Our watch on the 14th saw us approaching Deception Island. Low clouds were cutting off the higher elevation and we could only see the bluff cliffs falling to the sea.
Deception is another volcanic caldera but on a much grander scale where the sea has breached the wall allow vessels to sail in through Neptune’s Bellows and enter the crater giving a harbour of approximately 3.5 miles in diameter which, apart from the entrance, is completed enclosed within rock walls. Apparently it was named deception by one of the early sealers who used it. The deception being that it looks like any other island until you realise it is actually a volcanic caldera open to the sea. Sailing in through Neptune’s Bellows we were confronted by the inland sea where, due to the mist and fogs swirling around it, the far shores were invisible. Immediately to the right of the entrance is a bay called Whaler’s Bay which, as the name may suggest, was a used by whalers with the final phase being a Norwegian whaling base between 1911 and 1931. Later, from 1944 until forced to evacuate by volcanic activity in 1969, this facility was taken over as a British research establishment. This was our destination but, as there was already a cruise ship anchored there, we decided to sail deeper into the crater to visit Pendulum Cove. This cove derives its name from an experimental station which was once there using the effect of the variations in the earth’s magnetic field on a pendulum to try to establish the diameter of the earth. I do not know if it was successful 😊
More recently there was a Chilean research station based here, the remains of which can still be seen. It was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1969 (there was volcanic activity in ‘67, ‘69 and ’70). Landing on a beach of black volcanic sand we are wreathed in steam due to the geothermic heating of the water that penetrates the sand. Ashore we explored around the ruins of the research station then walked around the bay to observe two Weddle Seals that were hauled up on the beach. These were the first Weddle’s that we have seen and, with motely grey skin, are possibly the most attractive to date. It is my observation that most seals and sea lions are not only far more graceful when in the water but also far easier on the eye. These two seals were accompanied by a lone Chinstrap Penguin who seemed rather lost and lonely. He appeared to be trying to work out if we wanted to be his mates.
On returning to Tecla we sailed back to Whaler’s Bay which, at least for a while, we had to ourselves. After going ashore, we walked round to Neptune’s Window which is a low point on the caldera just to the East of the breach and affords good views of the cliffs and a small beach on the outside of the island. On the walk to the view point we passed by the remains of several waterboats and numerous whale bones. All a sad, vivid reminder of the activities of the early visitors to these latitudes.
The beach of Whaler’s Bay is also heated by the underlaying volcanic sands so, from Neptune’s Window, we were returning to the beach to take a dip in the warm waters of the beach. Unfortunately, at this time an Antarctic Cruise ship came into the anchorage and had disgorged many tourists onto the beach who all appeared rather nonplussed when we all stripped to our shorts and entered the sea. The water was beautifully warm for about 1m from the edge then it rapidly reverted to its natural state of freezing. The ideal was to just lie in the shallows and let the warm waters wash over you whilst avoiding the really warm spots where the water was almost too hot. On emerging from the steaming waters, we carried on around the beach and spent some time looking around the remains of the whaling and research establishments before re-joining Tecla. Sailing back out through Neptune’s Bellows we anchored for the night on the outer perimeter of the island.
