Bates Island facts for kids
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Antarctic shags breed in the IBA
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 Bates Island
Location in Antarctica
Location in Antarctica
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Antarctica |
| Coordinates | 65°49′S 65°38′W / 65.817°S 65.633°W |
| Administration | |
| Administered under the Antarctic Treaty System | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | Uninhabited |
Bates Island is a long, thin island located in the Biscoe Islands near Antarctica. It stretches about 5 kilometers (3 miles) in length. You can find it just east of Jurva Point on Renaud Island.
This island first appeared correctly on a map made by the Argentine government in 1957. It was named in 1959 by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee. They named it after Charles C. Bates, an American scientist who studies the ocean and, especially, sea ice.
A Special Place for Birds
There's a special area near Bates Island that's super important for birds! This area is about 500 hectares (that's like 1,235 acres) of land and sea. It's centered around a tiny islet located about 700 meters (2,300 feet) south of Bates Island.
This spot has been named an Important Bird Area (IBA) by an organization called BirdLife International. Why is it so important? Because it's home to a large breeding colony of Antarctic shags. In 1986, about 150 pairs of these birds were counted nesting there.
