Cooper Island, Protected area in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, United Kingdom.

Cooper Island is a rocky, fissured island in the South Atlantic, separated from the southeastern tip of South Georgia by the 1.6 km wide Cooper Sound. Its highest point reaches 416 m, and the upper parts of the island lie above the snow line. The island is covered with tufts of grass.

The island was visited and used by people during whaling and sealing activities in the 1800s. This maritime history left traces of human presence before the area was placed under protection.

The island serves researchers today as an observation station for marine ecosystems and the Antarctic species living there. Regular scientific work documents changes in animal populations over extended periods.

Access to the island requires special permits and arrangements through authorized vessels since it is designated as a protected area. Visitors should be prepared for extreme weather conditions and should only arrive under suitable circumstances.

Cooper Island is one of the few rat-free islands in the South Georgia archipelago, which is why it is South Georgia's only Special Protection Area. It holds around 12,000 pairs of black-browed albatrosses and some 20,000 king penguins, plus snow petrels and Antarctic prions. Antarctic fur seals also haul out here, at one of the few sites where they were never hunted.