Antarctic Sound and Deception Island, Antarctica
Overnight we sailed south from Elephant Island towards the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and entered Antarctic Sound. This is the channel that leads to the Weddell Sea and the eastern side of the Peninsula. The weather was completely different from what was forecasted, and we discovered why Antarctica is the windiest continent on the planet.
The strong winds and swirling snow did not stop the snow petrels and southern fumurs from racing around the ship. We also had several close looks at enormous tabular icebergs that are found in the Sound and give it the nickname “Iceberg Alley”.
After a short opportunity to sail through a bit of pack ice and by lots of icebergs, we sailed into Bransfield Straight to Deception Island. This is a volcanic island that has a large Caldara, one of the few in the world that ships can actually sail into. Captain Skog expertly maneuvered the National Geographic Explorer through the narrow entrance known as Neptune’s Bellows. In spite of the continuous strong winds and blowing snow, we managed to go ashore at Whaler’s Bay on Deception Island. There was a chance to go for an adventurous hike to an overlook called Neptune’s Window. We also walked along the ash beach to see the remains of the old whaling station and former British research station.
It was very atmospheric and exactly what many people think of when they hear the word Antarctica. Despite the challenging weather conditions, we made the most of our first full day here in this amazing part of the world!
