It was the site of the first landing south of the Antarctic Circle, and features the "remarkable pinnacle" called Beale Pinnacle, near Cape Beale on its south-eastern coast, and Cape Scoresby on its north-western coast.

[2] The island was not visited again until February 29, 1948, when a party of Australians, including Phillip Law and Stuart Campbell, landed at the same point from HMAS Wyatt Earp.

[1] Cape Scoresby (66°34′S 162°45′E / 66.567°S 162.750°E / -66.567; 162.750) is a high bluff marking the north end of Borradaile Island.

It was charted by personnel on the RRS Discovery II who made running surveys of the northern portion of the Balleny Islands in 1936–1938.

Both are named after W. Beale, another of the merchants who joined with Charles Enderby in sending out the John Balleny expedition of 1839.