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 20^th 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