Inaccessible Island

Inaccessible Island lies west of Tristan, cliff-bound on most of its perimeter and living up to its name, and it holds the Inaccessible Island rail, a flightless bird about the size of a chick and generally described as the smallest flightless bird alive, which survives there because no rats or cats ever reached the island. UNESCO inscribed it with Gough Island in 2004 as a nature reserve of global importance.

Background

Inaccessible Island is an extinct volcano that was last active roughly one million years ago. It covers 12.65 square kilometres and rises to 581 metres at Swale's Fell, its highest point. The Dutch ship Nachtglas, under Jan Jakobszoon, came upon it in January 1656. Two brothers, Gustav and Frederick Stoltenhoff, came from Germany in 1871 and lived by sealing for two years until their rescue in 1873, and nobody has lived here permanently since. In 1922 the naturalist Hubert Wilkins found the bird now called the Wilkins finch. The island became a nature reserve under a conservation ordinance of 1976, and in 1997 its waters out to 22 kilometres were added.

Source: Wikipedia, "Inaccessible Island"

Highlights

• The Inaccessible Island rail - generally described as the smallest flightless bird alive.
• The cliff perimeter - the walls that give the island its name.
• The intact ecosystem - an island rats and cats never reached.
• The UNESCO listing - inscription with Gough Island in 2004.

When to go

October to March is the southern summer. Landing is rarely possible and strictly controlled. Weather governs everything.

Things to know

Access is severely restricted to protect the ecosystem and permits are rarely granted to visitors. Landing depends on swell and usually fails. Biosecurity rules on clothing and gear are strict and enforced.

Nearby

Nightingale Island is east, and Tristan is northeast.

Key facts