The name Deception Island gives us a feeling of mystery and uncertainty. A visit to this unusual-appearing landscape cements the feeling. Once a volcano projecting perhaps a mile into the sky, it is now just a shell, literally, of its former self. Only the outer rim still has its head above the sea, with a maximum elevation of about 1,800 feet. The inside, known as Port Foster, is now filled with seawater to a depth as much as five hundred fifty feet. To enter this collapsed caldera, a ship must pass through the narrow, windy channel known as Neptune's Bellows. A submerged rock near the middle of this channel adds a further challenge to navigators. As Captain Skog deftly maneuvered the Caledonian Star into the heart of the former volcano, we marvelled at the beautiful, multicolored cliffs that soared above us on both sides.
Whalers Bay is a wonderfully protected anchorage that has the added advantage of having a dependable supply of fresh water. It was an ideal spot for a whale-processing factory and was used for that purpose by the Norwegians until 1931, by which time whales had been seriously depleted in the area. Later, the site was occupied by the British Antarctic Survey as a scientific base. Chile had a scientific base a few miles away. However, a series of eruptions in the 1960's and 1970 spewed ash and cinders and forced the abandonment of the stations.
Today, Whalers Bay has an eerie feeling. Skeletons of whales and water boats lie embedded in the sand, side by side. Kelp gulls nest on rusting boilers. Gentoo penguins wander among buildings standing precariously, though still occupied by artefacts from the long-gone researchers. Skuas patrol overhead. An aircraft hanger and other structures stand silently, seemingly defiantly, in the steady wind.
One of the most exciting aspects of this Antarctic adventure has been the extraordinary skill which Captain Skog and the other deck officers have maneuvered the Caledonian Star. This afternoon, we anchored approximately twenty feet from shore, about the length of a Zodiac. We could stand on the bow and look down on sand. By using a technique called "riding the anchor", the officers can keep the ship from turning with the wind or currents, making this close approach not only exciting and convenient, but also perfectly safe.
