Cape Disappointment, Graham Land

Not to be confused with Cape Disappointment on South Georgia

Cape Disappointment is a headland on the Oscar II Coast on the east side of Graham Land, within the British Antarctic Territory.

The cape is to be found between Exasperation Inlet and Scar Inlet. It was roughly mapped by the Swedish Antarctic Expedition in 1902; originally called 'Cape Desire by Nordenskjöld who hoped to camp in the vicinity and walk to the shore. It was later named Besvikelsens Kap, meaning Disappointment Cape', or Besvikelsens Udde, when it was found that crevasses barred access to the shore.

The name appears in a variety of forms on charts made since Nordenskjöld's time, including Promontorio Besvikelsen on Nordenskjöld's 1904 chart, but soon translated into English as 'Cape Disappointment', whence it has appeared in other languages either as 'Disappointment' or in translation.

The cape was surveyed by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey from Hope Bay in November 1947. An Argentine refuge, called "Virgen de Loreto", was established near the cape by personnel from "Matienzo" in September 1963.

Location

• Location map: 65°32’11"S, 61°41’47"W

References

• Gazetteer and Map of The British Antarctic Territory: Cape Disappointment, Graham Land