Antarctica

(This is post #5 in a series of 5 about our recent trip to Antarctica.)

Our final day on the continent arrived with no wind and blue skies; ideal conditions for the proposed morning swim at Deception Island. This old cone volcano sank, with one side giving way and allowing the ocean to flood the caldera. The entrance into the interior is pretty narrow, but once inside it is fairly sheltered. Deception Island is famous for two things: its historic whaling station and its relatively warm waters, which are heated in the shallows of the shore by steam from the still active volcano.

Whaler's Bay, Deception Island

The Shores of Deception Island

Upon entering the volcano, we discovered that much of the water was still covered with sea ice too thick for the Zodiacs. The captain, after assessing the conditions, announced that he would take us through the ice for a tour since we couldn’t land at our two desired landing spots.

Watching the Ushuaia Break a Path in the Sea Ice Was Exciting!

Thin Sea Ice Proved No Problem for the Ushuaia!

Deeanne and I ran up to the bow and watched with excitement as the Ushuaia’s ice class hull plowed through the ice. It was indescribably cool! The bow would hit a big ice sheet lifting the ship slightly up out of the water as it rode up on the ice before it sent cracks racing out from the blow and collapsing back into the water. Sheets of sea ice quickly turned into jigsaw puzzles breaking into a myriad of shapes as we plowed through the ice field. The hull on the Ushuaia could maybe crack a foot or two of sea ice. There is a nuclear powered Russian ice breaker called “50 Years of Victory” that can break through 9-foot thick sea ice. I can’t even imagine that. The pops and cracks coming from just 1-foot thick ice were incredible.

The Bow of Ushuaia Cuts Pack Ice Into Jig Saw Pieces

A Seal Takes Refuge on the Sea Ice

The ship that was supposed to be at Whaler’s Bay, the Captain Khlebnikov, wasn’t there; so after our journey through the ice we landed there.  (We found out later that the icebreaker was actually stuck in ice in the Weddell Sea for nearly a week.  Currently, they are making progress back to Ushuaia and may return by this weekend.)  Anyway, we were able to steal their landing spot and tour the old whaling station, which was in operation from 1911 to 1930 during the southern seas whaling boom. Sadly, at one point 3,000 whale carcasses littered the beach as they were exploited for their blubber. The British later used it for a base during WWII and, until 1965 (when there was heavy volcanic activity), as an arctic research station. Today the abandoned buildings crumble as the snow, wind, and ice slowly reclaim the landscape.

Huge Storage Tanks Boiled Whale Blubber

The Elements Slowly Reclaim the Historic Whaling Buildings

Detail of Old Bunkhouse

Crosses Commemorate Whalers Who Perished During Operations

After walking around the old buildings we decided to go for a swim (our first and only chance to swim in Antarctica). Deception Island’s volcano is still active and the numerous hot spots warm the Antarctic waters, supposedly. We stripped; no easy task when you have on 4 pairs of socks, thermal top and bottoms, 3 shirts, a fleece, 2 pairs of pants, jacket, scarf, gloves, beanie, life jacket, and sunglasses (no exaggeration!). I ran and jumped into the water and just as quickly jumped right back out. Air temperature was about 37 degrees and while the water must have been warmer it sure didn’t feel like it (we had just plowed through sea ice not 500 meters away). Deeanne had a better approach and after jumping in laid down in the shallows where heat warmed the water to near spa conditions for a few inches.

Garret Needs More Blubber to Survive the Antarctic Conditions

Watch and Learn Future Antarctic Swimmers- Only the First Few Inches are Steam Warmed!!

These Curious Gentoos Came to Investigate What All the Fuss Was About

We were then confronted with the arduous task of putting all our layers back on while various body parts started going numb. It brought the surfer towel change to an entirely new level. Back in the boat we showered until we ran out of hot water. We were slightly warmer by then.  We have nothing but awe for American swimmer Lynne Cox, who managed to swim Antarctica’s first mile in 2003 without somehow dying (scientists are stumped too).

The captain took us back out to sea and we sailed to our final stop – Half Moon Island. It was a beautiful afternoon. It was so warm I shed everything but my thermal top and shirt. The Chinstrap penguin colonies here proved to be the most interesting colonies of our entire visit mainly due to one colossal fight.

Garret Quickly Mastered Iceburg Surfing

Deeanne Wasn't Quite so Lucky

Just Watching the World Float By

I thought penguins were peaceful cuddly little birds. I was definitely wrong. Neither of us got the background story but shortly after arriving at the first colony two Chinstraps started a knock down drag out fight. They wing smacked each other fell over into the snow, got back up again and went at it with their beaks. This proceeded to last a full five or six minutes until both were a bloody mess. Rivulets of blood ran down their chests. They then tried to reenter the colony and everyone attacked them. The ultimate loser slid away down the snow to what fate I know not. We all just stood in shock. Deeanne wanted to go in and break it up. We decided maybe we should leave the scene instead.

Site of Penguin Fight, After Peace was Restored

We wandered the island for the next hour and a half. I stretched out on the snow for a nap. We spotted a Leopard Seal, some (non-violent) Gentoo penguins, and a Weddell Seal. Deeanne and I were the last to leave the island, loath to leave paradise knowing this was our last visit.

Peaceful Chin-Strap Penguins

Gentoos Checking Us Out

More Peace Lovin' Penguins

After a lovely dinner we started our journey back across the Drake Passage to Ushuaia both praying it would be another smooth crossing. Part of me wanted to see waves over the bow (but only if it is for the last 30 minutes). However, the crossing back was even better than the crossing there, due to the prevailing wind and currents.  We reached our mooring (where we waited for our pilot boat to take us back through the Beagle Channel) with nearly 12 hours to spare.  The last hours on boat were spent sharing pictures, exchanging emails, having farewell toasts and dinners, and generally reliving all the best moments of the trip; of which there were many.

Awe, Can't We Just Stay One More Week?

Last Moments Ashore

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