Nightingale Island

Nightingale Island

Nightingale Island's location in relation to Tristan da Cunha
Nightingale Island
Geography
Location	South Atlantic Ocean
Coordinates	37°25′10″S 12°28′40″W / 37.419444°S 12.477778°W / -37.419444; -12.477778
Archipelago	Tristan da Cunha
Area	3.2 km2 (1.2 sq mi)
Length	1.5 km (0.93 mi)
Width	2.5 km (1.55 mi)
Highest elevation	370 m (1,210 ft)
Highest point	High Peak
Administration
United Kingdom
St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Nightingale Island is an active volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean, 3 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi) in area, part of the Tristan da Cunha group of islands. They are administered by the United Kingdom as part of the overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.

Nightingale Island is part of the Nightingale Islands, which also includes islets Middle Island and Stoltenhoff Island. All three are uninhabited, but are regularly visited for scientific purposes and research.

Nightingale has two peaks on its north end. One is 337 metres (1,106 ft) high while the other is 293 metres (961 ft) high. The rest of the island is ringed by cliffs. However, these cliffs are not nearly as high as those surrounding Nightingale's neighbour Inaccessible Island, which is approximately 16 km away and has cliffs approximately 300m high. Thus human access is much easier on Nightingale than on Inaccessible. The island is a volcano, composed of early and late stage ash deposits. Massive Trachytic lava flows have been extruded in the past. Before 2004, the last eruption may have been over 39,000 years ago.

The two nearby islets are called Stoltenhoff (99 metres (325 ft)) and Middle (46 metres (151 ft)).

Large amounts of kelp surround the island, which makes it difficult to anchor ships in bad weather.

Nightingale Island has an oceanic climate similar to the other Tristan da Cunha islands.

Nightingale was possibly sighted along with Tristan da Cunha in 1506 by Tristão da Cunha, though he made no record of it.

It was originally named "Gebrooken Eyland" (Broken island) by the Dutch ship the Nachtglas under Jan Jacobszoon in January 1656, who found no safe anchorage; the first landing was not made until 1696 (most likely by Willem de Vlamingh in August of that year). French captain D'Etchevery also visited the island in September 1767, first recording the two nearby islets now named Stoltenhoff and Middle. The island was later renamed after British captain Gamaliel Nightingale, who explored the island in 1760.