The following pages describe a travel through the Antarctic peninsula, its islands and basis.
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Antarctica
This is the journey: departure in Melchior, cruise through the islands, mooring and basis of the area and arrival in Deception Island.
We always meet at the old Micalvi, from where moorings are cast off after the traditional "pisco sour" taken at its bar, where the floor bends down before you have time to taste it.
In Deception Island, the ruined and abandoned whaler station. The size of the tanks shows how important was the volume of oil obtained here.
A big batch of barrels disemboweled by the rust of the hooping. They might have been used before the construction of the barrels.
The island is a big volcano where the crater is full of sea and it's connected to outside by a deep but narrow way. Its activity is not finished at all and the steam visible on the picture proves it. On the beach, you can dig in the sand and have a hot bath. The sea near from here is lukewarm.
The danger of the ice has to be taken into account now. A man, located at the front, shows the steersman the steerage to be carried out in order to avoid it. He doesn't report the icebergs, that are "quite" visible, but the ice less high that could hurt or the more little ice that could damage the propellers.
Whaler station building indoor prey to snow and wind!
An abandoned bark in the volcanic sand of Deception Island. The way it's decked reminds you the seas confronted by these whalers.
The three mast ship Europa moored in front of Deception Island. Illusion is perfect.
The Chilean basis appears behind the grounded icebergs. As in every visited bases, the welcome is warm. We do a short visit that ends in the souvenirs' shop.
Living next to the penguins requires some organization. A concrete pavement and a fence limit the displacement of people through the colony. Regarding the smell, farmers have some advantages but one gets used to anything.
Another iceberg in front of the basis, forms and colors are extraordinary.
Port Lockroy is an historic basis. Inhabited too during summer, it also has a museum. As in the other basis, its inhabitants carry out several reports (weather, flora, wildlife)
