Everything about Elephant Island totally explained
Elephant Island is an ice-covered, mountainous island off the coast of
Antarctica in the outer reaches of the
South Shetland Islands in the
Southern Ocean. It lies west-southwest of
South Georgia, south of the
Falkland Islands, and southeast of
Cape Horn. It is within the Antarctic claims of
Argentina,
Chile and the
UK
Geography
The island is approximately an east to west orientation, with a maximum elevation of 2795 ft (852 m) above sea level at
Pardo Ridge. Significant named features of the island are
Cape Yelcho,
Cape Valentine and
Cape Lookout at its northeastern and southernmost extremes, and
Point Wild, a spit of land on its northern coast.
The island supports no significant flora or native fauna although migratory
Gentoo penguins and seals may be found on its shores, and
Chinstrap penguins nest there in season. A lack of safe
anchorage has prevented any permanent human settlements being formed, despite the island being well placed to support scientific,
fishing and
whaling activities in the area.
Elephant Island’s name can be attributed to both its elephant head-like appearance and the sighting of
elephant seals by
Captain George Powell in 1821, one of the earliest sightings of the island. Its weather is normally foggy with much snow. Additionally, winds can reach speeds up to 100 miles per hour on the frigid island. Anyone wishing to visit this remote island must have high cold thresholds and extreme weather tolerance.
Endurance Expedition
The island is most famous as the desolate refuge of
Ernest Shackleton and his crew of 28 in
1916 following the loss of their ship
Endurance in
Weddell Sea ice. Realizing that there was no chance of rescue by any passing ships, Shackleton decided to set out for
South Georgia where he knew there was a whaling station. In one of the most incredible feats in the history of sailing and navigation, Shackleton sailed off with five other men on an 800 mile voyage in the open lifeboat
James Caird on Easter Monday,
April 24,
1916, arriving at South Georgia almost two weeks later. His second in command,
John Robert Francis “Frank” Wild remained in charge of the 21 other men on Elephant Island for more than four months while Shackleton led attempts to return with a rescue ship. In his memoir Wild recalled “We gave them three hearty cheers and watched the boat getting smaller and smaller in the distance. Then seeing some of the party in tears, I immediately set them all to work.”
Indeed, there was much work for the stranded party. Because the island had no natural source of shelter, they constructed a shack and wind blocks from their remaining two lifeboats and pieces of canvas tents . Blubber lamps were used for lighting. Expedition physicist
Reginald James composed the following verses out of gratitude for Wild's leadership:
» My name is Frankie Wild-o.
Me hut's on Elephant Isle. » The wall's without a single brick
And the roof's without a tile. » Nevertheless I must confess,
By many and many a mile, » It's the most palatial dwelling place
You'll find on Elephant Isle. » It's the most palatial dwelling place
You'll find on Elephant Isle.
They hunted for penguins and seals, neither of which were plentiful during the autumn and winter months. The crew, many of whom were already ill and frost-bitten, were now also in danger of starvation. After four and a half months of waiting, one of the stranded men spotted a ship on
August 30,
1916. The ship, led by Shackleton, was the borrowed tug boat
Yelcho, from
Punta Arenas,
Chile, commanded by
Luis Pardo, which broke through the ice surrounding the island to finally rescue all of the men who set out on the original expedition.
According to
Frank Worsley, Shackleton's captain, the men pronounced the island with a silent 't' and an 'h' prefixed, which makes it into Hell-of-an-Island.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Elephant Island'.
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