Danzenbaker Tour Journal: Antarctic Peninsula -- Day 3

January 17: Bailey Head and Deception Island
 
After crossing the Bransfield Strait overnight, we anchored off Bailey Head on Deception Island in the South Shetland Islands, which lie to the north of the Antarctic peninsula. We anticipated that this would be our most challenging landing due to the swell that crashes against the sloping black volcanic sand beach. However, the lure 100,000+ pairs of Chinstrap Penguins motivated us and we rose to the challenge. Thankfully, good fortune was on our side and, despite spitting rain, we conquered the beach and got everyone ashore without incident. 

The beach was crawling with Chinstrap Penguins and at times it appeared to ooze. Hundreds of birds came and went. The urgency of their pace in and out of the sea was accelerated by a Leopard Seal that was patrolling some ten meters off the beach in hopes of picking off a penguin or two. Many "Chinnies" were beaching themselves right at our feet and one deposited itself in one of the zodiacs that we had pulled out of the reach of the crashing swells.

Adult Chinstrap Penguin and its downy chick.

Just behind the beach, a nesting pair of Pale-faced Sheathbills cared for two downy young. The nestlings, which had yet to acquire the characteristic warty face and heavy bill of an adult, were infinitely cuter than their parents. Above the beach, Pintado (Cape) Petrels nested on cliff ledges, while Southern Giant Petrels fed on several decapitated penguins -- the calling card of a Leopard Seal -- that were floating on the water’s surface.

What started as spitting rain had intensified and was now pelting us. Though slight, the Antarctic breeze was beginning to penetrate our sodden layers of clothing, so we started ferrying our passengers back to the ship a little earlier than anticipated. Launching zodiacs from Bailey Head is even dicier than landing there, but with precision teamwork and quick and alert passengers, nearly everyone made it back to the Polar Star with dry gear and with yet another set of once-in-a-lifetime experiences to share back home. About 20 folks headed out on a hike across the island to Whaler’s Bay and Pendulum Cove. 

Me atop Deception Island under sunnier skies than we encountered this trip.

 
The Polar Star was repositioned to inside the caldera where we would spend the afternoon. We passed Neptune’s Window, a large square “window” carved out of rock on the side of the caldera, and Neptune’s Bellows. This entrance to the caldera is aptly named for the sounds that occur when strong winds that pass through it.

Fickle weather would alter our afternoon plans. A fairly strong low pressure system was parked over the island. Sustained winds were cranking at about 30 knots. This made the proposition of landing folks who wanted to swim in the meager hot springs at Pendulum Cove problematic. However, one thing can be said for Cheesemans and its clients – never say never. After the hikers returned and after lunch, two zodiac loads of swimmers headed out to the cove for a brief but memorable dip in the cold/hot waters of the caldera. 

I succumbed to my saner side and remained on board the Polar Star, instead using this time to catch up on a few things that had fallen through the cracks. Once all the invigorated swimmers were back on the boat, we re-threaded the needle of Neptune’s Bellows and headed out into open waters. We then backtracked across the Bransfield Strait to the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and Cierva Cove, leaving the winds of Deception Island behind. 

All photos by Jim Danzenbaker