Blog 31st Dec
This morning started with a walk in Deception Island. The rocky, barren landscape drew comparisons to the Moon or some sort of other alien planet while the views back down the caldera impressed us all.
A short 1 hour of motoring brought us to Whalers Bay where we again went ashore after lunch. This area is rich in history, with the ruins of the old whaling station and the huge tanks which were used to render the blubber down dominating the landscape. Nearby is the now disused S shaped runway used by the Australian explorer Wilkins when he made the first Antarctic aircraft flight, and an abandoned hangar. Life in this harsh landscape, mixed with the gory realities of whale processing, must have been exceedingly tough. After a walk up to the great view from Neptune’s Window, it was back aboard Ocean Tramp, and out from Deception Island through the impressive Neptune’s Bellows.
Conditions were right to get the sails up, and we enjoyed a light breeze and sunshine as the impressive Livingston Island grew larger on the horizon. After dinner we were treated to flat, glassy conditions, and a large group of Fin Whales who decided to visit and say hello as the sun lowered in the sky, beautifully silhouetting their blows which hung suspended in the still air. After seeing some of the whaling history this morning, it was nice to once again be visited by some of the many whales which are now protected in these waters.
Skipper Dave tucked us into Yankee Harbor, Greenwich Island with its many Gentoo Penguins which have chicks, its rocky hills, and impressive glacier, in time for a celebratory glass of bubbles and a toast to 2022, and another one or two to the New Year for good measure.
