After the excitement of the previous day’s hike to Port Lockroy, sleep was not easy to come by. Nevertheless, tiredness gave way to a dreamy night as the ship sailed north. We were awoken to a request to come on deck. Blurry-eyed passengers lined the decks as we arrived. The Captain was manoeuvring the ship into Deception Island. Positioned towards the southern end of the South Shetland Islands, Deception island is a horseshoe-shaped island. It was formed following heavy volcanic activity in the region 4-8 million years ago.
The Captain skilfully navigated the narrow entrance created most probably by a glaciation event that breached the crater wall. By the entrance to the crater was the rusting remains of a whale catcher, the Southern Hunter, that did not fare so well. The contrast in the landscape from the previous day antithetical. The pure white of the Port Lockroy landscape has given way to the primeval grandeur of perfect black volcanic soil. Even the glaciers are tinged black. This is a raw, desolate landscape, and what a contrast to the day before.
A brief history
Whaling
This is one of the best-known islands of the South Shetlands. Its infamous history as a whaling station was sealed as far back as the 1820s. The flooded caldera formed a natural port named after Henry Foster, Captain of HMS Chanticleer who visited in 1828-29. Port Foster by the early 20th century had become a major base for whalers and included a processing plant and even a floating dry dock.
Flying
More palatable is the use of the island to further Antarctic Aviation. On 20 December 1928, Australian Hubert Wilkins took off from Whaler’s Bay on the 1stof many Antarctic flights and covering 2100kms along the peninsula. Several other flight expeditions followed following the construction of a rough runway. In 1934, Lincoln Ellsworth attempted the 1sttrans-Antarctic flight. BAS also used the island for numerous flying operations as recently as the 1960s. The old hangar still contains the remains of a Twin Otter aircraft.
Territorial claims
Inevitably the rush to the Antarctic continent strained relationships, particularly between the British, Argentinians and Chileans. Following decades of skirmishes, the talking began. The Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1959. The original 12 signatories have now increased, but the aim is to use the continent for peaceful purposes and scientific endeavours.
Nangle angle
An island steeped in enormous geopolitical history and stupendous geography.
Nangle facts & tips
Check out our next blog on the Deception Island II and our exploration of the Antarctic Continent here.
