[1] Marble Island is bare rock, located above the treeline, and with only a small amount of plant life, primarily lichens and mosses.

A great number of sea mammals can be found nearby, including several kinds of cetaceans (e.g. bowhead whales, orcas, narwhals, and belugas)[2] and seals.

Due to the large amount of oceanic life, Marble Island is a traditional summer hunting ground for the Inuit.

[3] An expedition to find the Northwest Passage was led by James Knight of the Hudson's Bay Company and two ships under captains David Vaughan and George Berley.

[4] Between 1870 and 1887, Marble Island was a popular site for whaleships, but by 1890 was abandoned: few whales could be found nearby, and ice conditions grew treacherous.