France

French Austral Lands and Seas

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The French Austral Lands and Seas is a group of extremely isolated volcanic islands in the sub-Antarctic region.

As one of the largest marine protected areas in the world, it covers the Crozet Archipelago, Kerguelen Islands, Amsterdam and St Paul Islands, and surrounding parts of the Southern Ocean. This true wilderness is known for its marine birds (especially the world’s largest colony of King Penguins) and mammals such as Elephant Seals and Commerson’s Dolphins.

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Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
French Austral Lands and Seas (ID: 1603)
Country
France
Status
Inscribed 2019 Site history
History of French Austral Lands and Seas
2019: Inscribed
Inscribed
Type
Natural
Criteria
  • vii
  • ix
  • x
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
Official
  • taaf.fr — Terres australes et antarctiques française
All Links
UNESCO.org
Official Website
  • taaf.fr — Terres australes et antarctiques française
News Article
  • Feb. 16, 2025 rfi.fr — Wildfire on remote French Amsterdam island threatens wildlife and climate research station

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Wildlife habitat: Fauna
  • Natural landscape: Marine and Coastal
Travel Information
One thousand visitors or fewer
One thousand visitors or fewer
“Less than 350 people visit the islands annually” (AB ev)
Takes more than 5 days to visit
Takes more than 5 days to visit
Starting from Reunion, it takes 28 days round-trip

See www.taaf.fr

Recent Connections
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Connections of French Austral Lands and Seas
Individual People
Geography
Trivia
Ecology
  • Megaherbs
    Crozet, Kerguelen Islands: Megaherbs (Kerguelen cabbage)
  • Albatross breeding sites
    "Eight species of albatross, of which six are considered globally threatened,... breed in the nominated property", including the Amsterdam Albatross
  • Antarctic Floristic Kingdom
  • Endemic Bird Species
    At least four species of birds are endemic, plus three other species endemic at a regional level. They include Eaton’s Pintail, MacGillivray's Prion and the Amsterdam Albatross.
  • Natural Arches and Bridges
    Arche des Kerguelen
  • Penguins
    King penguin, Northern rockhopper penguin, macaroni penguin
  • Stratovolcanoes
    Mont Ross
  • Volcanic Hotspots
    Kerguelen hotspot

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Whales
    Killer whales, sperm whales
  • Oceanic Dolphins

    “Cetaceans such as Commerson’s Dolphin, an endemic subspecies occurring in Kerguelen” (OUV) - Commerson’s, Hourglass, and Southern Right whale dolphins, and Orca and Longfinned pilot whale (nom file)

  • Tundra
    "The Kerguelen Islands are part of the Southern Indian Ocean Islands tundra ecoregion" (wiki)
  • Seals
    the second largest colony of Southern Elephant Seals and the third largest colony of sub-Antarctic Fur Seals in the world (OUV)
World Heritage Process
  • Perfect Inscriptions
    2019
  • Minor modifications after inscription
    2023: enlargement of all three component parts, intended to align the boundaries of the property with the new, extended boundaries of the Nature Reserve. The areas consist solely of marine areas. The extension adds 98,970,200 ha to the property resulting in a total area of 166,267,100 ha.
Human Activity
Constructions
WHS on Other Lists
Timeline
Science and Technology
  • Astronomy and Astrology
    Anse Betsy (Betsy Cove) is a former geomagnetic station on Baie Accessible (Accessible Bay), on the north coast of the Courbet Peninsula (La Grande Terre, Kerguelen). On this site an astronomical and geomagnetic observatory was erected on 26 October 1874 by a German research expedition led by Georg Gustav Freiherr von Schleinitz. The primary goal of this station was the 1874 observation of the transit of Venus. (wiki)
Visiting conditions
News
rfi.fr 02/16/2025
Wildfire on remote French Amsterda…
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