Nearly all the island is covered by a glacier, and it is surrounded most of the year by pack ice, making it inaccessible during these times.

The island was first sighted by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen on 21 January 1821 and was named after Peter I of Russia.

Not until 2 February 1929 did anyone set foot on the island, when Nils Larsen and Ola Olstad's Second Norvegia Expedition, financed by Lars Christensen, was successful.

The first sighting of Peter I Island was made on 21 October 1821 by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen's expedition,[2] who commanded the ships Vostok and Mirny under the Russian flag.

[3] In January 1910, the French expedition led by Jean-Baptiste Charcot and his ship Pourquoi-Pas confirmed Bellingshausen's discovery, but they also did not land, being stopped 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) from the island by pack ice.

Biological, geological and hydrographic surveys underwent for three days, before the pack ice forced the expedition to leave.

The main focuses were aerial photography and topographical measurements to allow an accurate map of the island to be produced.

[13] These landings take place on the west side at Kapp Ingrid Christensen, a peninsula which divides the bays Norvegiabukta and Sandefjordbukta.

[14] The island is a shield volcano, although it is not known if it is still active, and it has been categorized as either Holocene or historic, based on date samples ranging from 0.1 to 0.35 million years ago.

It is not known whether this volcano is extinct or not, because the upper part is apparently unmodified by glaciation, indicating an eruption several centuries ago.

[14] The island is a breeding ground for a few seabirds, particularly southern fulmars,[13] but also Wilson's storm petrels and Antarctic terns.

[12] The treaty ensures free access to the island for any scientific investigation, and states that it can be used only for peaceful purposes.

[citation needed] Norwegian administration of the island is handled by the Polar Affairs Department of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, located in Oslo.

All people visiting the island must follow laws regarding protection of nature, treatment of waste, pollution and insurance for search and rescue operations.