Polar Motifs - Peter I Island

Peter I Island is an uninhabited Norwegian dependent territory in the Antarctic. A royal proclamation declared it to be under Norwegian sovereignty on 6th March 1931.

The island was discovered by the Russian Bellingshausen expedition in 1821 and was named after Tsar Peter the Great of Russia. It lies 450 kilometres off the west coast of the Antarctic continent and covers an area of 156 km2.

The Norwegian Brategg Expedition landed on the island in 1948, although drift ice makes it virtually inaccessible. Russian and American expedition vessels have been to the island several times, with only a few successful landings.

The coastline is dominated by a 40-metre tall ice front and steep cliffs. A few seabirds, particularly southern fulmars, breed on parts of the island, and a small colony of penguins has also been observed. Large numbers of crabeater and leopard seals can be seen on and around the island.