Sunday, Dec. 23

Deception Island Rocks! We started the day apparently blocked from entering the caldera (collapsed volcano) at Deception Island by seaice. But trusty Captain Igor rammed the ice sheet with the bow of the ship several times until his careful calculations and observation resulted in a huge crack traveling through the ice about 500m. We were in! We first went to Whaler's Bay where geothermal activity heated up the sand so that water nearby was 18 degrees Celsius. Perfect for a swim- that is until you swim past the warm zone into the freezing cold Southern Ocean. Almost all of us went for a dip! Next we went to Telefon Bay where we saw several smaller calderas, and went for a great hike which ended in a snow slide down to the beach. Now we just need to make it out of Deception Island, or will the sea ice be blocking our path?...My bet is on Captain Igor!