Published
French Southern Lands · south of Reunion Island

Kerguelen Islands: history, climate, wildlife and how to get there

Discovered in 1772 by Yves de Kerguelen, this remote French archipelago deep in the Southern Ocean is still linked to Reunion Island by a single ship, the Marion Dufresne. Here's the story of its brutal climate, unique wildlife (king penguins, elephant seals, wandering albatrosses) and the Port-aux-Français research base.

3,500km south of Reunion Island7,215km²
18th century

1772: the "Southern France" that never was

On 12 February 1772, the Breton navigator Yves Joseph de Kerguelen-Trémarec sighted these uninhabited islands in the southern Indian Ocean, on an expedition commissioned by Louis XV. He named them "France Australe" (Southern France), convinced he had found a promising land to colonise, and made the king some ill-founded promises: rich land, a temperate climate and people to "civilise".

Reality soon set in. The second voyage in 1773-1774 confirmed that the climate was extreme, that the lack of trees ruled out any permanent settlement, and that the wildlife, mostly elephant seals and penguins, would only interest sealers. James Cook, who passed by in 1776, more bluntly called them the "Desolation Islands" in his log, a name that stuck in English for a long time.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, American, British and Norwegian whalers and sealers hunted intensively here (elephant seals for oil, fur seals for their pelts). Several attempts at permanent settlement failed. A lasting French presence only began after 1949 with scientific missions, followed by the founding of the Port-aux-Français base in 1951.

The Kerguelen Islands are today part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF), run from Saint-Pierre in Reunion Island. The only people here live at Port-aux-Français, a research base with around fifty people on average, rising to 120 in the southern summer.

The wild coast of the Kerguelen Islands, a tundra landscape and mountain range
Quick facts

The Kerguelen Islands at a glance

  • Discovery
    12 February 1772
  • Discoverer
    Yves Joseph de Kerguelen-Trémarec
  • Total area
    ≈ 7,215km²
  • Main island
    Grande Terre (6,675km²)
  • Highest point
    Mont Ross (1,850m)
  • Population
    45-120 people (seasonal)
  • Scientific base
    Port-aux-Français
  • Status
    One of the 5 TAAF districts
Subantarctic climate

Endless wind, fog and low light

The Kerguelen Islands sit in the "Roaring Forties" on the edge of the "Furious Fifties", the stormy latitudes of the Southern Ocean. Westerly winds blow constantly: monthly averages of 100km/h aren't unusual, and 200km/h gusts are regularly recorded.

The average annual temperature is around 4-5°C, with little seasonal variation: 8°C in the southern summer (December-February) and 2°C in the southern winter (June-August). The surrounding ocean softens the extremes but keeps the air permanently damp. Rainfall is 700-850mm a year, with grey skies more than 300 days a year. In winter, snow falls at every altitude, and it lies all year on the peaks and ice caps (notably the Cook Glacier).

The result: no native trees at all, a striking contrast with Reunion Island's lush tropical forest. The landscape is tundra, moss, lichen and grasses adapted to cold and wind. Days are very long in the southern summer (up to 18 hours of daylight in December) and very short in winter (6 hours in June), with the low, raking light typical of high latitudes.

Iconic wildlife

700,000 penguins, 200,000 elephant seals

The Kerguelen Islands are a haven for subantarctic wildlife. Here are seven notable animal and plant groups studied by scientists.

SpeciesNumbersNote
Southern elephant seals≈ 200,000 individualsMales up to 4 tonnes and 6m. The world's largest population is found in the Kerguelen Islands.
King penguins≈ 700,000 breeding pairsThe second-largest penguin species (95cm), in spectacular colonies of tens of thousands of birds.
Gentoo penguinsSeveral thousand pairsLess conspicuous, nesting in small colonies along the coast.
Subantarctic fur sealsSeveral thousandRecovering after being overhunted in the 19th century.
Albatrosses and petrelsSeveral species (wandering, sooty)Wandering albatross: wingspan up to 3.50m, one of the largest seabirds in the world.
Reindeer and rabbit (introduced)Population under controlBrought in by 19th- and 20th-century sailors as a food source. Now controlled to limit their impact on the ecosystem.
Kerguelen cabbageAn endemic plant of the subantarctic islandsPringlea antiscorbutica, rich in vitamin C, eaten by 19th-century sailors to ward off scurvy. Picking it is now regulated.
A colony of king penguins with orange patches on their heads, on a muddy subantarctic plain
Research

Six major scientific programmes

The Kerguelen Islands are an open-air laboratory. Climate, glaciers, marine and land biology, geology and sustainable fishing: six main areas of research keep scientists and technicians busy all year at Port-aux-Français.

FieldFocusPartners
Climate and atmosphereCO₂ and ozone measurements, atmospheric chemistry, testing global climate modelsCNRS, Météo-France, IPSL
GlaciologyMonitoring the retreat of the Cook Glacier (-1.3km since 1963), mass balance, polar archivesIGE Grenoble, IPEV
Marine biologyUsing elephant seals as living ocean sensors (10,000km travelled a year), sustainable fisheriesCEBC-CNRS, Ifremer
OrnithologyPopulations of king penguins, albatrosses and petrels; the impact of climate change on breedingCEBC-CNRS, Antarctic Zone Atelier programmes
GeosciencesMont Ross volcanism, undersea seismic surveys, fish stocksBRGM, IPGP
Toothfish fisheryQuotas and sustainability certification for Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides), the flagship catchReunion Island and mainland French shipowners, MSC
The link with Reunion Island

The Marion Dufresne: Reunion Island's lifeline to the far south

At 120m long, the Marion Dufresne II(in service since 1995) is both a supply ship and an oceanographic research vessel. Chartered by the TAAF and operated by CMA CGM, it sails from Port Réunion (Le Port).

Four voyages a year (OP1 to OP4) serve the subantarctic districts: Crozet, Kerguelen and Saint-Paul-and-Amsterdam. Each lasts 28 to 35 days. The ship carries up to 110 passengers (scientists, military personnel, technicians and around a dozen paying tourists per voyage), plus freight (scientific equipment, supplies, fuel, mail), and carries out oceanographic surveys along the way.

In Reunion Island,the Marion Dufresne is a familiar sight in the harbour, and its departures and returns draw families and onlookers to Port Réunion. It's also a local employer: most of the crew are from Reunion Island, and shipping and logistics services are contracted to island companies.

On top of that, the TAAF employ around a hundred people at their Saint-Pierre headquarters, making them a significant public employer in the south of Reunion Island.

Frequently asked questions

Your questions answered

Where are the Kerguelen Islands located?
In the southern Indian Ocean, at around 49°S and 70°E, roughly 3,500km south-east of Reunion Island and 4,800km south-west of Australia. The archipelago covers about 7,215km² (slightly larger than Corsica) and comprises more than 300 islands and islets, the main one being Grande Terre (6,675km²). They belong to the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF), along with the Crozet, Saint-Paul and Amsterdam islands and France's Antarctic territory (Adélie Land). The Kerguelen Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone, around 567,000km², makes France a major maritime power in the southern Indian Ocean.
How do you get to the Kerguelen Islands?
The only regular link is the Marion Dufresne, the TAAF's supply and oceanographic research ship, which makes four voyages a year from Port Réunion (Reunion Island) to the Kerguelen, Crozet, Amsterdam and Saint-Paul islands. It takes 9-10 days to reach the Kerguelen Islands, and the whole trip lasts 28 to 35 days. Berths are mainly for scientists, military personnel, TAAF technicians and logistics staff. A few places go to paying passengers each year, at a high price (from around €9,000), selected by application.
What's the climate like in the Kerguelen Islands?
Subantarctic: cold, wet and windy all year. The average temperature is around 4-5°C, with little seasonal variation (8°C in summer, 2°C in winter). Westerly winds blow constantly, regularly averaging over 100km/h in a month, with gusts of 200km/h. Rainfall is 700-850mm a year, with grey skies more than 300 days a year. Early explorers called them the 'Desolation Islands': hardly any trees (only a few introduced species survive), tundra, glaciers on the heights, bare rock and lichen.
Why are the Kerguelen Islands linked to Reunion Island?
For three reasons. Shipping: the Marion Dufresne, the TAAF's ship, is based at Port Réunion (Le Port). Administration: the TAAF are run from their headquarters in Saint-Pierre, Reunion Island, which employs around a hundred people. And science and logistics: many researchers and technicians working in the Kerguelen Islands train in or pass through Reunion Island. For people on the island, the Kerguelen are a distant neighbour but a familiar one, especially thanks to the Marion Dufresne, whose departures draw families and onlookers to Port Réunion.
What wildlife lives in the Kerguelen Islands?
Five main groups. Southern elephant seals: 200,000 of them, the world's largest population, with males up to 4 tonnes and 6m long. King penguins: 700,000 breeding pairs of the second-largest penguin species (95cm), in colonies of tens of thousands. Gentoo penguins, and subantarctic fur seals recovering from 19th-century hunting. The wandering albatross, one of the world's largest seabirds (wingspan up to 3.5m). And on land, the Kerguelen cabbage (Pringlea antiscorbutica), an endemic plant rich in vitamin C that sailors once ate to prevent scurvy.
What is the Kerguelen cabbage?
Pringlea antiscorbutica is a plant found only on the subantarctic islands (Kerguelen, Crozet, Heard, Marion), from the same family as common cabbage (Brassicaceae). Rich in vitamin C, it was recorded by James Cook on his visit in 1776. In the 19th century, French and British sailors ate it to prevent scurvy on long polar voyages (hence 'antiscorbutica' in its Latin name). Picking it is now strictly regulated to protect the ecosystem, but it remains a symbol of the islands and an indicator of climate change.
Does anyone live in the Kerguelen Islands?
There are no permanent residents, only the rotating staff of Port-aux-Français, a scientific base set up on Grande Terre in 1951. Numbers range from 45 in the southern winter to around 120 in the southern summer (peak research season): scientists (CNRS, IPEV, Météo-France), technicians, military personnel, doctors, cooks and logistics staff. Postings usually last 12 to 15 months. The base has a chapel, a laboratory, a weather station, medical staff and a satellite internet connection.
What are the TAAF and what do they do?
The French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF) are a French overseas territory with special status, made up of five districts: Crozet, Kerguelen, Saint-Paul-and-Amsterdam, Adélie Land in Antarctica and the Scattered Islands (in the Mozambique Channel). The territory is run by a senior administrator (a prefect) based in Saint-Pierre, Reunion Island. Its roles: upholding French sovereignty, supporting science (climate, biodiversity, glaciology), regulating fishing (Patagonian toothfish), running the Marion Dufresne's logistics and protecting ecosystems (the French Southern Lands have been a national nature reserve since 2006).
Can tourists visit the Kerguelen Islands?
Only just. A few places a year on the Marion Dufresne go to 'paying passengers', chosen by application (motivation, fitness, project). It costs around €9,000 for a 28-day round trip from Reunion Island, including the voyage, life on board and the stops. There are no tourist facilities on the islands (no hotels, guides or paid visits): the few passengers explore the landscapes and wildlife with TAAF staff during short stops. An extraordinary experience rather than a holiday.
What is the Patagonian toothfish, and why does it matter to Reunion Island?
The Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides), also sold as Chilean sea bass, is a deep-water fish (down to 2,500m) much sought after in Asian and North American markets. The TAAF regulate the fishery, the fishing companies are mostly based in Reunion Island, and the catch is landed and processed there. Annual quotas are strictly controlled (5,700 tonnes for the Kerguelen Islands in 2024). It's a major industry for Le Port (Reunion Island), with several hundred direct and indirect jobs, and the fishery has been MSC-certified as sustainable since 2013, which boosts its export value.
Go further

Keep reading