| Cape
Adare |
At
the tip of Victoria Land and
backed by the Admiralty Range,
the highest mountain range in
the Antarctic, Cape Adare is
at the edge of the Ross Sea
and the nearest part of Antarctica
to New Zealand. Its large flat
black spit of pebbles is approached
from Robertson Bay and is home
to between one-half and one
million adelie penguins, the
largest adelie rookery in the
Antarctic. [1]
|
| Antarctica |
| Earth's
Natural Wonders in the Polar Regions |
| Admiralty Mountains'
highest peak (Mt. Minto): 13,668
ft. (4,166 m) |
| Coordinates of
Favreau Pillar:71.75 S-171.07
E |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
Cape Adare is the northeastern
most peninsula in Victoria Land, East
Antarctica. The cape separates the
Ross Sea to the east from the Southern
Ocean to the west, and is backed by
the high Admiralty Mountains. Cape
Adare was an important landing site
and base camp during early Antarctic
exploration.
In February 2007 the
Japanese whaling ship Nisshin Maru
experienced a fire below decks while
in the Ross Sea. The vessel drifted
without power for days until its engines
were repaired, raising concern due
to its proximity to Cape Adare.
Captain James Ross discovered
Cape Adare in January 1841 and named
it after his friend the Viscount Adare
(the title is derived from Adare,
Ireland).
In January 1895, Norwegian
explorers Henryk Bull and Carstens
Borchgrevink landed at Cape Adare,
collecting geological specimens. Borchgrevink
returned to the cape leading his own
expedition in 1899 and erected two
huts, the first human structures built
in Antarctica. The expedition members
overwintered and the survivors were
picked up in January 1900. Zoologist
Nicolai Hanson died during the winter
and was buried at Cape Adare.
Members of the Northern
Party of Scott's Terra Nova Expedition
over-wintered at Cape Adare in 1911
and 1912. They erected one hut, which
has fallen into ruin today.
The closest research
station in modern times was Hallett
Station, the joint New Zealand/United
States station at Cape Hallett, 63
miles (101 km) to the south. This
base was in use from 1957 to 1973.[2]
