Arms of the British Antarctic Territory

Blythe Bay

(Desolation Island)

British Antarctic Territory

Location: 62° 27' 51" S 60° 18' 51" W
SE side of Desolation Island (q.v.), off Livingston Island, was charted by Fildes in 1820-21; called by him in December 1820 Wood Harbour or Port Wood or Port Hood, but later in that season (and subsequently) referred to by him and by other British and American sealers as Blyth Bay, presumably after Blyth in Northumberland, home port of the brig Williams (under Capt. W. Smith). Fildes anchored the brig Cora here, 16 December 1820 - 6 January 1821 (when she was wrecked) and the brig Robert, 8-15 December 1821. Powell visited the bay in the sealers Eliza and Dove in the 1820-21 seasons respectively. The description of the bay as being 'on the south side of Desolation Island' presumably led to the name Blythe Bay being transferred to the large bay between Cape Shirreff and Williams Point (Hero Bay, q.v.). This usage was followed by Discovery Investigations in 1934-35, when the present feature was used as an anchorage, recharted and renamed Desolation Harbour, in association with the island. Usage reverted to the original name in 1959.