who nest along the shores. Leopard seals and Elephant seals can be found in the water at certain times, as well as whales.

Fun facts! Firstly, there are no humans living on the island, but there are two human shelters for the researchers that come there. Secondly, the average temperature of Elephant Island is 0°C, and during the winters it can get down to -5°C. Lastly, the island is under the claims of three countries--Argentina, Chile, and the UK.

The island was first discovered in 1821, on a Russian Antarctic Expedition, and they named it Mordvinov Island after Admiral Mordvinov. However, the discovery of it usually gets attributed to Shakleton and his crew.

Even though Elephant Island can be treacherous, it is a beautiful and relatively untouched part of the Earth.

Sources: Earth Observatory, All That’s Interesting, Travel