Balleny Islands

The Balleny Islands form a chain of uninhabited, mainly volcanic, islands in the Southern Ocean streching from 66°15' to 67°35'S and 162°30' to 165°00'E. The group contains three main islands: Young, Buckle and Sturge; and two smaller ones. The English whaling captains John Balleny and Thomas Freeman first sighted the group in 1839: Freeman was the first person to land on any of the islands on February 9 1839. Their area totals 400 km² and the highest point reaches 1524 m (Brown Peak on Sturge Island).

They form part of the Ross Dependency, claimed by New Zealand (see claims on Antarctica).