The day commenced with National Geographic Explorer anchored in Cierva Cove. The weather was windless, sunny and stunning. Many guests and staff made it out to the deck to watch as a Zodiac with four naturalists set off to climb a ridge. Their mission was to replace batteries and the memory card on a National Geographic camera that overlooks a glacier. This information provides valuable insight into the short- and long-term changes of glaciers in this remote part of the world.
Once back in the Gerlache Strait, we headed north toward an actively volcanic island, Deception Island. This journey was going to take some time, so several staff members gave presentations. Martin spoke about penguins, Mike J. on geology and Jenny on whaling.
We made the easy landing at Whalers Bay, Deception Island. Then we set off to explore the remains of Hektor, a Norwegian whaling station, which operated from 1912 to 1931. Many relics remain, including boilers, oil tanks, houses and a floating dry dock. Guests explored the site from a safe distance.
Several guests walked along the coast, avoiding the occasional Antarctic fur seal and molting chinstrap penguins. They made their way to Neptune’s Window, a narrow break in the wall of the volcano. Guests looked out to sea through the window.
