Place-names of South Georgia 1 September 2024
Place names on South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands reflect the region’s long history, with many place names linked to the history of exploration and 20th century whaling.
Grytviken is a former whaling and sealing station; the name translates to “pot cove,” and was applied the locality by J. G. Andersson of the Swedish Antarctic Expedition SwAE, because in 1902 he found numerous boiling pots left by sealers there. King Edward Cove was originally charted and called Bahía de Gryt [= pot bay] by the SwAE in 1902 and recharted by Cdr M. H. Hodges, RN (Mount Hodges), of HMS Sappho (Sappho Point), in 1906 and named King Edward Cove, after Edward VII (1842-1910).
Nearby, Maiviken was charted by the SwAE and translates to “May Day,” as that was the day in 1902 that the expedition entered the cove. Other names related to this expedition include Andersson Peaks, named for Dr Johan Gunnar Andersson (1874-1960), Second in Command and Geologist on SwAE (1901-1904), and Mount Skottsberg, named after Carl Johan Frederik Skottsberg (1880-1963), botanist on SwAE (1901-1904), who camped at Maiviken to explore and map the area.
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