Deception Island

Deception Island

Map of Deception Island.
Deception Island Location in Antarctica
Geography
Location	Antarctica
Coordinates	62°58′37″S 60°39′00″W / 62.97694°S 60.65000°W / -62.97694; -60.65000Coordinates: 62°58′37″S 60°39′00″W / 62.97694°S 60.65000°W / -62.97694; -60.65000
Area	72 km2 (28 sq mi)
Length	12 km (7.5 mi)
Width	12 km (7.5 mi)
Administration
None
Demographics
Population	Uninhabited
Additional information
Administered under the Antarctic Treaty System

Deception Island
Entrance to Deception Island, with Livingston Island in the background
Highest point
Elevation	576 m (1,890 ft)
Prominence	576 m (1,890 ft)
Coordinates	62°58′37″S 60°39′00″W / 62.97694°S 60.65000°W / -62.97694; -60.65000
Geography
Location	Antarctica
Geology
Mountain type	Caldera
Last eruption	August 1970

Deception Island is an island in the South Shetland Islands archipelago, with one of the safest harbours in Antarctica. This 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.

The first authenticated sighting of Deception Island was by the British sealers William Smith and Edward Bransfield from the brig Williams in January 1820; it was first visited and explored by the American sealer Nathaniel Palmer on the sloop Hero the following summer, on 15 November 1820. Palmer remained for two days, exploring the central bay. Palmer was the first to name the island "Deception".

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 harbour, 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 overhunting 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.

In 1829, the British Naval Expedition to the South Atlantic under the command of Captain Henry Foster in HMS Chanticleer stopped at Deception. The expedition conducted a topographic survey and scientific experiments, particularly pendulum and magnetic observations. A watercolour made by Lieutenant Kendall of the Chanticleer during the visit may be the first image made of the island. A subsequent visit by the American elephant-sealer Ohio in 1842 reported the first recorded volcanic activity, with the southern shore "in flames".