11th March – Land!!! Deception Island
With our evermore tried and true sea-legs at the ready, we sailed out of the Drake’s Passage in the late morning and made our first sightings of land! Our first glimpse was of a dramatic, craggy island that rose from the sea in the misty distance. It was perhaps reminiscent of a cheesy pirate film, but we were all excited at the prospect of finally arriving in Antarctica. (Can we call ourselves polar explorers now that we’ve survived The Drake and seen our first bit of land that’s truly down-under?!)
Yesterday had thoroughly whet our appetite of marine mammals (figuratively, not literally, thank goodness), and we were incredibly eager for the chaotic times yet to come of whale sightings left, right, and center. The Southern Ocean delivered and we were treated to a pod of four whales (possibly humpbacks?) while we were still enjoying our 6:45am cup of coffee in the observation lounge. The thrills didn’t stop there and throughout the day we had myriad humpback whale sightings, including one “logging” (a.k.a. sleeping), agile fur seals “porpoising” (half swimming, half leaping out of the water—a very fun sight for our keen eyes), and small flocks of gentoo and chinstrap penguins whizzing past the boat. (Admittedly, the penguins elicited similar girlish squeals as yesterday’s hourglass dolphins.) All these oceanic gems came before we even arrived at a semi-active volcano called Deception Island, where the wildlife encounters would span a whole range of emotions and genera.
To enter the now-flooded volcanic caldera, there is a narrow passage called Neptune’s Bellows that’s about 200 meters wide of safe water. It was times like that that we were all extra thankful for having a very skilled captain aboard! The approach to the island brought not only a slew of humpback sightings, but also our first iceberg (never has frozen water seemed so exciting). Once our passage through Neptune’s Bellows was expertly navigated by Captain Alexey, we were immersed in enthralling 360º vistas of the rugged caldera walls streaked with brilliant white patches of snow, and dramatic clouds drifting over the ridges. While anchoring the boat, we were able to spot dense aggregations of Antarctic fur seals on the beaches, numerous chinstrap penguins dotting the shores, and even our first Weddell and elephant seals.
After a short zodiac cruise to the black sandy beach, we were able to wander through the historical remains of a whaling station, where thousands of whales were unfortunately butchered for their valuable oil and meat. It was another moment to reconnect with our passion for preserving this pristine wilderness and the fascinating creatures that call it home. We also got our first up-close encounter with the adorable gentoo penguins—and used the opportunity for some classic touristy photos of massive grins and itty bitty wildlife in the background that you will swear to your friends were a lot closer than they appear. While the penguins were friendly and goofy, the fur seals were genuinely scary at times. Imagine a territorial dog, but heavier, untamed, and harder to avoid thanks to camouflage. Needless to say, we spent a lot of time carefully scanning the beach for aggravated-looking seals and doing our best to avoi d them, while not trampling over historic artefacts. Their dog-like faces and endearing waddles made them seem approachable, but there were a few exhilarating moments when you unintentionally wandered too close, only to be scared off by a hostile growl.
Aside from seal-dodging, some people trekked to the top of Roger Hill for awe-inspiring views over the caldera, then to Neptune’s Window, a striking semi-circular opening where the caldera wall had crumbled into the ocean. The venture ended with a very (read: EXTREMELY) chilly polar plunge for our group and a few other brave (crazy, perhaps?!) individuals. We stripped down to bathing suits on the water’s edge, questioning our sanity with each item removed. The time it took to undo our copious layers was a reminder about just how cold out it was, but hey, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, right?! We ran screaming into the water, made a splashing lunge into the shallows (just enough to say we’ve officially polar plunged!) and then ran screaming back out even faster than we had entered. A sizeable crowd had gathered to watch these antics and we were greeted by applause and an array of cameras pointed our w ay. The world’s fastest re-dressing, and a short zodiac ride was all that stood between us and a much-needed hot shower. Truly a memorable way to kick off this polar adventure.
While not the true Antarctic continent, Deception Island provided more than enough polar thrills to make the horrors of the Drake’s Passage drift from our minds. Tomorrow we’re due to take our first Antarctic steps just after breakfast…can’t wait!
(Kelsea, SH student)
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