Inexpressible Island
is a small rocky island in Terra Nova Bay on the Ross Sea that
is most notable for being where the "Northern party" of Scott's
1910-1913 expedition had to endure an enforced winter.
Their ship the Terra Nova could not pick them up as
planned in February 1912 due to particularly heavy pack ice.
The six men passed a particularly
miserable winter with just four weeks worth of rations which
were supplemented by killing penguins or seals that they found
though these were few and far between . They dug an ice cave
and built a rock shelter, though suffered greatly from frostbite,
hunger and dysentery. They gave the name "Inexpressible Island"
in recognition of how awful the place and time they spent there
was.
They remained on Inexpressible
Island until the last day of September 1912 when they set off
on the 200 miles journey to Hut Point arriving on November the
5th despite great illness, discomfort and a lack of supplies.
The location of the ice cave
on Inexpressible Island is a Category 1 site as classified by
the Antarctic Heritage Trust and receives protection under the
Antarctic Treaty.
Picture courtesy of Mike Usher
- Mike went on a Ross Sea expedition on board the Kapitan Khlebnikov
in 2005.
You can purchase a selection of Mike's pictures
here
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