It was time to head back to King George Island, but we were still not sure what time our flight would leave tomorrow morning. Time enough though for one last stop though. The journey to Deception Island would be a few hours.
Maybe it was the early morning or maybe just the activities from the last five days in Antarctica but both of us were knackered and out cold for the few hours while we travelled north. Deception Island is one of the newest in Antarctica – an active volcano that last erupted in 1991. The caldera wall has collapsed to allow the sea (and us) inside the bay that has now formed. Adrie was awake enough to go out on deck as the captain carefully navigated the ship through the narrow opening called Neptune’s Bellows.
In 1957 the “Southern Hunter” collided with some rocks in the area and the remnants are still visible rusting on the beach near the entrance. I was not as able to get up out of bed – willing but just not able.
Upon landing I immediately wanted to do some geology. While the water in the bay is still frigid if you dig just 10cm into the ashen beach the ground is baking – not just a little warm but it is genuinely hot. We first explored the old site of the whaler’s station and the dilapidated British base. There was a friendly encounter with a Weddell seal and you can always rely on a few penguins to make an appearance to say hello.
We hiked up to Neptune’s Window, a natural saddle in the caldera wall that overlooks the whole bay to one side and the open ocean to the other. We were escorted back to the zodiacs by a few Chinstraps – a fitting end to our time in Antarctica.
Remains of the whaler’s station in Whaler’s Bay
Remains of a whale skeleton in the background