Grytviken is a former whaling station on South Georgia Island. It was founded in 1904 as it had the best harbour on this storm-wracked island, with flat ice-free terrain and a fresh water supply. It became South Georgia's principal station and settlement, and a port-of-call for ships heading to Antarctica. The name is Swedish for "Pot Bay" as the settlers found big pots in which earlier parties had boiled up seal fat to extract the oil. 20th- century whaling destroyed the whale populations, and Grytviken was abandoned in 1966. It now has no resident population, but a few staff stay here in summer to manage visitors.