The 1897–1899 Belgica expedition

In August 1897, the Belgica left Antwerp on a Belgian-led international expedition into the Antarctic unknown. At the time, Antarctica was still poorly mapped, and even fundamental questions remained open, including the location of the South Magnetic Pole.

The voyage led to major discoveries along the Antarctic Peninsula, including the passage now known as the de Gerlache Strait. But the expedition’s defining moment came when the ship became trapped in sea ice and drifted for 13 months, marking the first overwintering ever endured in Antarctic waters.

Despite illness, deprivation and constant danger, the crew continued scientific work in meteorology, oceanography, geophysics, ice formation, geology and biology, while also gathering observations during their transit through Patagonia.

Patrick De Deckker revisits this dramatic chapter of Belgian history and explains why the expedition’s data still matters today, as the Antarctic Peninsula is now among the regions most affected by global warming.