The island is relatively small, but boasts a large colony of rockhopper penguins and black-browed albatrosses on the cliffs opposite the settlement on the western side of the island. The colony can be reached by an easy half mile trail from the settlement. The eastern half of the island slopes more gently into the sea and is home to magellanic penguins, gentoo penguins, oystercatchers, and numerous other bird species. Peale's Porpoises will frequently accompany zodiacs into shore and may even swim into knee-deep water to investigate visitors. Falkland fur seals and southern sea lions may be seen around the island, and whale sightings minke, fin, sei and southern right whale species are frequent during the animals' migration in the summer months.
The island has a great history with the remnants of an old 1908 whaling station on New Island South, the still-standing wreck of an old mine sweeper beached near the settlement, and the newly-restored stone building, 'The Barnard Building' - part of which was built as a shelter by Captain Charles Barnard, a North American Whaling captain who was marooned on New Island for 2 years in 1812.
The island's scenery is second to none - the sheer sea cliffs on the island's western coastline are absolutely spectacular, and the clean white sand beaches of the eastern shoreline lead into crystal clear turquoise waters teeming with marine life.
After dusk, a true wildlife spectacle may be seen just metres from the houses in the small settlement with thousands of thin-billed prions returning to their burrows under the cover of darkness. These birds turn the sky into a mass of calling birds, each looking for their partner on land. Similarly spectacular are the night skies - the clarity of the atmosphere, and the complete lack of light pollution make New Island one of the best spots in the world to view the stars and planets with unrivalled visibility.
