In 1892, Captain C. A. Larsen, aboard the Norwegian ship Jason, came for the first time to the east side of Seymour Island where we would land today. His startling discovery of the first fossils that were collected in Antarctica was to have widespread influence over future expeditions. Indeed, it prompted Otto Nordenskjold's 1901 Swedish South Polar Expedition to study further the recently unearthed Antarctic fossils.
Nordenskjold built a hut on Snow Hill Island, just south of Seymour, where he would over-winter to better explore both islands. His adventure covered two and a half years because his ship, the Antarctic, which was to have collected him the next year, was beset and lost. All save one of his expedition were rescued by the Argentine vessel Uruguay in 1903.
Taking Zodiacs ashore on a calm sea, we landed among the nearly full grown Adelie penguin chicks. During the height of the breeding season, there are 20,000 pairs of Adelies here. As we headed inland, we recalled both the discovery of fossils on this barren island and the successful rescue of the men of the expedition. Up the hill to the left we found the plaques commemorating the efforts of the Uruguay. Further up the hill we found fossils of our own. One prominent petrified wood remnant was discovered almost immediately. Further exploration revealed what looked like worm tubes preserved in the sediments. Their discovery prompted a lively debate.
While we did not discover the five-foot-tall fossil penguin that lived 40 million years ago and was found on Seymour, we could from our vantage point on the hillside see far out to the east. We could well imagine that Ernest Shackleton had passed this way. Indeed, we too would follow in his wake northward toward Elephant Island.
