Jonassen Island facts for kids

Northern Graham Land and the surrounding islands.
1 Antarctic Peninsula, 2 James Ross Island, 3 D'Urville Island, 4 Joinville Island, 5 Dundee Island, 6 Snow Hill Island, 7 Vega Island, 8 Seymour Island, 9 Andersson Island, 10 Paulet Island, 11 Lockyer Island, 12 Eagle Island, 13 Jonassen Island, 14 Bransfield Island, 15 Astrolabe Island, 16 Zigzag Island

Jonassen Island is a small, rocky island located in Antarctica. It is one of many islands found near the Graham Land peninsula. This part of Antarctica is closer to South America than any other area of the continent.

The island was formed by volcanoes. It belongs to a group of islands known as the James Ross Island Volcanic Group. Jonassen Island is about 4.1 kilometers (2.5 miles) long. It is located just north of Andersson Island.

How Jonassen Island Got Its Name

Jonassen Island has an interesting history regarding its name. It was first named Irizar Island by a Swedish explorer named Otto Nordenskiöld. He chose this name to honor an Argentine captain. This captain's ship, the Uruguay, helped rescue Nordenskiöld's team.

This rescue happened in 1903. Nordenskiöld's own ship, the Antarctic, had been crushed by ice. A year later, another, larger island in Antarctica was also named Irizar. Because that name became widely used for the bigger island, the smaller island was renamed. It was then named after Ole Jonassen. He was an important companion to Nordenskiöld. Jonassen joined him on two long sled journeys in 1902 and 1903.

Wildlife on Jonassen Island

Jonassen Island is home to several types of birds. The main animals you will find there are gentoo penguins and kelp gulls. Both of these bird species have set up breeding colonies on the island. This means they build nests and raise their young there.

Other birds have also been seen around or flying over the island. These include Adélie penguins and chinstrap penguins. You might also spot pintado petrels and snow petrels. In 1901, someone reported seeing Adélie penguins nesting on the island. However, more recent studies have not confirmed this claim.