Gough and Inaccessible Islands

Gough and Inaccessible Islands are two volcanic islands in the South Atlantic east of Tristan da Cunha with steep cliffs rising directly from the ocean. They support large seabird colonies, rare plants, and animals found nowhere else on Earth.

European sailors discovered these remote islands in the late 1600s, and various expeditions mapped them over the following decades. A scientific research station was later established to monitor the unique ecosystems.

The islands have become important to scientists worldwide who study rare species here and share their findings with global conservation programs.

The islands are practically inaccessible to visitors and can only be reached with special permits granted almost exclusively to researchers. Those wanting to learn more from Tristan da Cunha can find local information and scientific publications there.

These islands are home to seabird species living in colonies with hundreds of thousands of birds found nowhere else to observe. These concentrated breeding grounds are invaluable to science because the birds are difficult to study elsewhere in the world.