Port Lockroy is a natural harbour on the Antarctic Peninsula of the British Antarctic Territory. Port Lockroy, discovered in 1904, was named after Edouard Lockroy, a French politician and Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies, who assisted Jean-Baptiste Charcot in obtaining government support for his French Antarctic Expedition. It was used for whaling between 1911 and 1931 and British military operations (Operation Tabarin) during World War II and then continued to operate as a British research station until 1962.
In 1996 Port Lockroy was renovated and is now a museum and post office operated by the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust. It is designated as Historic Site no. 61 under the Antarctic Treaty and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Antarctica. Proceeds from the small souvenir shop fund the upkeep of the site and other historic sites and monuments in Antarctica.[1]
The Trust collects data for the British Antarctic Survey to observe the effect of tourism on penguins. Half the island is open to tourists, while the other half is reserved for penguins.