The big attraction of this island is the wildlife. Elephant seals are at their height from September until November, with 540 breeding females having come ashore during the 2003/2004 season. Sea lions breed on the island later in the year, and gentoo penguins, imperial cormorants, rockhopper penguins, magellanic penguins, striated caracaras, and numerous small birds are found throughout the season. Orcas can often be seen offshore, and king penguins may occasionally be found resting ashore.
Rockhopper Point
A three mile hike to the west of the lodge on the southern side of the island, Rockhopper point is the home to nearly 500 pairs of rockhopper penguins and a colony of king cormorants. Rock cormorant nest in an impressive natural arch nearby. A memorial to the HMS Sheffield, which sank offshore during the 1982 conflict, is also located here.West End
The far western side of the island is approximately three miles from the lodge. Small birds and the occasional black-crowned night heron can be found around Beaver Pond, which was named for the Beaver planes that once landed here, and not for the more common North American rodent. The shore is home to several species of gulls, and magellanic penguins are found in large numbers in the grassy areas.East End
Less than a kilometer east of the lodge is the main breeding area for more than five thousand gentoo penguins. Further east, a fine white-sand beach and lagoon is the breeding ground of over five hundred female elephant seals. At the far end of the island giant petrels can be found nesting, although due to the skittish nature of these birds viewing is done only from a specially constructed hide.