Chinstrap penguins at Cape Geddes Laurie Island 1962

Ferguslie Peninsula is a

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

long, lying between Browns Bay and

Macdougal Bay Macdougal Bay () is a small bay lying between Ferguslie Peninsula and Watson Peninsula on the north coast of Laurie Island, in the South Orkney Islands, Antarctica. It was charted in 1903 by the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition under William ...

on the north coast 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 ...

. The peninsula was charted in 1903 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

William Speirs Bruce William Speirs Bruce (1 August 1867 – 28 October 1921) was a British Natural history, naturalist, polar region, polar scientist and Oceanography, oceanographer who organized and led the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (SNAE, 1902–04) ...

, who named it for Ferguslie, the residence of

James Coats Lieutenant colonel Sir James Stuart Coats, 3rd Baronet MC (13 April 1894 – 26 October 1966) was a British skeleton racer who competed in the late 1940s. He finished seventh in the men's skeleton event at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Mo ...

, chief patron of the expedition. Cape Geddes forms the tip of the peninsula. It was named by Bruce for Professor

Patrick Geddes Sir Patrick Geddes (2 October 1854 – 17 April 1932) was a British biologist, sociologist, Comtean positivist, geographer, philanthropist and pioneering town planner. He is known for his innovative thinking in the fields of urban planning ...

, a noted Scottish biologist and sociologist. A series of peaks called the Ross Peaks rise between Ferguslie Peninsula and Fitchie Bay.

Important Bird Area

A 99 ha tract of ice-free land, including Cape Geddes and the eastern side of the peninsula, 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 12,000 pairs of chinstrap penguins. Other birds nesting at the site include over 200 pairs of

southern giant petrel The southern giant petrel (''Macronectes giganteus''), also known as the Antarctic giant petrel, giant fulmar, stinker, and stinkpot, is a large seabird of the southern oceans. Its distribution overlaps broadly with the similar northern giant pet ...

s at Cape Geddes.

Station C

After abandoning their plans for a base at Sandefjord Bay, the

British Antarctic Survey The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is the United Kingdom's national polar research institute. It has a dual purpose, to conduct polar science, enabling better understanding of global issues, and to provide an active presence in the Antarctic on ...

built a research base on Cape Geddes, designated Station C. It operated from January 1946 to March 1947, but was closed in favor of Station H on

Signy Island Signy Island is a small subantarctic island in the South Orkney Islands of Antarctica. It was named by the Norwegian whaler Petter Sørlle (1884–1933) after his wife, Signy Therese. The island is about long and wide and rises to above sea ...

(later

Signy Research Station Signy Research Station (originally Station H) is an Antarctic research base on Signy Island, run by the British Antarctic Survey. History Signy was first occupied in 1947 when a three-man meteorological station was established in Factory Cove ab ...

References

Laurie Island Peninsulas of the South Orkney Islands Important Bird Areas of Antarctica Seabird colonies Penguin colonies {{SouthOrkneys-geo-stub