This 20-mile-long island filled with thousands of penguins is for sale

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If your favorite habitat at the local zoo features penguins, or you’re longing for the peace and solitude of rural life, a recently listed property just might pique your curiosity.

Those looking for a unique real estate opportunity may want to check out a remote private island in the Falkland Islands called Pebble Island. The island is home to five species of penguins, plus many other bird species, as well as sea lions, cattle and 6,000 sheep. It has become too much for the current owners to manage, and they’re now ready to sell the island, the BBC reported.

The 20 mile-long, 4 mile-wide island in the South Atlantic, a few hundred miles off the southern coast of Argentina, has belonged to the same family for several generations. The current owner, Sam Harris, is the great-great-grandson of the original buyer, John Markham Dean. He bought the island back in 1869 for a mere 400 pounds, or about $505. That works out to a modern equivalent of just under $10,000.

Harris told the BBC that because the island’s exact value is hard to pin down, there’s no official asking price. Instead, the family hopes a buyer with an interest in farming (the sheep produce a lot of wool, Harris said) and developing the island for tourism will bring them a proposal. “We want it to go to someone who will really care for it,” Harris told BBC.

The island is so beautiful that the Falkland Islands Tourist Board has featured it on their Instagram account:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bonfk2KBHVM/

Pebble Island has striking natural features, including a small mountain range, cliffs, lakes and the colorful pebble beach that inspired the name, BirdLife International considers Pebble Island an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area.

The idea of developing it for tourism isn’t far-fetched: The island already has accommodations at Pebble Island Lodge. A former army base on the island could also be converted for tourists, Harris noted to the BBC.

“It’s got great potential with tourism because there’s a big army base there, but there are also a lot of animals on the island, some which need to be looked after,” he said.

It does look like a great place to get away from it all. Imagine walking this beach the tourism board posted on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZcOwuZDS8G/

But with all of the animal life on this island, you’ll still have plenty of company.

We have a feeling that no matter who the lucky new owner is, this island will be home to many pairs of happy feet!

Animals, Travel, Wild Animals
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About the Author
Jennifer Nied
Jennifer Nied is a freelance writer and editor based in New York City. She focuses on beauty, wellness, and travel stories with a background covering the spa industry.

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