Ross named the island for Sir Francis Beaufort, hydrographer to the British Royal Navy.

The east and south sides of the island are mostly free of ice, with steep inaccessible cliffs that rise straight from the sea.

Here the ice-free ground has a gentle slope and has ponds in summer and small meltwater streams that drain to the coast.

It is largely undisturbed by direct human activity, and there have been fewer opportunities for the introduction of exotic species than other locations in the Ross Sea.

Its northerly aspect and the shelter provided by high ice cliffs protect against southerly winds.