| Shirley Island | |
| Pushpin Map: | Antarctica |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Antarctica |
| Location: | Antarctica |
| Archipelago: | Windmill Islands |
| Length Km: | 1.5 |
| Width Km: | 0.5 |
| Elevation M: | 37 |
| Population: | Uninhabited |
| Country: | None |
| Treaty System: | Antarctic Treaty System |
Shirley Island is a rocky island lying 200m (700feet) north-west of the western end of the Bailey Peninsula, in the Windmill Islands of the Budd Coast, Wilkes Land, Antarctica.[1] It is mostly ice-free with undulating, rocky terrain. It was first mapped from aerial photos taken by the USN's Operation Highjump in February 1947. It was named by the US-ACAN for Q. Shirley, chief photographer's mate on Operation Highjump photographic flights in coastal areas between14° and 164° E longitude. Kirkby Shoal is a small shoal area with depths of less than 180NaN0 extending about 1400NaN0 westwards and south-south-west, about 3.4km (02.1miles) from the summit of Shirley Island. Launch Channel is the narrow body of water between Bailey Peninsula and the island; with the relatively shallow soundings in the channel restricting its use to smaller craft and suggesting the name.
A 414 ha site comprising both Shirley Island and neighbouring Beall Island, as well as the intervening marine area, has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports breeding colonies of about 14,000 pairs of Adélie penguins, based on 2011 satellite imagery. Other birds breeding in the IBA include snow petrels, Wilson's storm petrels and south polar skuas.[2]