Oceanwide Expeditions

South Orkney Islands

The South Orkney Islands are located east of the South Shetland Islands at Latitude 60° 35' South, and consist of four major islands. They were named, together with the South Shetland Islands, after the islands in northern Scotland by the Scottish sealers that frequented the area. The islands were discovered only in 1821 when they were sighted by the respectively British and American sealers George Powell and Nathaniel Palmer. The islands consist mainly of rock and ice (85 % is glaciated), with little  vegetation. Argentina and the United Kingdom have scientific stations on the islands, the Orcadas Station and Signy Station respectively.

Climate
The climate on the South Orkney Island is somewhat similar to that of the South Shetlands; cold, wet and windy, but a bit colder. The average summer temperatures range between 0º and 3ºC (32º and 37ºF). Snow falls at Signy Island about 280 days in the year. The South Orkney Islands can stay in the grip of the pack-ice quite long, as they receive a lot of ice moving out of the Weddell Sea.