South Shetland Islands
Christmas day began with a 30 knot wind churning large waves in the Drake Passage. The wind and waves were unable to slow our movement, and we made good progress southward. Oliver Bok sighted the first Antarctic iceberg at 9:00 am. The ice included large tabular bergs that had calved from floating ice shelves. Shortly thereafter, we sighted the South Shetland Islands through blowing snow. The vertical cliffs of volcanic rock displayed excellent examples of columnar joints from contraction during cooling. Subsequent erosion produced dramatic sea stacks standing high above the waves. The strong wind continued and a landing was clearly not a good choice.
We continued south toward the large volcanic caldera of Deception Island. The National Geographic Endeavour sailed up to the imposing cliffs of Bailey Head around 2:00 pm; here we eagerly boarded Zodiac inflatable boats for our first landing of the voyage. In spite of large swell and gale force winds, we made a safe landing on the steep beach of coarse volcanic sand. Large groups of chinstrap penguins greeted us at the beach as they made their way to and from the sea transporting seafood to their mates and offspring in nests on the rocky hills above. A small stream of meltwater cut a channel through the layered volcaniclastic cliffs. Above the stream, hillsides of glacial ice showed an unusual cover of rock, testament to the violent eruptions that had recently blanketed the ice with cinders and ash. By the time we reboarded the boats to return to the National Geographic Endeavour, the wind was blowing offshore at almost 50 knots! The National Geographic Endeavour sailed around to a narrow breach in the Deception caldera, known as Neptunes Bellows. We entered the flooded caldera in a stiff wind and then boarded Zodiacs for a trip to shore. Onshore, we examined the abandoned Norwegian whaling and British Antarctic Survey stations. The last activity was halted during the 1969 eruption, which deposited a layer of ash and sent a stream of mud and water down into the buildings along the shoreline.
During Christmas dinner, we enjoyed the calm water of the caldera. After a wonderful dinner, of turkey, salads, potato, and mixed vegetables, we left the caldera and braved the waves of Bransfield Strait. During the night, the National Geographic Endeavour headed south toward Gerlache Strait and the Antarctica Peninsula.
Christmas day began with a 30 knot wind churning large waves in the Drake Passage. The wind and waves were unable to slow our movement, and we made good progress southward. Oliver Bok sighted the first Antarctic iceberg at 9:00 am. The ice included large tabular bergs that had calved from floating ice shelves. Shortly thereafter, we sighted the South Shetland Islands through blowing snow. The vertical cliffs of volcanic rock displayed excellent examples of columnar joints from contraction during cooling. Subsequent erosion produced dramatic sea stacks standing high above the waves. The strong wind continued and a landing was clearly not a good choice.
We continued south toward the large volcanic caldera of Deception Island. The National Geographic Endeavour sailed up to the imposing cliffs of Bailey Head around 2:00 pm; here we eagerly boarded Zodiac inflatable boats for our first landing of the voyage. In spite of large swell and gale force winds, we made a safe landing on the steep beach of coarse volcanic sand. Large groups of chinstrap penguins greeted us at the beach as they made their way to and from the sea transporting seafood to their mates and offspring in nests on the rocky hills above. A small stream of meltwater cut a channel through the layered volcaniclastic cliffs. Above the stream, hillsides of glacial ice showed an unusual cover of rock, testament to the violent eruptions that had recently blanketed the ice with cinders and ash. By the time we reboarded the boats to return to the National Geographic Endeavour, the wind was blowing offshore at almost 50 knots! The National Geographic Endeavour sailed around to a narrow breach in the Deception caldera, known as Neptunes Bellows. We entered the flooded caldera in a stiff wind and then boarded Zodiacs for a trip to shore. Onshore, we examined the abandoned Norwegian whaling and British Antarctic Survey stations. The last activity was halted during the 1969 eruption, which deposited a layer of ash and sent a stream of mud and water down into the buildings along the shoreline.
During Christmas dinner, we enjoyed the calm water of the caldera. After a wonderful dinner, of turkey, salads, potato, and mixed vegetables, we left the caldera and braved the waves of Bransfield Strait. During the night, the National Geographic Endeavour headed south toward Gerlache Strait and the Antarctica Peninsula.
