Deception Island
Deception Island is a bizarre place. Only about 10,000 years old and still a very active volcano. As you land at Whalers Bay, inside the huge caldera, you encounter steam from the beach. Some of our brave travelers went for a swim. Well, maybe not really a swim, more of an Antarctic dip, but good enough to get the certificate.
Whalers Bay was a busy place in Antarctica for about 25 years, 1906-1931, as the whales still were plentiful in the area. You still see the remains of this period: boilers to process the whale blubber, cisterns and houses… If only the walls could talk! Think about all the good stories and tales hidden in these walls.
This was also the first place to see airplanes in Antarctica. The Australian, Hubert Wilkens, came to the Deception Island 1928 with the mission to fly to the South Pole. He did not succeed but was able to map parts of the Antarctic Peninsula, earlier called Graham Land. The first one to fly to the South Pole was the American Commander, Richard E. Byrd, in 1929. The next one to bring airplanes to Antarctica in 1933- 1936, was Lincoln Ellsworth, who had flown with Amnundsen to the North Pole. He was actually the first to cross Antarctica by plane. Both Byrd and Ellsworth chose to start from the Ross Sea area, much closer to the South Pole. Together with Wilkens attempt to reach the South Pole from the Northwestern part of Antarctica, only one other attempt was made, Shackelton’s Trans-Antarctic voyage, which later became the famous story about the sinking of his ship the Endurance and survival in the Weddell Sea.
As you walk around at Whalers Bay you also encounter remains of the British Polar station, which was evacuated during the large eruption in 1967. Close to the airplane hangar you find remains of an airplane used to carry staff and equipment out into the field.
Deception Island is a bizarre place. Only about 10,000 years old and still a very active volcano. As you land at Whalers Bay, inside the huge caldera, you encounter steam from the beach. Some of our brave travelers went for a swim. Well, maybe not really a swim, more of an Antarctic dip, but good enough to get the certificate.
Whalers Bay was a busy place in Antarctica for about 25 years, 1906-1931, as the whales still were plentiful in the area. You still see the remains of this period: boilers to process the whale blubber, cisterns and houses… If only the walls could talk! Think about all the good stories and tales hidden in these walls.
This was also the first place to see airplanes in Antarctica. The Australian, Hubert Wilkens, came to the Deception Island 1928 with the mission to fly to the South Pole. He did not succeed but was able to map parts of the Antarctic Peninsula, earlier called Graham Land. The first one to fly to the South Pole was the American Commander, Richard E. Byrd, in 1929. The next one to bring airplanes to Antarctica in 1933- 1936, was Lincoln Ellsworth, who had flown with Amnundsen to the North Pole. He was actually the first to cross Antarctica by plane. Both Byrd and Ellsworth chose to start from the Ross Sea area, much closer to the South Pole. Together with Wilkens attempt to reach the South Pole from the Northwestern part of Antarctica, only one other attempt was made, Shackelton’s Trans-Antarctic voyage, which later became the famous story about the sinking of his ship the Endurance and survival in the Weddell Sea.
As you walk around at Whalers Bay you also encounter remains of the British Polar station, which was evacuated during the large eruption in 1967. Close to the airplane hangar you find remains of an airplane used to carry staff and equipment out into the field.
