Île de l'Est

Île de l'Est

Île de l'Est, or East Island, is located in the subantarctic archipelago known as the Crozet Islands. With a surface area of 130 square kilometers, it is the group's second largest island. Located about 20 km east of Île de la Possession, it is the easternmost island in the archipelago. The terrain is mainly bare rock. With a peak of 1090 meters and a rugged coastline with high cliffs, it is the most mountainous of the archipelago. It is divided by a series of steep-sided valleys of glacial origin. There is no human infrastructure on the island, and there have only been occasional visits by explorers. However, as a breeding site for seabirds, the island has been designated an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. The most important species include King Penguins, Gentoo Penguins, Macaroni Penguins, Northern Rockhopper Penguins, Wandering Albatrosses, Grey-Headed Albatrosses, Light-Mantled Albatrosses, Sooty Albatrosses, Black-Browed Albatrosses, Northern Giant Petrels, Southern Giant Petrels, Medium-Billed Prions, Fairy Prions, Great-Winged Petrels, Soft-Plumaged Petrels, White-Chinned Petrels, Grey Petrels, Blue Petrels, Kerguelen Petrels, Wilson's Storm Petrels, Grey-Backed Storm Petrels, Black-Bellied Storm Petrels, Common Diving Petrels, South Georgia Diving Petrels, Crozet's Blue-Eyed Shags, Brown Skuas and Kerguelen Terns. The island is also home to the archipelago's largest breeding population of Southern Elephant Seals.