Antarctica's White Wilderness Day 11

DAY 11 - Sunday, January 24, 2016 - Antarctic Peninsula Landscape; Bransfield Strait; Deception Island

Claudia gave us the morning announcements at 7:00. We knew we had traveled through some rough seas during the night. She told us that the wind speed was 35 knots and the temperature was 33 degrees.

Until we passed through Neptune’s Bellows, the narrow passageway into the caldera, we were not sure if the conditions would allow us to land at Deception Island. When seen from the air, the caldera was an almost perfectly round volcano ring with a small outlet letting us pass into the submerged volcano.

Our destination this morning was Whaler’s Bay, an abandoned Norwegian whaling station. The last eruption of the volcano was in 1969. Today there was no evidence of any volcanic activity.

The zodiacs landed on the rim of the caldera and we had a strenuous hike against the wind along the beach and then we climbed up to Neptune’s Window. The half-mile trek was steep and rocky, with 40-knot (46mph) winds, and blowing volcanic ash.

But as promised, the views from the summit of the rim (both on the inside and the outside) were breathtaking. With the high winds and views, one’s breath was both literally and figuratively taken away!

Climbing back down to the beach was just as difficult as the wind picked up and it began to snow. Horizontal snow! We saw two fur seals, a crabeater seal, along with a few gulls, and a skua or two.

The uninhabited whaling station was eerie as we walked around and observed the abandoned and dilapidated living quarters, the rusted boilers, and the deserted storage tanks used for the whale oil. Even more depressing were the bones of the whales scattered on the beach.

With the development of factory ships that caught and processed the whale blubber all in one operation, the land-based stations were obsolete. This station was closed down in 1931, but the remnants still litter the beach as a reminder of the decimation of the Antarctic whales.

Just after 10:15, the wind picked up and the snow was falling harder. Claudia gave the order to evacuate the island and bring all of us back to the Corinthian. She also cancelled the “Polar Plunge” that was probably a smart move, but for some, a disappointing one. Surprisingly, many of us were planning to participate in this activity.

The zodiac crew worked fast and furiously to get everyone back to the ship. In the wind, snow, and high seas, this was not an easy task. The spray from the wake of the rubber raft was freezing as it hit the air.

Safely back on the ship, we changed clothes, reviewed our photos, began to write the events of the morning. At 11:00 the crew heaved the anchor and we left the caldera.

At 11:45 we went to a reception for those who had frequently traveled with Overseas Adventure Travel and Grand Circle. Amazingly, The Garcias of Monument, CO were the travelers with the most trips with the company; 24.

We were each given a gift as a tribute to our loyalty. In addition, other top travelers were recognized, and all who had gone on three or more trips were given little lapel pins.

By the time we went to lunch, the seas were rolling in 10-foot swells. Everyone had to be very careful going down the stairs and walking in the dining room. Dishes were crashing to the floor and the poor kitchen staff and the wait staff had a very difficult time preparing and serving lunch.

The Captain announced that we were out of the caldera; back into the Bransfield Straight, and that he was going to be heading south searching for calmer seas to wait out this storm. He did not want to start crossing the Drake Passage in this weather.

There was no possibility of an afternoon excursion so at 2:00 we were invited to a review of our experiences on the voyage. Many of the Expedition Staff had presentations about the wildlife on the Antarctic Peninsula.

At 3:30 we went back to our cabin to prepare GarciaTrips and catch up on a few emails as the Internet was working. At 5:00 we tried to get coverage of the Broncos game but the only way to do it on the ship was the ESPN play-by-play feed. At least we could see and read the score and a graphic of who had the ball.

Dinner was early at 7:00 so hopefully we can post the journal and get to bed a little earlier. With this much daylight so late, our bodies were not sure when it was time to sleep.

The Broncos beat the Patriots, the seas were calm, and there was blue sky with a bright orange sunset. All is well with the world; life is good!

Accommodations: Corinthian - Meals: B, L, & D