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Archipelago

    Australia

    28°54′S 113°54′E

    Pelsaert Group

    Part of Houtman Abrolhos

    The Pelsaert Group is the southernmost of the three groups of islands that make up the Houtman Abrolhos island chain. It consists of a number of islands, the largest of which are Gun Island, Middle Island, and Pelsaert Island.

    Red Marker shows the position of Gun Island in the Pelsaert Group of the Houtman Abrolhos, Western Australia.
    Red Marker shows the position of Gun Island in the Pelsaert Group of the Houtman Abrolhos, Western Australia.

    NASA modified by User:Hesperian modified by User:Wurfzoll / Public domain

    Chart

    3 landforms

    Overview

    The Pelsaert Group is the southernmost of the three groups of islands that make up the Houtman Abrolhos island chain. It consists of a number of islands, the largest of which are Gun Island, Middle Island, and Pelsaert Island. The group is named after Francisco Pelsaert a Dutch opperkoopman ("high/supreme merchant"), who stranded nearby with the VOC-ship "Batavia" in 1629. The group contains the most southerly true coral reefs in the Indian Ocean. The group is part of the Houtman Abrolhos Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance for supporting large numbers of breeding seabirds. A great many ships have been wrecked in the Pelsaert Group. The most notable wreck is the Zeewijk, which was wrecked on the Half Moon Reef in 1727, the survivors staying on Gun Island for some time afterwards. Other wrecks include the Ocean Queen, wrecked on the Half Moon Reef in 1842; the Ben Ledi, wrecked off Pelsaert Island in 1879; and the Windsor, wrecked on the Half Moon Reef in 1908.

    From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Census, cataloged

    • Major islands2
    • Minor islands1
    • Islets0
    • Rocks & skerries0

    Major islands

    2
    • Gun Island

      Gun Island

      Area
      0.19 km²
      High point
      3 m

      Gun Island is one of the larger islands in the Pelsaert Group of the Houtman Abrolhos, in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Australia. 5 mi) north and east of Half Moon Reef and is a flat limestone outcrop of about 800 by 420 metres (2,620 by 1,380 ft) in size.

    • Middle Island

      Area
      0.21 km²
      High point
      3 m

      Middle Island is one of the largest islands of the Pelsaert Group of the Houtman Abrolhos off the coast of the Mid West region of Western Australia.

    Minor islands

    1

    • Pelsaert Island

      Area
      —
      High point
      2 m

      size unknown

    Figures

    Comparative heights

    Sea level1 m2 m3 m3 mMiddle3 mGun2 mPelsaert
    High points by island, metres above sea level.

    Islands by area

    Sources

    Facts

    • Geometry, areas and high points: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Copernicus GLO-30, via Talus.
    • Wikidata
    • Wikipedia

    Photographs

    • Gun Island, Pelsart Group. NASA modified by User:Hesperian modified by User:Wurfzoll / Public domain
    • Pelsart Group. It was created by Hesperian. Any IP involved in the creation of this image is released into the public domain. / Public domain