Our next stop was Deception Island, the flooded caldera of an active volcano that last erupted between 1967 and 1970. The ship sailed in through Neptune’s Bellows, a gap only about 500m wide, in blustery weather, which made the entrance even more exciting.
Our hearts were racing as we stepped onto the shore, where gentoo penguins were waiting for us. It was strange to think this beach at Whalers Bay was once a whaling station. A Norwegian station worked here from 1912 to 1931, and a British base followed from 1944 until a volcanic mudflow damaged it in 1969. It’s now a protected historic site, and the rusted corrugated roof of one of the old buildings was still poking out of the snow.
Good to know
- The volcano: Deception Island last erupted between 1967 and 1970. Neptune’s Bellows, the way in, is only about 500m wide. Deception Island management plan
- Whalers Bay: a Norwegian whaling station worked here from 1912 to 1931, and a British base from 1944 until a volcanic mudflow damaged it in 1969. It’s now a protected historic site. UK Antarctic Heritage Trust
We checked these details in October 2026. Times, prices and rules do change, so it’s worth a quick look at the official sites before you go.