Jim Schroder's Travel

Home
Trips

Select Page

Antarctic

They are on board the base for 2 months soley for maintenance of the facilty for a scientific team next summer. They arrived after Christmas and will depart the end of February. There were lots of questions from both our Military friends and the group from our ship. The entire crew is from Argentina. Ironically the middle man was from a town that I was going to visit after returning to Argentina in Gualeguaychu, Argentina. What a small world. They also shared a cup of Mate, the local Argentine drink of hot water and Mate tea.

Antartida is the Argentine spelling of Antarctic.

Base Camara is named in memory of the naval aviator Juan Ramón Cámara, who on 16 January 1955 perished in an on-duty accident on Potter Cove, King George Island.

The view from the Base Camp

We told Argentinean Navy personnel of the Emperor Seal on the beach and they are going down to check it out. Very rare to see one on these islands.

Main path from the beach and ocean area to the Base Camp. This visit was in the month of February which would be August for us in the Northern hemisphere. Notice the snow still. Can you imagine winter there?

Returning from viewing the Emperor Seal. Notice almost all are wearing sun glasses. The glare on the ice is almost unbearable to see anything without the sun glasses outside even on cloudy days.

Entering a narrow passage into the caldera of Deception Island in the South Shetlands.

A Russian ship is also seen in the area.

Entering the narrow passageway.

This is the view looking out the cabin windows I had on this trip at the front of the ship over the Bridge. What a thrill it was seeing Antarctic from this view site. You can see how everyone is dressed outside on the deck in front of the cabin I had. The fun part of the trip is I could see out and they could not see in.

One of the crew with an emoji smiling having some fun on our last trip ashore.. As you can see it was very cold this day.

This was our final chance to go ashore and our 9th landing. We were told originally they were hoping to make 8 landings. Usually the number is closer to 6. We were so lucky. Every landing was an adventure and memories for a life time.

This is steam rising from the water. It was close to 29 degrees the water. The air at this time close to 8 above.

Deception Island is the caldera of an active volcano, which seriously damaged local scientific stations in 1967 and 1969. The island previously held a whaling station; it is now a tourist destination and scientific outpost, with Argentine and Spanish research bases. While various countries have asserted sovereignty, it is still administered under the Antarctic Treaty System.

Over the next few years, Deception became a focal point of the short-lived fur sealing industry in the South Shetlands; the industry had begun with a handful of ships in the 1819–20 summer season, rising to nearly a hundred in 1821–22. While the island did not have a large seal population, it was a perfect natural harbor, mostly free from ice and winds, and a convenient rendezvous point. It is likely that some men lived ashore in tents or shacks for short periods during the summer, though no archaeological or documentary evidence survives to confirm this. Massive over hunting meant that the fur seals became almost extinct in the South Shetlands within a few years, and the sealing industry collapsed as quickly as it had begun; by around 1825 Deception was again abandoned

Today was the chance to participate in a Polar Plunge. The water was 29 degrees and the air had warmed up to a high of 19F.. woo hoo. The next series of photos documents that I Jim Schroder along with about 18 others particiated in a polar plunge in just a bathing suit.

Second from left I am walking into the frigid water

[Show slideshow]

◄ 1 ... 16 17 18 ►

© 2025 Jim Schroder