Bouvet Island

Monday, March 9, 2009





Bouvet Island is the most remote island in the world. It is located at 54°26′S 3°24′E, with its closest neighbour being over 1600 kms away. It is uninhabited, except for some lichen, seals and birds. And an automated weather station. The island is exceptionally hostile, glacial and volcanic.

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The island was first sighted in 1738 by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier. Bouvet was convinced it was the northernmost tip of Antarctica but could not circumnavigate or land upon the island due to severe weather. Steep cliffs surrounding most sides of the island also made access difficult, and after various attempts, a landing was made in 1822 by an American sealer, Benjamin Morrell, who named the island after Bouvet. He took some seal skins. A British whaling/sealing expedition arrived three years later and named it Liverpool Island. The Norwegians claimed sovereignty of the island in 1928, and they renamed it in honor of Bouvet during their expedition of 1929. It remains orwegian territory, for what it's worth.

In 1964 a lifeboat and supplies were discovered there. No trace of the passengers was found.

In 1979, the American Vela Sattelite picked up a double flash of light near Bouvet Island. It was interpreted as a small scale nuclear bomb. It was at the same time that Dieter Gerhardt was in command of Simonstown Naval Base, and he later in a 1994 City Press article confirmed that it was a joint South African Israeli test. He claimed that no South African warships were involved. However, it was publicly announced that Simonstown Naval Base was off limits from 17th to 23rd September 1979.

The movie Alien versus Predator was released in 2004. The byline for the movie was 'Whoever wins, we lose'. It was a critical failure, but a commercial success. The movie was set on Bouvet Island.

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