It was rediscovered in 1819 by a Russian expedition under Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen on the Vostok, who, thinking he was the discoverer of the island, named it Annenkov Island, in honour of Lt. Mikhail D. Annenkov (1794 – 1839), officer on the expedition ship.

Many of its features were named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) following these surveys.

[7] To the east, Lawther Knoll is a rounded, scree-covered hill rising to 315 metres (1,030 ft).

[9] Mislaid Rock, first named on a 1931 British Admiralty chart, lies offshore to the southwest.

[12] Towards the south end of the island, Pettigrew Scarp is an escarpment nearly 0.5 nmi (0.93 km) long, which terminates to the southwest in a ridge, and in the northeast by three rock pinnacles.

[3] West of the point, Horror Rock lies 3.5 nautical miles (6 km) offshore.

The ship avoided striking the rock in rough weather and low visibility, passing within 1 nautical mile (2 km) of heavy breakers.

The lake is fed by meltwater and is bounded to the west by an alluvial fan, from which the name is derived.