Ducloz Head facts for kids
Ducloz Head (54°31′S 36°39′W / 54.517°S 36.650°W) is a piece of land that sticks out into the sea, like a nose on a face. It's located on the south coast of South Georgia, an island in the southern Atlantic Ocean. This headland marks the northwest side of the entrance to a place called Undine South Harbour.
Discovering and Naming Ducloz Head
This area was first mapped in 1819 by a Russian team led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen. Imagine explorers sailing into unknown waters and carefully drawing maps for the first time!
Later, the UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee officially named this headland. They decided to name it after Le Sieur Ducloz Guyot. He was a passenger on a Spanish ship named León, which saw South Georgia way back in 1756. It's cool how places can be named after people who were part of their early history.
Duncan Carse's Amazing Adventure
In the 1950s, a brave explorer named Duncan Carse spent time surveying different parts of South Georgia. He's so famous there that a mountain, Mount Carse, is named after him!
Duncan Carse decided he wanted to live at Ducloz Head for a while. He even rented a small piece of land there – about four hectares – for a very small amount of money each year. He paid ten years' rent in advance!
On February 23, 1961, a ship called HMS Owen dropped Duncan off at Ducloz Head. He had 12 tonnes of supplies and a special hut that he could put together. The ship checked on him again in April.
But then, on May 20, something incredible and scary happened. A giant, unexpected wave crashed ashore and swept Duncan, his hut, and all his supplies into the sea! It was a truly terrifying moment.
Even after losing everything, Duncan Carse managed to survive the harsh Southern Winter for another 116 days. That's almost four months! Finally, a sealing ship found him and rescued him. His story shows just how tough and determined explorers can be.
