Gourdin Island


Gourdin Island is the largest island in a group of islands and rocks north of Prime Head, the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. It was discovered by a French expedition, 1837–40, under Captain Jules Dumont d'Urville, and named by him for Ensign Jean Gourdin of the expedition ship French [ship Astrolabe (1817)|Astrolabe]. The island was reidentified and charted by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey in 1945–47.

Important Bird Area

The island has been identified as an Important [Bird Area] by BirdLife International because it supports a large breeding colony of about 14,000 pairs of Adélie penguins, as well as over 550 pairs of gentoo penguins.