This morning we entered the narrow entrance to Deception Island and landed at Whalers Bay. The island is the caldera of a previously active volcano. The last eruption was in 1970 so it is still quite active. There’s lots of geo-thermal activity which makes the place quite spooky and, importantly, a great place for the polar plunge!
In places, the water was quite hot but in other places it was freezing cold. This didn’t seem to dampen the enthusiasm of those brave enough to have a heart-stopping experience.
Or a fashion shoot.
Even the Kayakers were in on the game.
Lisa, Kevin, Carol and I decided to hike up to the top of a nearby hill for a view.
The Island was also a whaling Station with remnants of a bygone era littering the landscape.
I have to say, this is a very unique place. It could be a different planet! Not a place for your average summer vacation.
In the afternoon, we landed at Half Moon Island, home to a large colony of Chinstrap Penguins. These are the ones that look like they’re smiling at you when you look at them head on.
They were much further along in the breeding cycle than the Gentoos and the chicks were big enough to become a handful.
All in all a good day. I was getting used to the place. Despite the snow and wind, our cold weather gear was more than adequate. And we were getting expert at putting the stuff on and off several times a day. The only problem was the increasing smell of Penguin poop, especially on the waterproof pants. Despite thorough scrubbing in the water each day, there was no way to get rid of the smell. Penguins have a high metabolic rate and when they poop, it comes out in a projectile stream. You don’t want to be behind a penguin when it needs to relieve itself! Other penguins fall victim to this regularly so it’s just as well they spend most of their time in the water.
I have some sympathy for penguins, they have a hard life. During the summer, mates take turns at caring for the young while the other goes to sea to gorge on food needed for the chicks. They build nests high up from the beach because that’s where the snow melts first and the nests need to be on rocky ground. So, the journey back and forth to the water can be long and arduous. They must be relieved when the breeding season is over and they can return to the ocean to swim around to their hearts content. Or get eaten by a Leopard Seal.