Heywood Island is the largest of the islands off the north coast of Robert Island

Robert Island (South Shetland Islands)

Robert Island or Mitchells Island or Polotsk Island or Roberts Island is an island long and wide, situated between Nelson Island and Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands. Robert Island is located at . Surface area...

 in the South Shetland Islands

South Shetland Islands

The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...

, Antarctica extending 1.4 by, with a surface area of 78 hectares (192.7 acre). The feature is ice-free, low and horseshoe-shaped, its west coast indented for 1 km by Vrabcha Cove

Vrabcha Cove

Vrabcha Cove is the 900 m wide cove indenting for 1 km the west coast of Heywood Island off the northwest coast of Robert Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica.The cove is named after the settlement of Vrabcha in western Bulgaria.-Location:...

. The area was visited by early 19th century sealers

Seal hunting

Seal hunting, or sealing, is the personal or commercial hunting of seals. The hunt is currently practiced in five countries: Canada, where most of the world's seal hunting takes place, Namibia, the Danish region of Greenland, Norway and Russia...

 operating from nearby Clothier Harbour

Clothier Harbour

Clothier Harbour is the 1.5 km wide bay indenting for 1 km the north coast of Robert Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica between Hammer Point on the northeast and Onogur Islands on the southwest...

.

The feature is named after Captain Peter Heywood, RN

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 (1773–1831), commanding HMS Nereus off the east coast of South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

 in 1810-13, formerly a midshipman

Midshipman

A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...

 in HMS Bounty

HMS Bounty

HMS Bounty , famous as the scene of the Mutiny on the Bounty on 28 April 1789, was originally a three-masted cargo ship, the Bethia, purchased by the British Admiralty, then modified and commissioned as His Majesty's Armed Vessel the...

under Captain William Bligh

William Bligh

Vice Admiral William Bligh FRS RN was an officer of the British Royal Navy and a colonial administrator. A notorious mutiny occurred during his command of HMAV Bounty in 1789; Bligh and his loyal men made a remarkable voyage to Timor, after being set adrift in the Bounty's launch by the mutineers...

, RN.

Location

The island is centred at 62°19′11"S 59°41′08"W and is lying 2.88 km (1.8 mi) west by north of Catharina Point

Catharina Point

Catharina Point, also Varoli Point, is a rocky point projecting 1.5 km northwards into Drake Passage to form the north extremity of Robert Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica and the northeast side of the entrance to Nevestino Cove...

, Robert Island, 2.24 km (1.4 mi) northwest of Hammer Point

Hammer Point

Hammer Point is a rocky point projecting from the north coast of Robert Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica 1 km north-northwestwards into Drake Passage, and forming the southwest side of the entrance to Nevestino Cove and the northeast side of the entrance to Clothier Harbour...

, Robert Island, 470 m (514 yd) north-northeast of Rogozen Island

Rogozen Island

Rogozen Island is a conspicuous island off the north coast of Robert Island, South Shetland Islands situated south-southwest of Heywood Island and north-northeast of Cornwall Island. Extending in east-west direction and wide. Surface area ....

, 4.12 km (2.6 mi) north-northeast of Fort William

Fort William (Robert Island)

Fort William Point is the conspicuous flat-topped rocky headland forming the northwest extremity of Coppermine Peninsula and Robert Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica...

, Robert Island and 5.35 km (3.3 mi) east-northeast of Table Island

Table Island (South Shetland Islands)

Table Island is a conspicuous flat-topped, rocky island lying north of Greenwich Island and north-northwest of the Aitcho group on the west side of English Strait in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The island is rising to over and extending , with a surface area of . Turmoil Rock is...

 (British mapping in 1822, 1935, 1962 and 1968, American in 1942, Argentine in 1946 and 1957, Chilean in 1957 and 1971, and Bulgarian in 2009).

See also

• Composite Antarctic Gazetteer
• List of Antarctic islands south of 60° S
• SCAR
  Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research
  The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research is an interdisciplinary body of the International Council for Science . It was established in February 1958 to continue the international coordination of Antarctic scientific activities that had begun during the International Geophysical Year of 1957-58...
  
  
• Territorial claims in Antarctica

External links

• SCAR Composite Antarctic Gazetteer.