Cape Buller

Pendleton's 1802 map showing Cape Buller

Cape Buller (53°59′S 37°22′W / 53.983°S 37.367°W / -53.983; -37.367) is a rugged headland forming the west side of the entrance to the Bay of Isles on the north coast of South Georgia. It was discovered and named in 1775 by a British expedition under James Cook.[1]

Macdonald Cove sits just to the west of Cape Buller on the north coast of the island. The cove is 2.5 nautical miles (5 km) south-southeast of the Welcome Islands and has important fossil occurrences on its periphery. It was named by the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee in 1982 after David I.M. Macdonald, a British Antarctic Survey geologist in charge of field work on South Georgia, 1975–76 and 1976–77.[2]

Sitka Bay sits west of Macdonald Dove, 1 nautical mile (2 km) west of Cape Buller. The names Sitka Bay and Buller Bay have both appeared for this feature on maps for many years. Following a survey of South Georgia in 1951 and 1952, the South Georgia Survey reported that this feature is known locally as Sitka Bay, and the name is approved on that basis.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference gnis-CB was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference gnis-MC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference gnis-SB was invoked but never defined (see the help page).