Coronation Island is the largest of 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 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 Stonin ...

, an American sealer, and Captain George Powell, a British sealer. Powell named the island in honour of the coronation of

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

, who had become king of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

in 1820.

Antarctic Specially Protected Area

An area of some 92 km² of north-central Coronation Island has been designated an Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA 114), mainly for use as a relatively pristine reference site for use in comparative studies with more heavily impacted sites. It extends northwards from Brisbane Heights and Wave Peak in the central mountains to the coast between

Conception Point Conception Point is the northernmost point on Coronation Island in the South Orkney Islands. It was discovered on 8 December 1821, in the course of the joint cruise by Captain George Powell, British sealer, and Captain Nathaniel Palmer Nath ...

in the west to

Foul Point Foul Point on Yordanov Island lies at the east side of the entrance to Ommanney Bay on the north side of Coronation Island, in the South Orkney Islands. It was discovered in December 1821 in the course of the joint cruise by Captain George Powel ...

in the east. Most of the land in the site is covered by glacial ice, with small areas of ice-free terrain along the coast. Birds known to breed within the site include chinstrap penguins, Cape petrels and

snow petrel The snow petrel (''Pagodroma nivea'') is the only member of the genus ''Pagodroma.'' It is one of only three birds that has been seen at the Geographic South Pole, along with the Antarctic petrel and the south polar skua, which have the most s ...

Major features

Many geographic features on and around Coronation Island have been charted and named by various exploration and survey groups. The island's northwest point is called Penguin Point. Several named rock formations are located offshore just west of Penguin Point, including the Melsom Rocks, the Despair Rocks, and Lay-brother Rock.

Bays

The island's irregular coast is indented by a great number of bays. * Iceberg Bay indents the south coast between

Cape Hansen Cape Hansen is a cape which separates Marshall Bay and Iceberg Bay on the south coast of Coronation Island, in the South Orkney Islands, Antarctica. The name appears on a chart based upon a running survey of the islands in 1912–13 by Petter Sør ...

and

Olivine Point Olivine Point () is the southern end of the low-lying peninsula which forms the east limit of Iceberg Bay on the south coast of Coronation Island, in the South Orkney Islands. Surveyed by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey The British ...

. * Ommanney Bay indents the north coast between Prong Point and

. * Sandefjord Bay indents the west coast near

Monroe Island The Larsen Islands are a small group of islands north-west of Moreton Point, the western extremity of Coronation Island, in the South Orkney Islands of Antarctica. They were discovered by Captains George Powell and Nathaniel Palmer on the occ ...

Other features

Cockscomb Buttress Cockscomb Buttress () is a prominent, isolated rock buttress rising to , standing northwest of Echo Mountain and overlooking the east side of Norway Bight on the south coast of Coronation Island, in the South Orkney Islands. The name, which is d ...

Endurance Ridge Endurance Ridge () is an Antarctic undersea ridge, south-east of Coronation Island in the South Atlantic Ocean. It was named after the Endurance Expedition of 1914–1917, and its name was approved by the Advisory Committee for Undersea Features ...

Norway Bight Norway Bight () is a bay 4 nautical miles (7 km) wide indenting the south coast of Coronation Island between Meier Point and Mansfield Point, in the South Orkney Islands. The name appears on a chart by Petter Sorlle, Norwegian whaling captain ...

Parpen Crags Parpen Crags () is a precipitous, isolated rock face, near the head of Norway Bight on the south side of Coronation Island, in the South Orkney Islands. Named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) following survey by the F ...

Purdy Point Purdy Point () is a point 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km) east-southeast of Foul Point on the north coast of Coronation Island, in the South Orkney Islands. First seen in December 1821 in the course of a joint cruise by Captain George Powell, Br ...

Rime Crests Rime Crests () is a five crest-like summits surmounting the east side of Sunshine Glacier, Coronation Island, in the South Orkney Islands. The name, originally applied to the highest peak by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey The Briti ...

References

{{Antarctic Specially Protected Areas Islands of the South Orkney Islands Antarctic Specially Protected Areas

Antarctic Specially Protected Area

Major features

Bays

Other features

See also

References