The
Shag Rocks are a group of six small islets in the southern Atlantic Ocean, 240 km (150 mi) west of the island of
South Georgia and 1,000 km (620 mi) southeast of the
Falkland Islands. The islets, the tallest of which reaches 75 m (246 ft), are administered by the United Kingdom as part of the
overseas territory of
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Largely devoid of vegetation, the bare rock is covered by a layer of
guano deposited by the large numbers of
South Georgia shags that nest there. The shags are the only breeding bird on the islets, but the relatively shallow waters surrounding the rocks, part of the continental shelf, are feeding grounds for many other species of seabird. In this photograph of the islets, an
iceberg can be seen in the distance at left.
Photograph credit: Andrew Shiva