Papua Beach

Papua Beach (54°15′S 36°34′W / 54.250°S 36.567°W / -54.250; -36.567Coordinates: 54°15′S 36°34′W / 54.250°S 36.567°W / -54.250; -36.567) is a beach 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km) long on the southeast shore of Cumberland West Bay, South Georgia. The name derives from "Papua Cove," now an obsolete name, applied for a minor recession of the shore of this beach by the Swedish Antarctic Expedition under Nordenskjold, 1901–04, because a colony of gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) was found there. The cove was called "Pinguinbucht" on a 1907 chart by A. Szielasko, and the form Penguin Bay appears on some later charts. Following this survey in 1951-52, the SGS reported that the beach now described, rather than the cove or bay, is the significant feature for which a name is required.

This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Geological Survey document "Papua Beach" (content from the Geographic Names Information System).

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