Bouvet Islands

BouvetØya was discovered on January 1, 1738 by Monsieur Jean-Baptiste Lozier Bouvet with French ships Aigle and Marie, but the island's position was not accurately fixed and because Bouvet did not circumnavigate his discovery, he remained uncertain whether it was an island or part of a southern continent. Though he remained in the neighborhood for ten days, he was unable to land. In 1772, Captain James Cook aboard HMS Resolution found no land in a position 300 miles south of BouvetØya, thus proving that Bouvet's discovery was not part of a southern continent. In 1774, Captain Furneaus, aboard HMS Adventure and again in 1775 by Captain James Cook on HMS Resolution again unsuccessfully searched for this island. In 1808, Captain Lindsay of the enderby whaler Swan, in company with the Otter, searched for this island along the parallel of latitude 54 degrees southeast from longitude10 degrees west and sighted it on October 6th, 1808. The position of the island was then fixed with the island center measured at 54 degrees 22 minutes south latitude, and 4 degrees, 15 minutes east longitude. Owing to bad weather, no landing was attempted during a week long stay nor was any anchorage discovered, the island being surrounded to a distance of 3 miles with field ice. On December 10th, 1825, the island was again sighted by Captain Norris aboard the ships Sprightly and Lively. On December 16th, a difficult landing was made on Bouvet. The crews of two boats sent ashore for seals were weather bound on shore from December 18 to December 24. In December, 1927, the Norwegian vessel Norvegia captained by Harald Horntvedt, visited the island staying about one month and landing on several occasions; a depot of food for shipwrecked crews was established. In 1929, the Norvegia again visited the island and another hut with provisions was established on Lars0ya off the southwest extremity of BouvetØya but on a visit by the same vessel in 1931, this hut and the one erected on Cape Circumcision (54 degrees, 35 minutes south, 3 degrees, 21 minutes east) had also disappeared. The increase of whaling in the Southern Ocean brought British and Norwegian Expeditions to the area, looking for bases. Britain already had a well established base on South Georgia, and therefore agreed to waive any territorial claims on Bouvet Island in favour of Norway. The research ship Norvegia called in 1927 to establish a shelter and a cache of provisions for shipwrecked sailors. Bouvet became a Norwegian Territory by a Royal Norwegian Decree of 23 January 1928. Riiser Larsen, the famous explorer, flew over the island several times in 1929 when the Norvegia called again to collect specimens. As on their first visit, stores were landed for the assistance of shipwrecked sailors, this time at Larsøya.The Discovery, under Sir Douglas Mawson with a South African Meteorologist, Mr S A Engelbrecht, called later in 1929, but found conditions too hostile to establish a weather station. On a subsequent visit by the Norvegia, both of the huts they had established had disappeared. In 1934 Admiral E.R.G.R.Evans, Commander in Chief of the British Naval Base at Simonstown, made a dramatic dash to Bouvet in HMS Milford to make sure that no hostile power was operating there. Admiral Evans found nothing, except the sole occupants of seals, sea elephants, penguins and seabirds.Little was heard of Bouvet Island during World War II, but in 1955 interest revived in South Africa in establishing a weather station there. The Transvaal was sent and her crew made several landings on the island to chart it and scout for a suitable site for a weather station. No suitable site was found and Transvaal returned to South Africa.The American research ship Westwind was asked to "have a look" at Bouvet when she sailed south from Cape Town in 1957, and her helicopter photographed a large plateau south of Cape Circumcision. This had formed as a result of volcanic eruption and was later named by the Norwegians "Nyrøysa", meaning "New Rubble".The RSA (South African ship supplying Gough Island and Marion Island) visited Bouvet on 29 March 1964. Several landings were made by helicopter on Bouvet and an abandoned whaleboat and assorted oars, drums and metal sheeting were found on the Nyrøysa. Had there been a shipwreck? No sign of life was found, despite intensive searching.Mr S A Englebrecht again visited Bouvet in 1966 to determine the viability of establishing a weather station. The concensus of opinion was that a weather station could only be established and operated by a major power with extensive backup. However, the positioning of an automatic weather station was an attractive alternative. This was established by the Norwegians from the MV Polarsirkel in 1977 and sited on the Nyrøysa. The station transmitted for a while to the Nimbus 6 Satellite. A temporary five-man station was established in 1978, and superceded by another automatic weather station, which continues to operate at present.A nuclear bomb test occurred between Bouvetøya and Marion Island on 22 September 1979. No-one ever claimed responsibility for the test, although suspicion has fallen on South Africa.The test was detected by satellite and radioctive debris was later detected by personnel at Mawson and Casey, Australian Antarctic Territory.