The island is elongated, measuring 1.5 kilometers (0.93 mi) in a north-south direction and no more than 200 meters (660 ft) in width.

The island is a low basalt cliff that reaches an elevation of only 27 meters (89 ft) above sea level.

The Bastian Islands were discovered in 1867 by the Swedish-Norwegian polar explorer Nils Fredrik Rønnbeck, who was the first to sail around Spitsbergen.

Most of the Bastian Islands were named during the First German North Polar Expedition in 1868, led by Carl Koldewey.

This island is named after the German geographer Wilhelm Koner[2] (1817–1887).