Elephant Island, Antarctica

Elephant Island
ELEPHANT ISLAND

The Elephant Island group of Islands consists of Elephant Island, (originally named Sea Elephant Island) Clarence Island, Gibbs Island, Aspland Island, Cornwallis Island and a number of other smaller Islands. Elephant Island is the largest measuring approx 23 miles long and 13 miles at its widest point.

The island got its name from the large number of Elephant seals first sighted there by whalers. It is a grim, awesome place with sheer high cliffs rising from the sea, topped by glaciers and snow covered peaks in places over 3400 feet high.

Elephant Island is best known as the island where Shackleton and his men were stranded in 1915.

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