The Bounty Islands (; "Island of angry wind") are a small group of 13 uninhabited granite islets and numerous rocks, with a combined area of circa in the South Pacific Ocean. Territorially part of New Zealand, they lie about east-south-east of New Zealand's South Island, south-west of the Chatham Islands, and north of the Antipodes Islands. The group is a World Heritage Site. The islands are listed with the New Zealand Outlying Islands. The islands are an immediate part of New Zealand, but not part of any region or district. Rather, they are listed as an Area Outside Territorial Authority, similar to all other outlying islands except for the Solander Islands / Hautere. History Captain William Bligh discovered the Bounty Islands en route from Spithead to Tahiti in 1788, and named them after his ship HMS Bounty, just months before the famous mutiny. The location of the islands were only roughly marked on charts. In early 1866 Commander W. H. Norman of HMVS Victoria (1855) was tasked with determining more accurately their position. He reported them as being latitude 47ˈ50 South and longitude 179ˈ00 East. Captain George Palmer, during the search for the Matoaka placed the islands at 47ˈ46ˈ24 South 178ˈ56ˈ45 East. Palmer also annexed the islands for New Zealand. During the 19th century the area was a popular hunting-ground for sealers. The islands were also searched from time to time for missing ships and crews, including those from the General Grant and the Matoaka. The Hinemoa visited the islands in March 1886 and erected a depot for marooned sailors on the largest island. Captain Fairchild noted that there was no fresh water available on these islands. The depot had been destroyed by the sea by the time the Stella visited the island in 1887. A new Admiralty chart 1022 was issued for the area in 1888, which took into account survey work undertaken by the Hinemoa. In November 1891 the Hinemoa returned to the islands and built a fresh provisions storage. Flora and fauna Ecologically, the islands are part of the Antipodes Subantarctic Islands tundra ecoregion. Plants include Cook's scurvy grass. The group is home to an endemic spider, endemic insects, and large numbers of seabirds. Important Bird Area The Bounty group has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because of its significance as a breeding site for erect-crested penguins, Salvin's albatrosses and Bounty