Deception Island

Well after a fantastic nights sleep with the ship slowly rocking and the bed soft and cradle-like, children rested from their seasickness the day before, time for a hearty breakfast. The snow was thick on the deck of the ship, reminding us we are in the Antarctic. First stop, Deception Island, landing at Whaler’s Bay. The ship navigated ‘Neptune’s Bellows’ and in to the harbour inside the calderas. Air temperature today is a brisk 2° C but as Deception Island is an active volcano under the water, it is warmer than most places we will visit. The air was relatively still, and the beach littered with the relics of the whaling and sealing industry from 1911 to 1931. Seals, mostly males, lazed on the beach, generally ignoring us as if they had seen it all before...and they have. An IAATO group was visiting on a British Antarctic ship, ensuring there is little impact due to tourism. Zawadi made a quick call home on the sat phone and then went off exploring the beach with others whilst Dave wandered up to Neptune’s Window. Welcome to the Antarctic.Read more