Antarctica, a land of stark beauty and extreme conditions, has long captured the imagination of explorers and writers alike. Beyond the documented tales of bravery and tragedy, the continent is also host to a number of eerie stories, earning it a reputation as a place of the supernatural.
From ghostly figures to unsettling noises, the desolate landscape seems to amplify the human tendency to find meaning and presence even where none can be verified.
One of the most well-known phenomena is the appearance of a “third man,” a benevolent presence that accompanies people in life-threatening situations. Explorer Ernest Shackleton and his companions experienced this during a harrowing trek across South Georgia Island, feeling that there were four of them, not three. This sensation of an unseen companion is not unique to Antarctica, with similar accounts from sailors, mountaineers, and miners. The experience even made its way into T.S. Eliot’s poem, “The Waste Land”. However, not all Antarctic encounters are so benign.
There are also tales of less benevolent entities, often associated with isolated structures and bases. At the base of Ryvingen Mountain, a radio operator named Ginny Fiennes reported an unsettling presence that followed her from the radio hut. She even scratched graffiti into the hut’s walls, indicating an entity she felt was there to “haunt and taunt”. Similar feelings of being observed have been reported at the Argentine Antarctic base of Esperanza, with some even claiming to see a male figure. These encounters often occur in the most isolated spots, typically at night.
The abandoned huts of early explorers are also hotspots for paranormal activity. Scott’s Hut at Cape Evans is said to be haunted by the souls of perished explorers, with visitors reporting feelings of dread, shadowy figures, and misplaced noises. Shackleton’s Hut on Ross Island is another place associated with paranormal activity, with Sir Edmund Hillary claiming to have seen Shackleton’s ghost there. These huts are described as if the occupants have just stepped out for a moment, with items left as though the inhabitants will return shortly. Another site, Wordie House, has been known to have objects flying off shelves, and doors slamming shut.
Strange sounds and voices are also frequently reported. Apsley Cherry-Garrard, a member of Scott’s expedition, recounted hearing people shouting in an abandoned hut, as well as knocks on a window, despite no one being there. The source of these noises could be the seals or some other natural phenomena, but to the people who experienced them, they had a human quality. The “lure of little voices”, as Shackleton called the mysterious fascination of the unknown, has also drawn people to explore the wilderness.
Even the landscape itself is sometimes perceived as hostile, with explorers feeling that they are being watched with a “jealous eye” by the forces of nature. Shackleton himself felt rebuffed by the landscape as he fell into a crevasse, as if the glacier was saying, “don’t you come up here again”.
While many of these encounters may be explained by the harsh conditions, stress, and isolation of the Antarctic environment, the stories persist, giving the continent an aura of mystery and spookiness. Perhaps the most chilling thought is that, as humans, we are creating new ghost stories with the rapid changes we are enacting upon the Antarctic environment through our presence and the ongoing climate crisis.
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