01 December 2010

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0830 Landfall – Snow Island in the South Shetland Islands. Headed through Boyd Straight on to Deception Island. Deception Island is so named because the early explorers missed the entrance into the caldera. Years later whalers discovered it and the lagoon became a whaling base. The island is a volcano, the last eruptions coming in the late 1960s. A section of the crater has eroded opening into a protected lagoon. After lunch the Captain nosed the bow up onto the beach and all who desired went ashore in Zodiac rigid hull inflatable boats. We boated and hiked in the blowing snow for a few hours. Before returning to the ship several intrepid souls, yours truly included, made an Antarctic plunge into water that was recorded at 36 degrees F. Tonight we are heading south to avoid a storm system and the plan is to hike and kayak where conditions allow before calling at Port Lockroy.
Today: Terns, Albatross, Weddell seals, Leopard seal, Chinstrap penguins, King penguins.

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