Whalers Bay is a small bay entered between Fildes Point and Penfold Point at the east side of Port Foster, Deception Island, in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica.The bay was so named by the French Antarctic Expedition, 1908–10, under Charcot, because of its use at that time by whalers..

Deception Island’s Legacy. The island measures about 13 by 14 kilometres and is about 98.5 square kilometres in size. Just off the northwest Antarctic Peninsula in the South Shetland Islands lies Deception Island, once a bustling sealing and whaling station. Often even a bath in the warm springs is possible - so don't forget your swimsuit! At the edge of the crater there are hot springs, fumaroles and hot water lagoons. These sites have been preserved as a reminder of the terrible things man can do to these beautiful animals, the bones remaining in situ as a stark reminder of the white continents black past. It comprises all pre-1970 remains on the shore of the bay. Russian Orthodox church built on an Antarctic island. Then in 1969, as a mud-flow destroyed most buildings during a second eruption, the Deception Island base was abandoned. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. During my exploration, I learned that the island was once the home of a whaling station and subsequently also the home of scientific stations. Once again, a colony was set up on Deception Island using its natural bay and of course the fresh water it provided. It was December 31st. Where is the abandoned whaling station of Deception Island located? The first documented sighting of Deception Island was by William Smith and Edward Bransfield in 1820. Start typing to see results or hit ESC to close. What Will Mexico City Do With 2,000 Mammoth Bones? It was not until 1906 that whaling began on the island with Whaler’s Bay as the base for the whaling factory ships. How a Secret Map Brought Down a Pirate Alliance on the Irish Coast, A North Carolina Artist’s Search for a Lost Sound Uncovered a Dark History, The Food Stylist Who Creates Hollywood's Unreal Dishes and Drinks, See the Mysterious Horned Helmet of Henry VIII, Searching for Home and Connection Through Typewritten Poetry, The Female Shark Spotter Protecting Réunion Island’s Surfers, Peek Inside NYC’s Iconic Rubber Stamp Shop, Reviving the Lost Art of Cambodian Shadow Puppetry, Antarctic Exploration Museum & Post Office. Deception Island was an old whalers station and all that is left of it today is a reminder of just how cruel human beings can be. THE CANDY TRAIL offers delicious, home-baked cookies. Offer subject to change without notice. Deception Island has been covered and then deserted by many, and the dilapidated shells of buildings, boats, and whaling equipment remain as proof of its productive years as a Norwegian-Chilean whaling station as well as the home of several scientific stations run by Chile, Argentina, Spain, and the UK. Have a look at the site of Regine Schadach. In the austral summer of 1906-7, a Norwegian Captain, Adolfus Andresen, began whaling and establish the Hektor whaling station at Deception Island in a place called Whalers Bay.Factory ships took full advantage of the protect cove and processed whale blubber into whale oil, a valuable commodity for lubrication, lighting, and other purposes in the early 20th century. It should be our last landing during this trip, so that to my curiosity and anticipation of this landing a bit of melancholy mixed. Everything else went overboard and accumulated in the crater lake. © 2020 Atlas Obscura. In order to prevent this, the construction of the Trankocherei was started in 1912. Japan was the last nation to engage in whaling in the Southern Ocean. Chinstrap penguins roam around everywhere, as the west side is home to one of the world’s largest chinstrap rookeries. This was something we were glad to have done, but will never do again!Our visit to Deception island and the abandoned whaling stations was one of the most interesting parts of our Antarctica adventure. the fat-rich skin layer, was processed. These are marked with * or mentioned in the article. The island was formed as the result of volcanic eruptions that emptied magma and eventually formed Deception Island. F Troop Fort Courage and the Abandoned Pancake House, Your Ideal French Home Abandoned and Neglected in Valliere, At the Edge of an Abandoned Footbridge to the Pacific Ocean, Quinta La Azuleja – Priceless Abandoned Home in Macuto, Most Incredible Abandoned Home with a Goat Inside.
In 1912, Hektor Whaling Company established a shore based whaling station along the bay. [4] This island is the caldera of an active volcano, which seriously damaged local scientific stations in 1967 and 1969.The island previously held a whaling station; it is now a tourist destination and scientific outpost, with Argentine and Spanish research bases. Due to the horseshoe shape, the island with its crater lake open to the sea forms a natural harbour, the Port Foster. Amidst the excitement of watching whales fluke and dive around us, penguins going about their hilarious daily routines, and the general excitement of being in Antarctica, there was a more somber tone to one of our excursions whilst on the white continent.In the late 19th and early 20th century, whaling on the white continent was widespread and barbaric, with many stations set up around the continent to process the whale carcasses. After a desperate fight against the waves and the penetrating water, the Wilts rescued themselves on the beach. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Unfortunately, volcanic eruptions seriously damaged scientific stations in 1967 and 1969. We were horrified to learn of the farming of the whales, primarily for blubber for lamps. Required fields are marked *. Later, in 1955, Chile built Pedro Aguirre Cerda Station at Pendulum Cove. Whales were processed in Whaler's Bay for almost twenty years. All images by Liam Quinn / Flickr. During the volcanic eruptions in the 1960s, however, the cemetery was largely buried. A city continually buried under the ash of a volcano that has been erupting for more than 15 years. You have entered an incorrect email address! Deception Island belongs to the Southern Shetland Island and is located in Bransfield Street. The horseshoe-shaped island was created about 750,000 years ago. About Us // Travel Resources // Destinations, Zodiac Cruising With Quark Expeditions In Antarctica [VIDEO]. The product will not become more expensive for you! There is hardly any wind and the MS Expedition pushes its way through the narrow Neptune bellows without any difficulties. And we celebrated and danced into the new year. As we approach, we see individual buildings on the beach, including an aircraft hangar of the British research station and the facilities of an abandoned Norwegian whale factory: several huge rusty pots for cooking and storing whale oil. How did you like it and what were your highlights?

Do you have any questions about my article or any other tips for a trip to Antarctica? Many cruise ships land here. Book recommendation: Gestrandet in der weißen Hölle von Heide Wilts A classic of sailing literature. In 1912, Hektor Whaling Company established a shore based whaling station along the bay. And not only landscape, but also an eventful history.
Erupting twice in two years, it demolished research centers and buried everything left behind in ash, including a cemetery occupied by 45 deceased whalers and a long deserted aircraft hangar. More about me and my blog you will find out here.. The basis for this is the Antarctic Treaty. It also commemorates and acknowledges the historic value of other events that occurred there. Fire meets ice at the southernmost volcano on Earth. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. No whale fat has been cooked or stored here for a long time. Also most of the bones of the Walkadaver were covered with ash. The hot steam then dissolved the fat from the meat and bones. The black crust torn with shards of snow. Have you ever been to Antarctica in a ship yourself? Its unique landscape comprises barren volcanic slopes, steaming beaches and ash-layered glaciers. Deception Island’s varied human history has been partially masked by nature but remains preserved in places. It was not until 1906 that whaling began on the island with Whaler’s Bay as the base for the whaling factory ships. Available at Amazon*. As an avid photographer and videographer, Barry spends his travels searching out new beers and soups to tickle his taste buds with. Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you. Due to its geological temperament, Deception Island has a number of microclimates, which means if you can get past the biting, freezing Antarctic winds and into a volcanic bath, you can enjoy this snowy martian landscape in your swimsuit. The British tried to rebuild their station.

During the whole cruise I was looking forward to a certain landing: the visit of the volcanic island Deception Island with Whaler's Bay - a fascinating Lost Place in Antarctica. Citizens launch initiative to ban shark fin trade in Europe. In front of us the bay spreads out with a somewhat morbid Lost Place panorama. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. Thankfully, with the use of kerosene and vegetable oils replacing whale oil, the need for blubber markedly decreased, and whales numbers are slowly recovering despite still being hunted in the area.At the risk of sounding pompous, seeing these animals in the flesh, rising and falling in the waters surrounding Antarctica, almost folding back into the water with such grace and precision made us sick to think of the killing that took place here, and still does around the world.As a result of the whaling in Antarctica, a number of whaling sites remain in situ on the continent, acting as a morbid reminder of man’s earlier disastrous interventions in the waters of Antarctica. Our Zodiac lands on the sandy beach and we are greeted by a few bridled penguins, a Weddel seal and a sea elephant. After two rather motionless weeks I am happy about this little hike. But everything has come to an end and I return to the ship with the last Zodiac.