Detaille Island
| Detaille Island | ||
|---|---|---|
| Waters | Lallemand Fjord | |
| Archipelago | Adelaide and Biscoe Islands | |
| Geographical location | 66 ° 52 ′ S , 66 ° 47 ′ W | |
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| Residents | uninhabited | |
| main place | (Base W) (historical) |
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The Detaille Island ( French Îlot Detaille ) is a small island north of the Arrowsmith Peninsula on the west side of Graham Land in the north of the Antarctic Peninsula . It is counted among the Adelaide and Biscoe Islands . Access to the island from the north is obstructed by the Harper Rocks and Marshall Shoals .
In 1956 the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) set up Station W here on a narrow headland at the northern end of the island. The crew's tasks included taking measurements on the nearby glaciers and geological and meteorological studies. The base was well chosen in 1956 because it is located on a sheltered and ice-free bay. It was also a contribution to the International Geophysical Year 1957.
In June 1959 (Antarctic winter) the station could not be reached by the supply ship , so the crew of Station W decided to give up the base and move to Station Y on Horseshoe Island. Until then, the station was also called Loubet Coast , after the nearby coastal area of the Antarctic Peninsula.
The station building with stables for the sled dogs still stands today. In the summer of 1996/1997 the station and the surrounding area were cleaned up by BAS. The station is today, as it was little changed, an important example of the scientific activities and living conditions of the crew before the signing of the Antarctic Treaty . The former station "W" is one of the historic sites in Antarctica with the number HSM 83 .
The island is sometimes visited by cruise ships in the Antarctic summer .
Web links
- British Antarctic Survey: Detaille Island Station W - History