Antarctic Stories: Dunking at Deception Island
It is the end of the first day, and we still can’t believe that we’ve arrived at the frozen continent. Tomorrow the cohort will have a shocking awakening as we get the opportunity to plunge into the frigid Antarctic waters. In the lead up to the voyage there were avid talks about doing a polar plunge, which is the act of jumping into icy water. Now the opportunity to do the plunge was upon us when we visit Deception Island. My thoughts and emotions walk the line of anxiety and excitement that night. I am committed, in theory, to do the plunge, but will I be able to show up in the moment?
Walking with TT flag. Photo
by Moreangels Mbizah
Deception Island is a horseshoe shaped volcano caldera that is about 15 km in diameter. A caldera refers to the depression that forms when a volcano erupts and collapses on itself. There are many submerged volcanoes along the archipelago and between Antarctica and South America. Known as the Scotia Arc, these surround the Scotia Sea east of the Drake Passage. The Scotia Arc used to be a continuous land bridge that connected the South American Continent to Antarctica, essentially a continuation of the Andes. Now the tail of the mountain range is submerged save a series of islands that form the archipelago. The Argentinian Islands at the Tierre del Fuego (the end of the earth), South Georgia Island, Shag and Cleric Rock form the northern border of the Arc, while the eastern border is lined by the South Sandwich Islands. The south is bordered by the South Orkney Islands, the South Shetland Island, including Deception Island, and the Antarctic Peninsula.
Deception Island is home of an active volcano that last erupted in 1967 to 1970. During the last eruption it destroyed the Chilean and British research stations. The eruption forced the British Antarctic Survey Team to flee their base and were rescued by the neighbouring Chileans. Before the island was used for research, it was a station for whaling. Today, the island is considered an Antarctic Specially Managed Area under the Antarctic Treaty and is the most popular tourism destination in Antarctica. The boilers of the whaling station and buildings of the British research station remain to this day and are considered heritage sites.
Porpoising penguins. Photo
by Anjani Ganase 
Remnants of Whaler’s Bay.
Photo by Anjani Ganase 
Deception Island. Photo by European
Union, with modified Copernicus Sentinel-2 imagery 2023.
Deception Island is aptly named for the secretive entrance which only reveals itself when approached from a certain direction. The inner bay has only one entrance along the southeast, which is merely 230 m wide and is called Neptune’s Bellow because of the strong gusts of wind that would funnel through the narrow opening. We make our way through the entrance with steep cliffs on one side and sloping rock on the other side. Along the base of the rock, porpoising penguins can be seen heading into the bay. The blue waters of the bay meet rich, dark rock and sand that rise up to a ring of mountains capped with snow and icy glaciers at the top. We slowly cruise across the bay and make our way to the far eastern section for a hike up the mountain and polar plunge. This would be the safest location for us and any local wildlife. We disembark into our zippy zodiac boats to take us to shore and from there we begin our journey up to the crest of the mountain to reflect on the beauty of island.
On our way up, we pass a pair of sleeping Weddell Seals and pup. There was also a spy cam set up to observe the movements of the seals. One seal makes the feeble attempt to raise its head to look at us before rocking back into a deep slumber. At the top, we spy the Island Sky, no bigger than our thumb from this distance and vast emptiness around it in the bay.
It’s so quiet. Where were the whales? Are they cautious of the volatility of the bay or its savage history during whaling era? I was told that they hauled so many whales into the bay that the water would turn red, and the men would walk across the Bay on the carcasses of whales. Humpback whale populations are increasing in the Antarctic but maybe Deception Bay - like the Gulf of Paria, which was previously known as the Gulf of Whales – was no longer frequented by the Humpbacks. Or perhaps this was not the right time for seeing whales.
Trekking up the mountains
of Deception Island. Photo by Anjani Ganase
Gathering to plunge. Photo
by Anjani Ganase
THE POLAR PLUNGE
We head down the slope, sometimes trudging in knee deep in snow. We are careful to smoothen out our tracks as our boots are the perfect size for penguin sized pits that trap them. Slow but conscientious is how we must treat Antarctica as a visitor. As the slope flattens out and I near the water’s edge, the excitement builds. Many others are already grouped together in excitement. We quickly huddle together for a group photo and then it’s time. Frantically boots and jackets are ripped off and individuals are bolting into the water with shrieks of excitement! My scientific mind takes mental notes. It’s too early to join, as there are too many loose boots and gear… I decide to wait, or I’ll surely lose mine and freeze to death! The plungers seem to have to run at least ten metres in the water before being able to submerge themselves, it seems like a polar dash! Some are going multiple times, maybe it isn’t that cold!
I’m encouraged to go with another plunger already on her third dash, and my roommate. We link arms in the beginning but soon it becomes everyone for herself. I bolt ahead running faster to reduce the time in water. I try to dunk but it’s still too shallow, so I lunge forward and dunk again. By the time I return to the sand my fingers and toes are numb. I dry off and scramble into gloves and socks before attending to the rest of my clothes. I don’t feel cold. I feel exhilarated and grateful for being here and experiencing a unique adventure with women from all around the world.
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