It was photographed from the air by U.S. Navy Operation Highjump, 1946–47, charted by the French Antarctic Expedition, 1949–51, and so named by them because numerous snow petrel nests present.

In January 1952, following destruction of the Port Martin base by fire, the French Antarctic Expedition under Marret, 1952–53, enlarged the hut on Petrel Island to serve as the new base site.

The wooden building known as ‘Base Marret’, where seven men under Marret's command overwintered in 1952 following the fire at Port Martin, has been designated a Historic Site or Monument (HSM 47), following a proposal by France to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.

The iron cross on the north-east headland of the island is dedicated as a memorial to André Prudhomme, head meteorologist on the third International Geophysical Year expedition, who disappeared during a blizzard on 7 January 1959; it has similarly been designated a Historic Site or Monument (HSM 48).

[1] This article incorporates public domain material from "Petrel Island (Antarctica)".