Borge Bay facts for kids

Borge Bay is a big, oddly shaped bay on the east side of Signy Island. This island is part of the South Orkney Islands in Antarctica. A Norwegian whaling captain named Petter Sorlle first mapped the bay in 1912. He named it after Captain Hans Borge, who helped map it more the next year. Later, in 1927, 1933, and 1947, different research teams explored and mapped the bay even more. They gave names to many of its interesting spots.

Exploring Borge Bay's Geography

The northern entrance to Borge Bay is marked by a piece of land called Balin Point. It was mapped in 1933 and named after some nearby rocks. As you go south along the coast, you'll find Drying Point, Mooring Point, and Knife Point. These names might have been given by whalers a long time ago. Berntsen Point forms the southern side of Borge Bay. It was mapped in 1927 and likely named after Captain Søren Berntsen.

Mirounga Flats: Seal Hangout

In the inner northwestern part of the bay, there's a special area called the Mirounga Flats. This is a small, partly closed-off area that becomes dry when the tide is low. It's bordered by the Thule Islands to the east and Signy Island to the north and west. Researchers named this spot because many elephant seals gather here. They come to shed their old skin during their moulting period.

Waterpipe Beach and Other Cool Spots

Waterpipe Beach is a flat, stony beach on the west side of Borge Bay. It got its name in 1947. An old pipeline used to run from a pumping station near Pumphouse Lake down to this beach. Whalers used this pipe between 1920 and 1930 to get water for their ships.

Nearby are the Marble Knolls, which are hills named for their marble-like appearance. Further south is Pup Cove, a small bay. This cove is special because it's where the first Antarctic fur seal pup was born on the island! Even further south, you'll find the Elephant Flats. This is a muddy area along the shore where many elephant seals hang out.

Cemetery Bay is a shallow arm of Borge Bay, located below Orwell Glacier. It was named because there are graves of whalers on its eastern side. Moraine Valley flows north into the Elephant Flats.

Factory Cove: A Whaling History Spot

Between Knife Point and Berntsen Point is Factory Cove. This area was first mapped by Captain Borge. It was originally called Borge Harbour, but that name was later given to the whole big bay. The cove was re-mapped in 1927 and renamed Factory Cove. This is because the old buildings of a whaling factory, built in 1920–21, are still there on its southeastern shore. Some cliffs rising to about 120 meters (394 feet) south of the cove are called Factory Bluffs, also named after the whaling factory.

Rocks in the Bay

There are several named rocks and groups of rocks inside Borge Bay.

• The Balin Rocks are a small group of rocks south of Balin Point. They were mapped and named by Captain Sorlle and Captain Borge.
• The Billie Rocks are a group of rocks northeast of Drying Point. The name "Billie Rock" first appeared on a map in 1927 for the easternmost rock, and later included the whole group.
• North-northwest of the Billie Rocks is Cam Rock. This is a low rock, worn smooth by ice, that you can usually see even when the tide is high. It was named in 1927 because it looked like a cam (a type of machine part).
• Just north of Berntsen Point is Small Rock, which was named by researchers because of its size.