The namesake James Ross Island
James Ross Island was charted in 1903 and named by Otto Nordenskjold during his Swedish Antarctic Expedition. James Clark Ross had explored much of the area east of the island in 1843, back when it was still connected by an ice shelf to the Antarctic mainland. When the shelf collapsed in 1995, the island was separated and Prince Gustav Channel opened to passage.
Like Vega Island, James Ross Island is an important site for paleontology. Scientists have found dinosaur bones there dating from the Upper Cretaceous. While we naturally cannot see these specimens during our visits, the dramatic polar scenery of this remote Antarctic landmass make James Ross Island a great landing site.
Main image by Adam Turner
