Nils Larsen sea captain is not the name a lot of people think of when it comes to history. However, Nils Larsen is a recognized name when it comes to sea-faring exploration. Among his other exploits, Larsen became famous for being one of a handful of people to find a way not just to get to Peter I Island in Antarctica but to also walk around on it as well.

Antarctica is not a very hospitable place for people, even on the best of days with calm weather. The South Pole is literally freezing cold, and it is also extremely remote. However, Larsen wasn’t set off by that aspect having grown up in Norway himself. The cold was normal. Really, really cold, was actually a brisk day worth a coat for him and similar Norwegians. So, making his way by boat down to Antarctica was definitely a trip worth having.

Being born at the turn of the century in 1900, Larsen was among a generation that would see a dramatic turning of the world upside down. However, while the rest of Europe went through the turmoil of the early half of the 20th century, Nils Larsen spent his time on the water and boats. Ultimately, he became Nils Larsen sea captain, rising in the ranks until he was in charge of his own ship. Whether it was travel, whaling, transport, or similar, Larsen knew the waters of the ocean and spent a good amount of time in his career exploring Antarctica as well. Peter I Island was a personal achievement, with Larsen being the first recorded human on the spit of land.

As it turned out, when Larsen claimed Peter I Island for Norway, he ended up staking out the most southern claim for the European country ever. And, despite the world-changing quite dramatically over the next few decades after 1929, everyone was pretty much fine with the claim until the Antarctic Treaty came along. Then the claim was nullified. However, Norway wasn’t done with Peter I Island. They returned again in 1987 with researchers to examine the location in person.

Of course, by the 1980s, Nils Larsen was long since passed away, but he still holds the title as the first recorded person on Peter I Island. It’s been almost a century now since his discovery, and nobody has chosen to put another foot on the island since. Researchers and visitors have been near it, up to at least 15 boats have come close, but Nils Larsen is technically still its only visitor. He probably never thought his ocean exploits would be summarized by one cold visit to Antarctica, but history is an odd thing.