Subantarctic skua silhouetted against Big Ben Photo: Roger Kirkwood

These pages provide a broad introduction to the natural aspects of Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) - the animals, the plants, the marine environment and the landforms on the islands themselves.

HIMI is a spectacular and unique area of the world with considerable conservation significance. The relatively late discovery of the islands in the mid 19th century, combined with minimal human visitation over the last century due to the region's harsh climate and isolation, mean that HIMI's natural qualities have been little impacted by human activities.

The spectacular landforms, together with the the islands' close to pristine terrestrial and marine biological communities and species of high conservation significance, are afforded the highest levels of protection on behalf of the people of the world through their inscription on the World Heritage list and through the declaration of the HIMI Marine Reserve.