The Dundee Whaling Expedition (1892–1893) began on 6 September 1892, when a Dundee

Dundee

Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 whaling company, due to dwindling arctic whaling resources, decided to gamble and sent four steam-powered whaling ships, the Balaena, Active, Diana

Diana (ship)

Many ships have held the name of Diana. They include:*An 18th century Dutch frigate was called Diana*In the late 18th century, a whaling ship called Diana had her home port in Hull*Diana was a Russian navy ship from the early 19th century...

and Polar Star, to the Weddell Sea

Weddell Sea

The Weddell Sea is part of the Southern Ocean and contains the Weddell Gyre. Its land boundaries are defined by the bay formed from the coasts of Coats Land and the Antarctic Peninsula. The easternmost point is Cape Norvegia at Princess Martha Coast, Queen Maud Land. To the east of Cape Norvegia is...

 in search of Right Whale

Right whale

Right whales are three species of large baleen whales consisting of two genera in the family Balaenidae of order Cetacea. Their bodies are very dark gray or black and rotund....

s. While the Blue whale

Blue Whale

The blue whale is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales . At in length and or more in weight, it is the largest known animal to have ever existed....

s of the antarctic were too powerful to be captured, the expedition managed to collected a large number of seals. The expedition of joined by polar scientist William Speirs Bruce

William Speirs Bruce

William Speirs Bruce was a London-born Scottish naturalist, polar scientist and oceanographer who organised and led the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition to the South Orkney Islands and the Weddell Sea. Among other achievements, the expedition established the first permanent weather station...

 on the Balaena under Captain Alexander Fairweather. On 8 January 1893, Captain Thomas Robertson of the Active discovered Dundee Island

Dundee Island

Dundee Island is an ice-covered island lying east of the northeastern tip of Antarctic Peninsula and south of Joinville Island.On January 8, 1893, during the Dundee Whaling Expedition, the island was named by Captain Thomas Robertson of the Active and named for the home port, Dundee, Scotland,...

(63°30′S 055°55′W).