South West Bay ( 53°3′S73°22′E / 53.050°S 73.367°E ) is an open bay indenting the west side of Heard Island immediately north of Cape Gazert in the southern Indian Ocean. The bay was roughly charted on an 1860 sketch map compiled by Captain H.C. Chester, an American sealer. The name "S.W. Bay" appears on an 1882 chart compiled by Ens. Washington Irving Chambers aboard the USS Marion at Heard Island in January 1882. The bay name appears to have developed from an American sealer name, "Southwest Beach," in use about 1860 for the pebble beach at the north end of this bay.
This article incorporates public domain material from "South West Bay". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey.
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Hughes Bay is a bay lying between Cape Sterneck and Cape Murray along the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Atlas Cove is a cove on the north coast of Heard Island and McDonald Islands in the southern Indian Ocean, and is entered between the base of the Laurens Peninsula and Rogers Head.
Gilchrist Beach is a rocky beach, 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) long, lying west of Compton Glacier on the north side of Heard Island. At its eastern edge, Gilchrist Beach communicates with the sandy Fairchild Beach. Travelling eastwards from Gilchrist Beach to Fairchild Beach, one arrives at the base of Round Hill.
Cape Arkona is a rocky headland between the mouths of Lied Glacier and Gotley Glacier on the southwest side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. The feature appears to be roughly charted on an 1860 sketch map prepared by Captain H.C. Chester, an American sealer operating in the area during this period. The German frigate Arkona examined the south coast of the island in February 1874 and, in Melbourne, provided the officers of HMS Challenger with a position for the cape which was used in preparation of the Admiralty chart. In so doing, however, the misspelling "Cape Arcona" was used on the British chart.
Schmidt Glacier is a glacier, 0.7 nautical miles (1.3 km) long, flowing west from Baudissin Glacier between Mount Drygalski and North West Cornice, on the west side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. To the north of Schmidt Glacier is Baudissin Glacier, whose terminus is located at the western side of Corinthian Bay, near Sealers Cove. Kildalkey Head is west of Schmidt Glacier. To the south of Schmidt Glacier is Vahsel Glacier, whose terminus is at South West Bay, between Erratic Point and Cape Gazert. Immediately south of Vahsel Glacier is Allison Glacier. Click here to see a map of Schmidt Glacier and the northwestern coast of Heard Island.
Cape Gazert is a cape at the western end of the rocky promontory which forms the south side of South West Bay, on the west side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. This feature was known to American sealers as "Green Point", as shown by Captain H.C. Chester's 1860 sketch map and other sealer maps of the period. The present name was applied by the First German Antarctica Expedition when they landed at the feature in February 1902, after Doctor Hans Gazert, medical officer with the expedition, and it has become established in international usage.
Corinthian Bay is a bay, which is 3 miles (5 km) wide and recedes 1.5 miles (2.4 km), entered between Rogers Head and Saddle Point on the north coast of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. The name appears on an early chart compiled by American sealers. It was probably given by Captain Erasmus Darwin Rogers, American whaler and sealer, after his vessel Corinthian in which he made the first landing on Heard Island in March 1855. Nearby features include Corinth Head.
Cape Bidlingmaier is a rocky cape at the east side of the entrance to Mechanics Bay, on the north side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. The feature appears to have been known to American sealers as Morgan's Point, as shown by Captain H.C. Chester's 1860 sketch map of the island. The name Negros Head was also in use by American sealers during the 1860–1870 period. The name Bidlingmaier was applied by the First German Antarctica Expedition, under Erich von Drygalski, who made a running survey and landing along the north side of the island in 1902. Friedrich Bidlingmaier served as magnetician and meteorologist with the expedition.
Cave Bay is a 0.3-nautical-mile-wide (0.56 km) cove indenting the west side of Heard Island, an uninhabited Australian overseas territory in the Indian Ocean, between West Bay and South West Bay. The bay was formed by the erosion of an extinct volcanic crater of which Mount Andree forms the north side.
Mount Olsen is a snow-covered peak standing 0.2 nautical miles (0.4 km) east of Hayter Peak on Laurens Peninsula, in the northwest part of Heard Island.
Wakefield Reef is a reef, 0.5 nautical miles (0.9 km) across, lying 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km) west-southwest of Cape Arkona, off the southwest side of Heard Island. The existence of a reef in this area is noted on an unpublished American sealer's map of "Hurds Island" compiled during the 1860-70 period, although the configuration of this side of the island is somewhat distorted, as were all early maps of the island. The feature was more accurately charted and named by HMS Wakefield which visited the island in April 1910.
Mount Dixon is a snow-covered stratovolcano, 705 metres (2,310 ft) high, standing 0.7 nautical miles (1.3 km) west of Anzac Peak on the Laurens Peninsula, Heard Island. The feature appears to have been roughly charted on an 1860 sketch map by Captain H.C. Chester, an American sealer operating in the area during this period. It was surveyed in 1948 by the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE), and named by them for Lieutenant Commander George M. Dixon, RANVR, commanding officer of HMAS Labuan which landed and relieved the 1948 and 1949 ANARE parties.
Drury Rock is a rock, about 37 metres (120 ft) high, lying 0.3 nautical miles (0.6 km) south-southeast of Shag Island and 6 nautical miles (11 km) north of Heard Island. This rock, though positioned several miles too far westward, appears to have been first shown on an 1860 sketch map compiled by Captain H.C. Chester, an American sealer operating in the area during this period. It was more accurately charted on an 1874 chart by a British expedition under George Nares in the Challenger. It was surveyed in 1948 by the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions, who named it for Alan Campbell-Drury, a radio operator and photographer with the party.
Morgan Island is a small island while also being the largest feature in a group of islands located 1 nautical mile (2 km) east of Cape Bidlingmaier, off the north side of Heard Island in the Indian Ocean. The island group was charted as extending across "Morgan Bay" on an 1860 sketch map compiled by Captain H.C. Chester, an American sealer, and "Morgan Islands" appears on the 1874 chart and the scientific reports of a British expedition under George Nares in HMS Challenger. Morgan Island was surveyed in 1948 by the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions, who restricted the name Morgan as the largest feature in the group.
Sail Rock is a rock lying 1 nautical mile northwest of Shag Island and 7 nautical miles north of Heard Island. This rock, though positioned several miles too far westward, appears to have been first shown on an 1860 sketch map compiled by Captain H.C. Chester, American sealer operating in the area during this period. It was more accurately charted and named on an 1874 chart by the Challenger expedition.
Skua Beach is a sandy beach lying at the base of Scarlet Hill on the east side of Heard Island. The name Launches Beach appears to have had some usage by American sealers as shown by an unpublished sealer's map of "Hurds Island" of the 1860–70 period. The name Skua Beach was given by ANARE during its 1948 survey of the island and is now established in usage.
Spit Bay is an open bight formed by the northeast coastline of Heard Island and Spit Point, the east extremity of the island. The name derives from the conspicuous Elephant Spit which forms the south and east shore of the bight, and may have been given by American sealers at Heard Island in the period following their initiation of sealing there in 1855. The name appears on a chart by the British, who utilized many names then in use by the sealers. Heard Island and McDonald Islands are located in the Southern Ocean, approximately 1,700 km (1,100 mi) from the Antarctic continent and 4,100 km (2,500 mi) southwest of Perth. As the only volcanically active subantarctic islands, they "open a window into the earth", thus providing the opportunity to observe ongoing geomorphic processes and glacial dynamics. The distinctive conservation value of Heard and McDonald – one of the world's rare pristine island ecosystems – lies in the complete absence of alien plants and animals, as well as human impact.
Rogers Head is a conspicuous headland marking the north extremity of the peninsula between Atlas Cove and Corinthian Bay on the north coast of Heard Island. Named for the Rogers family of New London, Connecticut, including Captain Erasmus Darwin Rogers, who in 1855 made the first landing on Heard Island in the ship Corinthian, Captain James H. Rogers, master of the brig Zoe, and Henry Rogers, first mate of the Zoe, who in 1856 was leader of the first party to winter on the island. The name appears on an early manuscript map compiled by American sealers.
Black Rock is a small, dark rock lying immediately northwest of Morgan Island and 0.2 nautical miles north of Heard Island. The feature appears to be roughly shown on an 1860 sketch map prepared by Captain H.C. Chester, American sealer operating in this area during this period. The name, which is descriptive, appears to have been applied on charts about 1932, probably as a result of the 1929 British Australian New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition (BANZARE) work under Mawson.
