Kerguelen, a subantarctic island of volcanic origin, is located in the South Indian Ocean, approximately 3,300 mi. (5,310 km) southeast of the southern tip of Africa (see map). Also known as Desolation Island, it is the largest of the 300 islands, islets and reefs in the Kerguelen Archipelago (total area ca. 2,700 mi² / 7,000 km²), which lie between 48° to 50°S and 68° to 70°E. The region is part of the French Southern and Antarctic Territories — Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises (TAAF), which also includes Terre Adélie (Antarctica), the Crozet Archipelago, and the tiny islands of Amsterdam/St-Paul.

	Bay Larose shoreline & cliffs on Kerguelen (Photographer: Dominique Weis / FNRS)

TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURES

Île Kerguelen, covering an area of 1,318 mi² (3,414 km²), has a highly irregular coastline with a number of large peninsulas linked to the island by low, narrow isthmuses. These large features are further sub-divided by fjords into smaller peninsulas. Remarkably, despite its total area, no point on the main island is more than 12 mi. (20 km) from the sea.

Inland, the main features are the numerous valleys and ridges with the highest point, the glaciated Mount Ross, reaching a height of 6,068 ft. (1,850 m). Mount Ross is the youngest volcanic edifice recognized in the Kerguelen Archipelago. The Kerguelen Islands lie in the Northern part of the Kerguelen-Gaussberg ridge, having been built up by a series of thick lava flows over millions of years (see "Origins of the Kerguelen Plateau").

Cook Glacier covers nearly one third of the island, and the abundant rainfall combined with glacial meltwater keeps numerous streams and lakes full of water. Peat marshes, lignite, and guano deposits are found on the island.

WEATHER

Kerguelen's weather is harsh, with rain, sleet or snow falling more than 300 days a year; it is not unusual to get snow at sea level in the middle of the summer. Winds blow continuously from the west, as the islands lie in the path of the "Furious Fifties". Averaging 68 m.p.h. (110 km/hr) year-round, sustained winds of 93 m.p.h. (150 kph) are commonplace, and gusts of up to 124 m.p.h. (200 kph) have been recorded. Appropriately enough, the lone chapel on the island is called Notre Dame des Vents.

As Kerguelen lies on the Antarctic Convergence where upwelling cold water from the Antarctic mixes with the the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean, birdlife and marine mammals are abundant. The state of the sea reflects the high wind speeds, with wave heights of 40-50 ft. (12-15m) being common. The sea around Kerguelen is, however, ice free.

FLORA & FAUNA

Although the windswept, treeless countenance of these islands may present a bleak and barren face to humans, the redeeming quality of this hostile environment may very well be its teeming and colorful population of wildlife. Birds, in particular, find a welcome refuge in this land so devoid of human dominance. Thirty species of bird nest on the island including Rockhopper, Macaroni, Gentoo and King Penguins; albatross, Giant Petrels, skuas, sheathbills and the Kerguelen Tern. In addition, the southern elephant seals and Kerguelen fur seals have re-established a secure haven here, following near-extinction in the 19th century.

King penguins gather on Kerguelen (Photographer: Dominique Weis / FNRS)

Kerguelen Terns, like their cousins the Arctic and Antarctic Terns, are slender, long-winged grey and white birds. They have bright red bills, orangish-red legs and feet. Their heads are donned with conspicuous black caps which may be streaked with white during the summer months. Quite gregarious in nature, fishing in flocks of up to several hundred, terns are also accomplished flyers and long-distance travelers, enjoying a life-span of 20 years.

Albatrosses are considered by many to be the most majestic of all Antarctic birds, with a life-span which can exceed 50 years. Strikingly graceful, with modified wings to maximize the updrafts and thermals over the open ocean, albatrosses are supreme gliders. Adults have been recorded flying up to 550 miles per day, at a speed of 50 m.p.h. (80 km/hr). The black-browed albatross, gray-headed albatross, and light-mantled sooty albatross all call Kerguelen home.

Macaroni penguins are the most abundant of sub-Antarctic/ Antarctic penguins, with an estimated breeding population of 11.8 million pairs. Orange tassels that meet between the eyes distinguish the macaroni penguin. (The name 'macaroni' derives from the 18th century dandies who made the grand tour to Italy and affected continental tastes and fashions, dying their hair in streaks.) The penguins lay two eggs; the first is kicked out of the nest after the second is laid and only one egg ever hatches. They can dive to 260' but prefer shallower dives for hunting.

In late 1998, the environmental organization Greenpeace embarked on an expedition to expose pirate fishing in the Southern Ocean. During that expedition the crew of the M/V Arctic Sunrise discovered the notorious pirate fishing vessel, Salvora, fishing illegally for Patagonian Toothfish just off the Kerguelen coast. The vessel immediately fled, and a 16-day and 2700 nautical mile chase to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius ensued. (Follow a chronological account of that expedition.)

Though the varieties of plant life on Kerguelen can be described as limited, to say the least, that which exists consists mainly of tussock grass (Poa cookii), mosses (Azorella selago and Acaena adscendens), and the famous Kerguelen cabbage (Pringlea antiscorbutica). This latter species, belonging to the same family as common cabbage (Brassicaceae), has evolved a unique method of cross-pollination which relies on Kerguelen's winds — since there are no flying insects on the island. The leaves of the cabbage contain a pale-yellow, highly pungent essential oil which is rich in ascorbic acid (vitamin C); this made it a useful dietary supplement against scurvy for early sailors.

DISCOVERY & EXPLORATION

In the belief that a massive southern continent must exist to "balance" those of the northern hemisphere, King Louis XV of France commissioned the French navigator, Chevalier Yves-Joseph de Kerguelen-Trémarec, to discover such a continent for France. Commanding two vessels of the Royal French Fleet, the Fortune and the Gros-Ventre, Kerguelen left Mauritius on January 16th, sailing through mist, fog and storms to discover the islands on February 12th, 1772.

	Inland view of Kerguelen (Photographer: Dominique Weis / FNRS)

Unable to anchor and having lost contact with the Gros-Ventre, he returned to Mauritius in the Fortune to make repairs to his damaged ship. Meanwhile, the captain of the Gros-Ventre — de Boiguehenneuc — landed at a point now known as Gros-Ventre Cove, and annexed the island in the name of King Louis.

Although he had never set foot on the islands, Kerguelen returned to France claiming they were inhabited, with forests, fruit, pastures and untold riches. In his much-exaggerated account, Kerguelen called them La France Australe, while the British explorer Captain Cook, who was to arrive here later, rather more candidly described the area as Desolation Islands. Nevertheless, Kerguelen's deceit won him the royal approval for another expedition.

On his second foray, this time with a flotilla of three ships, Le Roland, l'Oiseau and La Dauphine, the islands were spotted on December 14, 1772. Kerguelen (aboard Le Roland) once again failed to land. However, the captain de Rochegude (aboard l'Oiseau) managed to get ashore on January 6, 1773, again claiming the islands for France. Two days later, a disillusioned Kerguelen put about and returned to France, his crews ravaged by scurvy.

King Louis was apparently not amused by these flights of fancy, and imprisoned Kerguelen in a château near Saumur. During the political upheaval of the French Revolution, Kerguelen was perceived to be a "victim of the monarchy", and was released. Appointed as manager of the port at Brest, he died in 1797.

While explorers, whalers and sealers of many nationalities charted and exploited the shores of Kerguelen in the interim, nearly a century passed before any French returned. France sent the Eure to reaffirm French sovereignty in 1893, but there were few significant events during the remainder of the 19th Century. In 1908 the Boissière brothers started a sheep-raising venture; that miserable failure was followed by a short-lived whaling operation, then by a failed colonization attempt.

Télécarte (pre-paid phone card) depicting Kerguelen cabbage

Although scientific expeditions periodically called, the only interest France showed was when the brothers Henri and Raymond Rallier du Baty — aboard the J. B. Charcot — charted the coast of Kerguelen in 1908-9, returning on La Curieuse in 1913-14. This led to the publication of the first full map of the islands in 1922.

Edgar Aubert de la Rüe, in the Austral, conducted geological surveys of Kerguelen in 1928, returning in 1930-1931. The following year, he published a definitive study of the island's geology, Etude Géologique et Géographique de l'Archipel des Kerguelen.

A French expedition on the Antarès visited Kerguelen in 1931, performing hydrographical, astronomical and magnetic observations. A further French expedition aboard the oceanographic vessel Bougainville visited in 1939 to make a hydrographical survey and to collect biological specimens.

Following the Second World War, the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) regularly visited Kerguelen between 1947 and 1954, and France was obliged to occupy the island to retain sovereignty. In December 1949, a temporary base was established at Port-aux-Français by Pierre Sicaud, with the ships La Pérouse and Commandant Charcot. In January 1951, Sicaud returned on the Italo-Marsano to create a permanent meteorological station; this was the first over-wintering at the Port-aux-Français base.

On August 6, 1955, a French law was passed — creating the new autonomous territory of Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises (TAAF). During 1956-1957 the TAAF established at Port-aux-Français a geophysical station for observations in meteorology, geomagnetism, aurora and airglow, ionospheric physics, cosmic rays and seismology. This was to become part of the French contribution to the International Geophysical Year (IGY).

Today, Kerguelen's population of scientists and engineers varies between 50 and 100. The French base at Port-aux-Français is large and well-appointed, boasting a hospital, restaurant, library, sports center, cinema and chapel. The base is shared with CNES (the French National Space Center), whose operations are dedicated to the tracking of satellites — notably the Ariane rockets launched from Kourou in French Guiana.

Kerguelen is visited several times a year by the Marion Dufresne, the world's biggest and most sophisticated oceanographic research vessel, bringing supplies and rotating crews of scientists at the base. The Dufresne performs the same service for the Crozet Islands, Terre Adélie, and Amsterdam/St-Paul.

Kerguelen Links

CIA World Factbook: French Southern and Antarctic Territories Helpful statistics on the region's background, geography, people, government, economy, transportation, military, and transnational issues.

Kerguelen Archipelago Martin Nicholson provides a more detailed chronology of the discovery, exploration, and commercial exploitation of Kerguelen by visitors of many nationalities.

Kerguelen: Island of Desolation Michael Kracke hosts this site (in German, English & French), offering links to many personal pages about Kerguelen, plus scientific sites, literature, travel and more.

Kerguelen Terns Accomplished flyers and long-distance travelers, terns are a familiar sight in most coastal waters around the globe. Three species of tern may be commonly seen in the Southern Ocean: Arctic terns, Antarctic Terns, and Kerguelen Terns.

Matthew Parris: The Kerguelen Columns The (London) Times' parliamentary sketch writer and columnist Matthew Parris first confessed his childhood dream of living on the island of Kerguelen six years ago. After a six-month stay there, he wrote this priceless series of columns about or from the island.

Open Directory Project: French Southern Territories The non-profit, human-compiled database provides useful links about the French Southern Territories, in both English and French.

Station Doris Doris is an antenna relay system which transmits meteorological measurements (humidity, barometric pressure, temperature) from remote locations around the world. This page shows a picture of the installation at Kerguelen, and details the equipment's technical specifications.

Vegetation on Kerguelen & Crozet Islands Serge Aubert and Yves Frenot at the Université Joseph Fourier in Grenoble offer many dozens of wonderful photos on the flora of this region, including everyone's favorite — the Kerguelen Cabbage.

Wildlife of Antarctica Learn the fascinating facts about all the major species of birds, seals and whales found in Antarctica and the South Indian Ocean.

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