Gough Island

Gough Island rises steeply from the South Atlantic, south of Tristan da Cunha and far from continental shores. Its cliffs and surrounding seas support great numbers of seabirds and seals. Portuguese sailors most likely encountered it in 1505, and early charts named it for Gonçalo Álvares. In 1732 the British captain Charles Gough sighted the island again, giving it the name by which it became widely known. Sealers later visited this isolated land, remaining for periods to exploit its animal resources.