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Prion Island


Prion Island is an island 2.4 km (1.5 mi) north-northeast of Luck Point, lying in the Bay of Isles, South Georgia. It was charted in 1912-13 by Robert Cushman Murphy, American naturalist aboard the brig Daisy, and so named because he observed prions on the island.

The island has been designated as a Specially Protected Area by the South Georgia Government, due to its rat-free status and breeding wandering albatrosses. Access is by permit, in that the island must be specifically named on the visit application and permit. A boardwalk with two viewing platforms was built in February/March 2008 to prevent erosion of the access gully and trampling of prion burrows. Wandering Albatross population counts are conducted annually. Because it is rat-free it is a breeding area for South Georgia pipits and burrowing petrels.

Visits are restricted as described in the GSGSSI Information For Visitors document as follows:

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Geological Survey document "Prion Island" (content from the Geographic Names Information System). Coordinates: 54°1′S 37°15′W / 54.017°S 37.250°W / -54.017; -37.250


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