24./25 - 12 -19: Merry Christmas

Christmas in Antarctica is truly a unique experience. We reached Deception Island and sailed through a very narrow entrance called Neptune's Bellows into Whalers Bay. There is a lot to say about this special place. Deception Island is still an active volcano. The magma chamber has collapsed and is sealed off by the collapsed rocks. Water has flooded the space above and that's exactly where the ships sail. Although the water has cooled down in recent decades, it is still possible to take a short bath in some areas.

During the time of whaling, a whale processing station was set up here. Before oil and its benefits were discovered, whale oil was the only means to fuel oil lamps, for example. In the 19th century, thousands of whales were killed and the population in the oceans was drastically reduced, sometimes by up to 90%. Unfortunately, some countries still engage in whaling today.

Later, this station was used as a research facility by the British. Two volcanic eruptions in 1967 and 1969 severely damaged the station. Another eruption occurred in 1970. The ash rain buried a large part of the station.

A colony of chinstrap penguins lives in Whalers Bay. This is the third species of penguins we have seen on this tour. The chinstrap penguin is related to the adelie penguin and the macaroni penguin.

Of course, the ruins are also fascinating and make for interesting photo motifs. Birds also use these ruins to raise their young.