Whalers Bay, Deception Island (WHAL)
62˚59’S, 60˚34’W Magnetic declination: 13.4˚E Inventory subarea: SH Inventory acronym: WHAL Site Sensitivity: LOW Location — History — Features This is the small bay first encountered after passing through Neptune’s Bellow’s, into the Port Foster, Deception Island. The French explorer, Jean-Baptiste Charcot, named the bay because of its heavy use by whalers at the turn of the 20th century. Deception Island is ring shaped and 8 nautical miles in diameter, enclosing a large harbor called Port Foster. This bay inside Deception Volcano's caldera is a landlocked basin 5 nautical miles long from NW to SE and 3.5 nautical miles wide. Deception is the largest of three recent volcanic centers in the South Shetlands, Penguin and Bridgeman Islands being the other two. The rim has an average elevation of 300 meters, with highest points at Mt. Pond (542 meters) to the E and Mt. Kirkwood (467 meters) to the S; it is composed of lava and cinders, but above 100 meters it is dominated by glaciers and ash-covered ice that reaches the sea at many places along the coast and on the E side of Port Foster. The water in Port Foster is warmer than the surrounding sea because of numerous active fumaroles. A long black sand beach stretches along the E shore N of Baily Head. There were eruptions in 1800, 1812, 1842, 1871, 1912, 1956, 1967, 1969, 1970, and 1972. On site is an Historic Site and Monument, a memorial plaque marking the position of a cemetery where approximately 40 Norwegian whalers were buried in the first half of the 20th century; the cemetery was swept away by the February 1969 volcanic eruption. Another Historic Site and Monument is a cairn with memorial plaque, honoring Captain Adolphus Amandus Andresen who established the first whaling operation at Deception Island in 1906. Whaler's Bay has a SW-facing beach just inside and to the N of the caldera indentation known as Neptune's Bellows. A broad cinder beach extends over 100 m from the water's edge to the steeply-rising inner wall of the caldera. Behind the abandoned whale-processing plant, the glacier meets the apron of cinders. To the SE, the caldera rim is partially breached at Neptune's Window, and the bedrock of the rim is exposed along a steep, 2-kilometer-long section of cliff extending from E of Neptune's Window to Neptune's Bellows. The onshore boilers are remnants from previous shore-based whaling activities. The Kroner Lake Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) is at the southern end of the long shoreline. The remains of the abandoned British Antarctic Survey base are located between Kroner Lake and the boilers. Petrel nests are scattered rather widely over a vast area between the shoreline and a feature in the caldera wall known as Neptune's Window. Whalers Bay is located “inside” the caldera of Deception Island, and is the first landing site reached after passing inside Deception through the narrow passage known as Neptune’s Bellows. Little wildlife is present, though Antarctic terns frequent the Deschampsia -laden hillsides behind the ruined station, an assortment of skuas often collects in the melt pools just off of the landing beach, and fur seals often straggle in to roam the long, warm, black sand beach, typically collecting at the far end toward Neptune’s Window. The water is volcanically heated, often leaving roasted, boiled krill along the shoreline. Pyroclastic debris ranging in size from coarse ash to small lapilli covers the entire broad area of the beach and back shore clear to the inner wall of the caldera. These cinders are mostly black, and cover many of the old barrels, whale bones, and other debris from the whaling and research groups that occupied the area until recently. Several melt-water streams from the snow and glacier above form channels cutting through the beach. The beach is flat and has a very shallow slope both onshore and offshore. Steam may rise from hot springs along the shoreline, and gas rising from the springs has a strong, sulfurous smell. Landing Characteristics Protected anchorage located immediately E-NE after passing through Neptune’s Bellows and entering Port Foster. Zodiac landings on broad, black sand beach fronting the derelict Norwegian whaling and British Antarctic Survey stations. Antarctic Site Inventory Effort Visits by Antarctic Site Inventory researchers, 1994-2003: 1. December 9, 1994 RN BH Alla Tarasova 2. December 12, 1994 RN BH Livonia 3. January 23, 1995 RN Explorer 4. November 18, 1995 RN LB Explorer 5. November 30, 1995 BH SF W. Discoverer 6. January 12, 1996 RN Endurance 7. February 2, 1996 RN Livonia 8. November 26, 1996 RN Explorer 9. November 26, 1999 LB BP Cal Star 10. December 18, 1999 RN Cal Star 11. January 25, 2000 RN Shuleykin 12. December 12, 2000 RN Cal Star 13. January 11, 2001 SF Cal Star 14. December 12, 2001 RN SF CE Endeavour 15. January 6, 2002 RP Endeavour 16. February 5, 2002 MM Endeavour 17. February 18, 2002 RN Endeavour 18. December 30, 2002 RP Endeavour 19. January 9, 2003 SF Endeavour 20. February 2, 2003 MM Endeavour 21. February 15, 2003 MB Endeavour Assessment and monitoring. Surveyed, mapped, censused, and photodocumented (aerial and terrestrial). Regular censusing of nesting kelp gulls near the abandoned station, and the “club” of non-nesting skuas at the melt pond near the landing beach. More thorough surveying of floral communities and tern nesting area needed. Fauna — Flora — Censuses Penguins & flying birds . Kelp gulls nest on some of the abandoned onshore buildings. Pintado petrels and Wilson’s storm-petrels nest in the cliffs and scree between Neptune’s Window and Neptune’s Bellow. Antarctic terns are regularly seen, and suspected of breeding inland, behind the abandoned British Station. No site-specific penguin breeding populations are listed in Woehler (1993) and Woehler & Croxall (1996). Seals . Weddell, crabeater, and Antarctic fur seals regularly haul-out on this beach. Flora . There are extensive Usnea , spp. patches between Neptune’s Window and Neptune’s Bellow. Crustose lichens Xanthoria , spp. and Caloplaca , spp. also noted on cliffsides. Deschampsia noted behind the abandoned British station. Conservation Aspects Site sensitivities. Much erosion on the heavily visited scree slopes and cliff edges near Neptune’s Window, located on the high, outer rim above the Bay; to the SW, between Neptune’s Window and the Bay, the erosion is severe and this undermined slope has produced significant rock falls. Patches of Usnea lichens and hair grass ( Deschampsia Antarctica ) on uphill slopes leading to, and in the vicinity of, Neptune’s Window, are readily accessed and easily may be trampled. Pintado petrels on scree slopes above the Bay are easily approached and disturbed. Wilson’s storm-petrels nest on scree slopes above the Bay, and their hidden nesting cavities may be trampled. Beginning stands of moss around the derelict stations, in the vicinity of the abandoned boilers and tanks, and near the melt pool (located above the beach and frequented by skuas) are readily accessed and easily may be trampled. Kelp gulls nesting at the base and on top of abandoned boilers at the derelict whaling station are easily approached and disturbed; in November and early December adults will be incubating eggs and, subsequently, guarding and provisioning chicks. Antarctic terns nesting opportunistically on available, open ground between the derelict stations and higher slopes are skittish, defensive, and very easily disturbed, even from a distance. Kroner Lake, beyond the derelict hanger, toward Port Foster, is completely off limits under the Antarctic Treaty. Late season, Antarctic fur seals arrive, perhaps in large numbers. Pointers for avoiding disruptions.
Visitation Aspects Numbers of tourist zodiac landings and participating visitors, 1989-2003:
Proximate visitor sites. Telefon Bay and Pendulum Cove are located within Port Foster, Baily Head on the E, outside end of Deception. |
