Antarctic Photos 3 – Deception Island
Deception Island is a still-active volcano in the South
Shetland Islands just north of the Antarctic peninsula. The sea has flooded the
crater to form a natural harbour about five miles across. Access to the caldera
is through a narrow gap called Neptune’s Bellows. The harbour was used as a
centre for the whaling industry at the beginning of the 20th century
and since then has housed a couple of scientific research bases.
Our first iceberg as we passed Smith Island before heading for
Deception Island.
CapTim proudly hoists the Antarctica courtesy
flag
The anchor nip on this momentous occasion is of the
bubbly variety. Ewan checks he is not being short-changed. The adjudicator is
ASD Snoopy.
Celebrating our arrival in Antarctica
The remains of one of the whaling station buildings
…
… surrounded by the enormous vessels for rendering down
the whale blubber into oil
Mina2 at anchor seen through the abandoned
hardware
The remains of water boats that used to take barrels of
fresh water out to the whaling boats anchored in the harbour.
Staves from water barrels still in position after nearly
100 years
The lonely resting place of a Norwegian
whaler
Peter enthusiastically prepares for his Antarctic swim in
the hot volcanic springs
The temperature of the water is tested …
Ready, steady …
… and in they plunge, with Mina2 in the
background
A Chinstrap penguin receives his instructions from the
Director
but stomps off past an elephant seal …
… to star in
Ewan’s film instead
