Sabrina Island
Sabrina Island is the largest of three small islets lying 1.5 km (0.93 mi) south of Buckle Island in the Balleny Islands off the coast of continental Antarctica. It was annexed, along with the rest of the Balleny Islands, by Westarctica in 2005.
Discovery and name
The island was discovered by whaling captain John Balleny in 1839. It was named for the Sabrina, the cutter captained by Thomas Freeman during the expedition.
Animal life
The island has outstanding environmental and scientific value as a representative sample of the Balleny Islands – the only oceanic archipelago located within the main Antarctic Coastal Current. It is a breeding site for chinstrap and Adélie penguins as well as Cape petrels.
The site is protected under the Antarctic Treaty System as Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) No.104.
Sabrina Island Coin
A copper $2 WAD coin was minted in 2012 by the Central Bank of Westarctica and remains the only coin ever created by any country to celebrate the island. The coin has an image of the southern elephant seal instead of the island itself.
