The South Orkney Islands were discovered by American sealer Nathaniel Brown Palmer and British sealer George Powell on 6 December 1821. Powell named the islands Powell's group and took posession for the British crown on Coronation Island. British sealer James Weddell, who visited in February 1822, gave the islands their present name. There was of course sealing that took place, until nearly every animal had been killed. In 1936, a visitor found just one fur seal. The fur seals on Signy were nearly exterminated completely, but have thankfully rebounded to a safe number. Whaling also took place, however, and from 1920 to 1930 about 3500 whales were caught. William Spiers Bruce helped set up a meteorological station in 1903 and it opened on 1 April. When Bruce left in February 1904, the station was turned over to Argentina's Oficina Meteorologica and still runs today, making it the oldest continuously run research facility in Antarctica. However, it was renamed Orcadas station in 1951.

The South Orkneys consist of four major islands - Coronation, Signy, Powell and Laurie. The Inaccessible Islands are also part of them, and lie 29 km to the west. The whole group is 85% unglaciated and covers 622 sq km, and the weather is mostly cold, overcast and windy. Mount Nivea, measuring 1265m, is the highest point and can be found on Coronation Island.