Ross Island | Gateway to Antarctica’s Heroic Age and Volcanic Secrets

Ross Island stands as one of Antarctica’s most legendary locations—a frozen land of fire and ice tied to early exploration, scientific breakthroughs, and dramatic landscapes. Located in the remote Ross Sea, the island is a testament to the hidden geothermal powers of the white continent, creating a striking contrast of fire and ice. It also offers a rare blend of historical landmarks and pristine ecosystems largely unchanged since the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration

Why is it called Ross Island

Ross Island is named after Royal Navy explorer, Admiral Sir James Clark Ross, who commanded an Antarctic expedition between 1839 and 1841. His two ships, HMS Erebus and Terror, were specially reinforced to navigate the thick Antarctic ice. During the expedition, Ross discovered and named the Ross Sea, Mount Erebus, and Mount Terror, and encountered the colossal “Great Ice Barrier,” now known as the Ross Ice Shelf.

This volcanic island is located on the eastern side of Mcmurdo Sound and is connected to the mainland of Antarctica by a glacial ice sheet. 

To avoid confusion with James Ross Island—located at the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula—the full name ‘James’ is used for that location, while this volcanic island retains the simpler ‘Ross Island.’ Both were named after Sir James Clark Ross, whose discovery of Ross Island marked the beginning of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.

Ross Island became a key location during the golden age of Antarctic exploration. 

After Ross’s initial discoveries, the next major expedition came in 1902, when Captain Robert Falcon Scott, who landed here as the leader of the British Antarctic Expedition, also termed the Discovery Expedition. The expedition also included Ernest Shackleton. A prefabricated hut was set up in the Hut Point Peninsula as the winter quarter of the expedition. Presently, this hut is known as the Discovery hut. 

The expedition team conducted an extensive scientific exploration of the island, which earned praise from the British scientific community. In the following summer, Scott, Dr Edward Wilson and Shackleton undertook a journey towards the South Pole. However, they had to turn back due to sickness and hunger from a point around 740 kilometres from the Pole. 

In the following years, both Scott and Shackleton returned to Ross Island. During the Nimrod Expedition of 1907-1909, Shackleton tried to reach Hut Point after attempts to set off base at Barrier Inlet and King Edward VII Land failed. However, the plan was foiled by sea ice and the base was established at Cape Royds on the island, around 39 kilometres north of Hut Point.

The Scott’s Hut is witness to some remarkable chapters of the golden age of Antarctic expeditions, making it an iconic place, especially for history buffs. It has been preserved very well as a historic monument, and stepping into it feels like entering a world from the past century, frozen in time.

How to access Ross Island

Ross Island lies deep within the Ross Sea, one of the most remote and challenging regions of Antarctica to access. Since it is located at the opposite end of the continent, crossing the Southern Ocean from Hobart in Tasmania or the port of Bluff in New Zealand can take 7-10 days. The full expedition on a ship can take around 24-30 days. 

Since encounters with sea ice are expected in the Ross Sea, special ice-strengthened vessels are mandatory. The long journey across the windy and storm-prone Southern Ocean makes the voyage less comfortable compared to the much shorter trip to the Antarctic Peninsula across the Drake Passage.

Approximately 200 visitors reach the Ross Sea area every year, but only a few can make a landing on Ross Island. Adverse weather conditions and obstructions from sea ice reduce the chances of a safe landing. Besides, the Ross Sea is the world’s largest Marine Protected Area, covering 2.09 million square kilometres. To protect its biodiversity and pristine ecology, visitors need to follow strict environmental guidelines.

These stations can serve as staging points for exploring Ross Island.  Even though tourism is not facilitated in these stations, permissions are granted for day visits, depending on the station's functional limitations. 

When to visit Ross Island 

The best time to visit Ross Island is during summer, between November and February. The chances of McMurdo Sound remaining ice-free are higher in this period, and there is less chance of weather disturbances. The long sunny days of summer are great for exploring the island and observing the wildlife. 

With the sun never setting in summer, the temperatures can creep up to zero degrees Celsius, making it more hospitable for visitors.

Wildlife around Ross Island 

Thanks to its isolation and strict protections, the Ross Sea hosts one of the most untouched ecosystems on Earth. Being strikingly beautiful both in terms of natural beauty and biological abundance, the Ross Sea is often called the "Last Ocean". It is home to some 16,000 species, some of which are unique.

Visitors in summer may spot:

• Adélie penguins (30% of the world population nests here)

• Emperor penguins, often seen on nearby sea ice

• Weddell and crabeater seals, with leopard seals occasionally appearing near penguin colonies

• Whales, including orcas, humpbacks, and minke whales

• A variety of seabirds such as snow petrels, Antarctic petrels, Antarctic prions and south polar skuas

In fact, during Scott’s Discovery Expedition, one area of the island hosted such a dense skua population that the team jokingly nicknamed it  ‘Skuary’—a blend of “skua” and “aviary.” The name captured the birds’ loud, aggressive presence and the explorers’ dry wit, and though it was never made official, the nickname still appears in expedition records. Today, skuas continue to nest there, as bold and noisy as ever. 

Travel challenges on and around Ross Island

Reaching Ross Island is a rare privilege—but it doesn’t come easy. Unlike the relatively accessible Antarctic Peninsula, voyages to the Ross Sea are long, remote, and unpredictable. Landings are never guaranteed and depend entirely on shifting ice, sea conditions, and weather that can change in hours.

This is not a destination for casual cruisers. Only a handful of expert polar operators venture here, equipped with ice-strengthened ships and highly trained expedition crews. Flexibility is essential—itineraries can and do change at a moment’s notice.

That said, for those with the time, curiosity, and spirit of adventure, Ross Island offers something truly extraordinary: the chance to witness a landscape largely unchanged since the days of Scott and Shackleton. It’s not an easy journey—but that’s exactly what makes it unforgettable.