Hans Hansson – Changes – Iceberg Blues to Volcanic Reds and Blacks

Udpate from Joel

We awoke today to the marvelous smell of French toast, and freshly made forest fruit compote (made from blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, black currants, and cherries). We had our slices smothered with the purple jam and greek yogurt along with our usual cups of delicious coffee.

The sights through the portholes of the Hans Hansson had changed entirely from what we were used to. Gone were the bergs and ice-capped mountains of the southern peninsula, replaced with the black sands and volcanic mountainscapes of Deception Island. Last erupted in 1970, the name comes from its usually cloudy, foggy, and “deceptive” appearance that eluded many a fur sealer in the 1820s. Our experience couldn’t have been more different. Early morning winds soon gave way, and our landings around the crater of the (technically still active) volcano were nothing short of fantastic.

Our first landing at Pendulum Bay featured miles of black sands and the remains of the Chilean research facility that was all but disintegrated in the 1969 – 1970 eruptions. The heat from the magma below can be felt in the lapping tides on shore, and visibly seen as steam on the beach. I got some lovely footage of Bernadette doing her best Baywatch impression along the sands, shrouded in salty mist.

We returned to the ever faithful (and warm) Hans Hansson for tomato soup and hummus sandwiches before setting out in the zodiacs for Telefon bay. More black sands and a steep hike awaited us. I captured some glorious, high-speed footage of the surrounding mountainside and craters. We had some unusually fantastic views, with visibility clear across the bay.

It was then time for the dreaded Polar Plunge. I got excellent high frame rate footage of everyone’s jump, and even managed to coach Andrew on using the video camera for my own. I am very glad water doesn’t get much below none degrees. The slo-motion video will hit your screens as soon as I’ve got anything resembling internet connection, but for now here’s an iPhone still frame of my frozen cannonball:

After a salty dip, and a less salty shower, it was time for our final landing of the day at Whaler’s Bay. We found a smattering of long-abandoned buildings, whale oil tanks, and rusting metal; a hollow reminder of humankind’s gruesome history with our cetacean friends.

The sun was setting beneath a cloudless sky, with fur seals and a few gentoo penguins eager to play in front of my camera. I got some excellent shots of the wildlife doing their best modeling work in the foreground of Hans Hansson and Ocean Tramp; the sky alight with hues of cerulean and orange over jagged mountains.

Back onboard the Hans, a “Mad Lekker” South African Braai and cold Antarctic lagers waited for us. Skyla and Naomi had prepared a feast of potato salad (slaai in South Africa), regular salad, burgers, brats, braai broodtjies (grilled sandwiches), and a South African malva pudding with custard for desert. I even found sufficient ingredients from the spread to create a small reminder of home: an Antarctic Chicago-style hotdog.

All in all, a fabulous day. I find myself torn between wanting more time at sea, and longing for home to tell friends and family about the myriad of adventures we’ve had so far.

• Joel Ruby