[3] It has been designated an Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA 150) because of the importance of its seabird colonies.

The island has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because it supports a breeding colony of about 4,600 pairs of gentoo penguins, as well as smaller numbers of Adélie and chinstrap penguins, southern giant petrels, Wilson's and black-bellied storm petrels, Cape petrels, brown and south polar skuas, and Antarctic terns.

Three of five population growth phases were terminated by a sudden crash, due to volcanic eruptions from the active volcano of Deception Island, 120 km to the southwest.

[5][6] There are also two Argentinean buildings in the area that make up the Ballvé Refuge, set up in 1953, approximately 50 meters east of Ripamonti I.

In the northern coast of Ardley, and Ripamonti II (former Alfred Wegener Institute hut, ceded to Chile by Germany in 1997) lies almost 100 metres southwest from Braillard Point on the south-eastern part, inside the penguin breeding colonies.