Heard Island, Antarctica

The Australian Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) lie in a remote and stormy part of the globe, near the conspicuous meeting-point of Antarctic and temperate ocean waters. The islands were unknown to humanity until the 19th century. HIMI is an external territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean. It lies about 1500 km north of Antarctica and over 4000 km south-west of Australia.

Heard Island (area 368 km2) is the principal island of HIMI. Mawson Peak, at 2745 m, is the summit of Big Ben, an active, towering volcano that dominates the group, with a thick mantle of snow and glacial ice contrasting black volcanic rocks in a startling array of forms and shapes.

Huge numbers of Macaroni Penguins breed along the shores of this remote sanctuary - along with King Penguins and tens of thousands of Rockhopper and Gentoo Penguins. Elephant and fur seals haul out on the scenic beaches. Black-browed and Light-mantled Sooty Albatross nest on the volcanic slopes. The island has been protected since 1987 and is well known for its changeable weather conditions.

Things to see and do

* Macaroni, King, Rockhopper and Gentoo Penguins
* Albatross
* Sea birds
* Icebergs
* Fur & Elephant Seals

General Information

Cruise Season - Nov - April
Currency - Australian Dollar (AUD)
Language - English
Population - 0
Land Area - 372 km²
Time - GMT plus eight hours
Electricity - 2 angled pins and 1 flat pin centered below Australian style
International Country Telephone Code - 61

Port Location - For trips to the Ross region and Eastern Antarctica, commonly used ports are: Hobart (Australia), Auckland and Lyttelton-Christchurch (New Zealand).