Where Are the Kerguelen Islands?
Locating France's subantarctic archipelago in the southern Indian Ocean — and why Captain Cook called them the Desolation Islands.
Coming soon ✶StoriesThe long version,
The long version,
one wrong turn deeper.
Reels open destinations. Destinations open stories. Below are the articles attached to our two live destination hubs.
Can You Visit the Kerguelen Islands?
No airport, no tourism, four ship visits a year from Réunion — the practical reality of getting to one of the most off-limits places on the planet.
Coming soon ✶Does Anyone Live on the Kerguelen Islands?
No permanent residents — only a rotating handful of French scientists and TAAF personnel at the Port-aux-Français research base.
Coming soon ✶How to Get to the Kerguelen Islands
The Marion Dufresne supply ship, the 28-day round trip from Réunion and why a berth is more competitive than most expeditions.
Coming soon ✶Kerguelen Islands Wildlife
King penguins, elephant seals, feral reindeer and the strange invasive ecology of a subantarctic archipelago with no native trees.
Coming soon ✶The Desolation Islands: History & Discovery
From Captain Cook's grim nickname to the rusting whaling station at Port Jeanne d'Arc — a short history of an island most maps barely label.
Coming soon ✶The Castaways Kerguelen Kept for Three and a Half Years
The true story of British sailor John Nunn and three companions who survived shipwreck, hunger, violent weather and more than three years on the remote Kerguelen Islands.
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