The Dundee Whaling Expedition (1892–1893) began on 6 September 1892, when a Dundee, Scotland whaling company, due to dwindling arctic whaling resources, decided to gamble and sent four steam-powered whaling ships, the Balaena, Active, Diana and Polar Star, to the Weddell Sea in search of Right Whales. While the Blue whales of the antarctic were too powerful to be captured, the expedition managed to collected a large number of seals. The expedition of joined by polar scientist William Speirs Bruce on the Balaena under Captain Alexander Fairweather. On 8 January 1893, Captain Thomas Robertson of the Active discovered Dundee Island ().