Zavodovski Island

Zavodovski Island is a small, uninhabited volcanic island in the northern part of the South Sandwich Islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is notable for supporting extremely large breeding colonies of chinstrap penguins and for its active volcanic geology.

The island’s terrain and climate are typical of sub-Antarctic volcanic islands: steep coasts, limited vegetation and extensive seabird colonies. Access is restricted by sea and weather conditions and visits are generally only possible from expedition vessels during the austral summer.

Zavodovski Island lies within the remote South Sandwich chain and is administered as part of the wider sub-Antarctic territory in the South Atlantic.

• Penguin colony: Home to one of the largest chinstrap penguin colonies in the world, with populations commonly described in the hundreds of thousands to over a million breeding birds during good years.
• Volcanic and remote: The island is volcanic, uninhabited by people and subject to frequent sea-ice and weather changes that limit access to short windows in austral summer.