Cape Robertson is a cape which marks the west side of the entrance to

Jessie Bay Jessie Bay () is a bay wide, lying between Mackenzie Peninsula and Pirie Peninsula, on the north side of Laurie Island in the South Orkney Islands. Apparently seen in the course of the joint cruise by Captain George Powell, a British sealer, an ...

, in the north-west part of

Laurie Island Laurie Island is the second largest of the South Orkney Islands. The island is claimed by both Argentina as part of Argentine Antarctica, and the United Kingdom as part of the British Antarctic Territory. However, under the Antarctic Treaty Sy ...

, in the

South Orkney Islands The South Orkney Islands are a group of islands in the Southern Ocean, about north-east of the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...

. It lies east of Route Point at the north end of

Mackenzie Peninsula Mackenzie Peninsula () is a steep, rocky peninsula forming the western end of Laurie Island, in the South Orkney Islands, Antarctica. It was first seen and roughly charted by Captain George Powell and Captain Nathaniel Palmer in 1821. It was s ...

. On the map of Laurie Island by the

Scottish National Antarctic Expedition The Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (SNAE), 1902–1904, was organised and led by William Speirs Bruce, a natural scientist and former medical student from the University of Edinburgh. Although overshadowed in terms of prestige by Robe ...

under Bruce, 1902–04, the name Cape Robertson appears in the position of Route Point, previously named by Captain George Powell and Captain

Nathaniel Palmer Nathaniel Brown Palmer (August 8, 1799June 21, 1877) was an American seal hunter, explorer, sailing captain, and ship designer. He gave his name to Palmer Land, Antarctica, which he explored in 1820 on his sloop ''Hero''. He was born in Stoning ...

in 1821. The name Route Point is retained for the north-west end of Mackenzie Peninsula; Cape Robertson is the north-east extremity. It is named for Thomas Robertson, captain of the Scotia, expedition ship of the ScotNAE.

Important Bird Area

Some 388 ha of the site has been identified as an

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

(IBA) by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

because it supports a large breeding colony of about 20,000 pairs of chinstrap penguins.

References

Robertson, Cape Important Bird Areas of Antarctica Penguin colonies {{SouthOrkneys-geo-stub

Important Bird Area

See also

References