South Shetland, Deception Island & Halfmoon Island
A howling gale force wind together with low clouds and rain to deal with might deliver a dusky, dank, damp, dreek and dreadful day but still can be delightfully filled with adventures. It is easy to get demoralized as the rain and spray are drenching you in the boat going for the landing. Still you can make this into a day full with spirit and new opportunities for any one keen to explore and discover the world.
Very few have ever heard of the very first solely scientific expedition sent to "Antarctica" with a set mission, the Chanticleer Expedition 1828 - 29. It was a response to a request by the British scientist Edward Sabine for information on forces of gravity and terrestrial magnetism. Sabine had been with James Ross to locate the magnetic North Pole in 1818 with out sucess and was dejected by the lack of knowledge regarding the southern continent. The name "Antarctica" was not yet used to describe this southern continent and only appeared after the American navy officer Wilkes sailed in these waters 1838 - 42.
The British Admiralty despatched the sloop HMS Chanticleer under captain Henry Foster to South Shetland. He later ventured into the caldera at Deception Island, through the gap known as Neptune's Bellow. The discovery of this elusive and deceptive entrance is claimed by American sealer Nathaniel Palmer. The very sheltered but flooded caldera is named Port Foster after his 1829 visit. Pendulum Cove was his base for scientific studies, the very first in Antarctica. He also left a minimum thermometer, later recovered in 1842 reading -21 degrees C (-5 degrees F).
Today was our visit to this well known island, often embedded in clouds diluting the distinct border between the land and sky. It houses almost everything you can ask for, huge penguin colonies on the rugged outside, a safe sheltered harbour inside, the island thus shaped like a donut because of the collapsed caldera filled with water. Volcanic activity here is still very evident, as you walk on ash fields from the last three eruptions, and can also feel hot water dribbling out along the shoreline at low tide. Swimming here was once a great event but has nowadays turned into more of a polar plunge. The three last eruptions occurred between 1967 and 1970.
History dates back to the early sealers, several polar expeditions have used this as a stop like Charcot, Rymill... The first ever Antarctic flight by Sir Hubert Wilkins took place here at Port Foster in November 1928. His goal was to fly to the South Pole but he did not succeed. It was the American Admiral Byrd who achieved this in 1929, flying from the Ross Sea side.
Our aim before breakfast was the huge chinstrap penguin colony at Baily Head. Here high volcanic cliffs above a long beach make a decorative setting under a black glacier as ash has covered the ice. The beach was pounded by penguins but at the same time a gusting gale force wind created deterrent swell. To land at Baily Head was daunting, dicey or even damned dodgy to the point of deadly danger; our Expedition Leader and captain rapidly decided instead to sail inside to find shelter for an outing. We were dismayed not to land at Baily Head, but who can fight against nature?
After the breakfast we sailed through the dramatic and narrow passage, Neptune's Bellows. A rock in the middle of the channel makes the challenge dodgy for any navigator, today with a gusting wind it was a decidedly diligent dare to get the ship through. Neptune’s Bellows is described as a bite out of the donut; the entrance is a dangerous passage which many mariners have experienced over the years.
Right inside and behind the huge cliff faces are remains of a dismal period to the Antarctic history. Through the years 1907 to about 1931 Port Foster, this dormant volcano, was the base for the major part of the whaling activity in the Peninsula area. Now much of the base, houses, boilers, water boats and docks are delapidated, slowly deteriorating but create almost endless photo opportunities. The active whaling period ended with the depression which hit most of the industrialized world in 1929.
As we arrived to Whalers Bay we were able to launch a fleet of Zodiacs to take us ashore to land on the beach, by the rusting derelict oil cisterns. On the beach was a rusting floating dock used to repair the whale catchers.
Some of the buildings are still standing but give a dreary and derelict impression. They were later used, after the whalers were gone, by a top secret World War II operation, Operation Tabarin, as the British wanted to establish activity in the area against any German penetration. It was also a way to deter Chilean or Argentine bases here.
After lunch the wind picked up and we decided to depart and head north to Halfmoon Island, a smaller island in the South Shetland group. In 1967 Lars-Eric Lindblad chartered the Argentinean ship Lapataia in the very early days of travel pioneering to Antarctica. Here at Halfmoon Island he and 21 guests got stranded for two days, showing how harsh Antarctica can be.
Now we faced 40 - 50 knots of wind, but with our perfectly designed side gate and Zodiac operation, we were still able to make a landing. The island is home to plenty of gentoo and chinstrap penguins and those who chose to battle the elements also saw fur seals and a lonely macaroni penguin. On the island there is an Argentinean station, but like many others is not manned.
It was nice to return to the ship and later delight in a classic Philipino dinner. Antarctica is always an eventful place to be!
A howling gale force wind together with low clouds and rain to deal with might deliver a dusky, dank, damp, dreek and dreadful day but still can be delightfully filled with adventures. It is easy to get demoralized as the rain and spray are drenching you in the boat going for the landing. Still you can make this into a day full with spirit and new opportunities for any one keen to explore and discover the world.
Very few have ever heard of the very first solely scientific expedition sent to "Antarctica" with a set mission, the Chanticleer Expedition 1828 - 29. It was a response to a request by the British scientist Edward Sabine for information on forces of gravity and terrestrial magnetism. Sabine had been with James Ross to locate the magnetic North Pole in 1818 with out sucess and was dejected by the lack of knowledge regarding the southern continent. The name "Antarctica" was not yet used to describe this southern continent and only appeared after the American navy officer Wilkes sailed in these waters 1838 - 42.
The British Admiralty despatched the sloop HMS Chanticleer under captain Henry Foster to South Shetland. He later ventured into the caldera at Deception Island, through the gap known as Neptune's Bellow. The discovery of this elusive and deceptive entrance is claimed by American sealer Nathaniel Palmer. The very sheltered but flooded caldera is named Port Foster after his 1829 visit. Pendulum Cove was his base for scientific studies, the very first in Antarctica. He also left a minimum thermometer, later recovered in 1842 reading -21 degrees C (-5 degrees F).
Today was our visit to this well known island, often embedded in clouds diluting the distinct border between the land and sky. It houses almost everything you can ask for, huge penguin colonies on the rugged outside, a safe sheltered harbour inside, the island thus shaped like a donut because of the collapsed caldera filled with water. Volcanic activity here is still very evident, as you walk on ash fields from the last three eruptions, and can also feel hot water dribbling out along the shoreline at low tide. Swimming here was once a great event but has nowadays turned into more of a polar plunge. The three last eruptions occurred between 1967 and 1970.
History dates back to the early sealers, several polar expeditions have used this as a stop like Charcot, Rymill... The first ever Antarctic flight by Sir Hubert Wilkins took place here at Port Foster in November 1928. His goal was to fly to the South Pole but he did not succeed. It was the American Admiral Byrd who achieved this in 1929, flying from the Ross Sea side.
Our aim before breakfast was the huge chinstrap penguin colony at Baily Head. Here high volcanic cliffs above a long beach make a decorative setting under a black glacier as ash has covered the ice. The beach was pounded by penguins but at the same time a gusting gale force wind created deterrent swell. To land at Baily Head was daunting, dicey or even damned dodgy to the point of deadly danger; our Expedition Leader and captain rapidly decided instead to sail inside to find shelter for an outing. We were dismayed not to land at Baily Head, but who can fight against nature?
After the breakfast we sailed through the dramatic and narrow passage, Neptune's Bellows. A rock in the middle of the channel makes the challenge dodgy for any navigator, today with a gusting wind it was a decidedly diligent dare to get the ship through. Neptune’s Bellows is described as a bite out of the donut; the entrance is a dangerous passage which many mariners have experienced over the years.
Right inside and behind the huge cliff faces are remains of a dismal period to the Antarctic history. Through the years 1907 to about 1931 Port Foster, this dormant volcano, was the base for the major part of the whaling activity in the Peninsula area. Now much of the base, houses, boilers, water boats and docks are delapidated, slowly deteriorating but create almost endless photo opportunities. The active whaling period ended with the depression which hit most of the industrialized world in 1929.
As we arrived to Whalers Bay we were able to launch a fleet of Zodiacs to take us ashore to land on the beach, by the rusting derelict oil cisterns. On the beach was a rusting floating dock used to repair the whale catchers.
Some of the buildings are still standing but give a dreary and derelict impression. They were later used, after the whalers were gone, by a top secret World War II operation, Operation Tabarin, as the British wanted to establish activity in the area against any German penetration. It was also a way to deter Chilean or Argentine bases here.
After lunch the wind picked up and we decided to depart and head north to Halfmoon Island, a smaller island in the South Shetland group. In 1967 Lars-Eric Lindblad chartered the Argentinean ship Lapataia in the very early days of travel pioneering to Antarctica. Here at Halfmoon Island he and 21 guests got stranded for two days, showing how harsh Antarctica can be.
Now we faced 40 - 50 knots of wind, but with our perfectly designed side gate and Zodiac operation, we were still able to make a landing. The island is home to plenty of gentoo and chinstrap penguins and those who chose to battle the elements also saw fur seals and a lonely macaroni penguin. On the island there is an Argentinean station, but like many others is not manned.
It was nice to return to the ship and later delight in a classic Philipino dinner. Antarctica is always an eventful place to be!
