Buckle Island

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The western side of Buckle Island

Buckle Island is one of the three main islands in the uninhabited Balleny Islands group located in eastern section of the Southern Ocean. It lies 25 km (16 mi) north-west of Sturge Island and 8 km (5 mi) south-east of Young Island, some 110 km (68 mi) north-north-east of Belousov Point on the Antarctic mainland.

Description

The island is roughly triangular in shape, with long east and west coasts and a short north coast. It is about 3 nmi (6 km; 3 mi) wide in the north, with a maximum length of 13 nmi (24 km; 15 mi). It is of volcanic origin, and is still volcanically active, the last eruption being in 1899.

The northernmost point is Cape Cornish. Several small islets also lie in the channel separating Cape Cornish and Young Island, the largest of which is Borradaile Island. Several small islets lie off the island's southern extremity, Cape McNab, including Sabrina Island and the 80-metre (262 ft) tall stack of The Monolith.

Both Buckle Island and Sabrina Island are home to colonies of Adelie and chinstrap penguins.