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All Antarctica Deception Island

Deception Island

An abandoned whaling station on an active volcano offers hot springs in Antarctica, surrounded by ruined giants of industry.

Antarctica

Added By
cdebra
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Deception Island   Getty Images / Holger Leue
Deception Island   Getty Images / Holger Leue
Tourists enjoy a warm volcanic bath   Wikimedia
Abandoned hangar and fuselage   Wikimedia
British base destroyed by volcanic activity   Wikimedia
Remainders of the whaler’s boilers   Wikimedia
  Benjamin Dumas
  Benjamin Dumas
  Benjamin Dumas
  Benjamin Dumas
Remains of an old structure, Deception Island, Antarctica (Dec. 2021)   juliebarker / Atlas Obscura User
Chinstrap penguin looking at huge rusted, decrepit storage containers at the abandoned whaling station on Deception Island, Antarctica (Dec. 2021)   juliebarker / Atlas Obscura User
Chinstrap penguin on Deception Island, Antarctica (Dec. 2021)   juliebarker / Atlas Obscura User
Very old boat, Deception Island, Antarctica (Dec. 2021)   juliebarker / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned buildings on Deception Island, Antarctica (Dec. 2021)   juliebarker / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned building on Deception Island, Antarctica (Dec. 2021)   juliebarker / Atlas Obscura User
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About

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 United Kingdom.

The thing is, building and operating expensive equipment on an active volcano is risky business, even if the area is considered one of the safest harbors on the continent due to its large caldera, a famous refuge from storms and icebergs. While several countries were bickering over sovereign flags and attempting to occupy the lusted-after real estate in the 1960s, the island had apparently had enough and kicked everyone off. 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.

The island's use is now administered under the Antarctic Treaty System, and it is now a popular tourist attraction as well as a scientific outpost. The giant iron boilers and tanks of the long-gone whalers still stand, large holes cut in their sides as a deterrent to the Nazis, who were feared to have been planning to use them to store fuel. Chinstrap penguins roam around everywhere, as the west side is home to one of the world's largest chinstrap rookeries.

One of the more unusual things to indulge in while visiting the island is to take advantage of the natural hot springs. 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.

Related Tags

Abandoned Volcanoes Martian Landscapes Islands Geological Oddities Ruins Hot Springs Polar Week Abandoned Research Stations Ecosystems Geology Water

Know Before You Go

Head south in an icebreaker ship - turn into opening in volcanic island; moor ship, take zodiac to shore

Community Contributors

Added By

cdebra

Edited By

michelle, Blindcolour, Rachel, juliebarker...

  • michelle
  • Blindcolour
  • Rachel
  • juliebarker
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • basswks

Published

April 16, 2012

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Deception Island
Antarctica
-62.957332, -60.550905

Nearby Places

Villa Las Estrellas

King George Island, Antarctica

miles away

Trinity Church on King George Island

King George Island, Antarctica

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Antarctica

Antarctica

Antarctica

Places 40
Stories 66

Nearby Places

Villa Las Estrellas

King George Island, Antarctica

miles away

Trinity Church on King George Island

King George Island, Antarctica

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Antarctica

Antarctica

Antarctica

Places 40
Stories 66

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