How to Get Warm on Antarctica Without Really Trying (updated with pix, links, and video)

From Mindy, dated 13 January 2013:

Deception Island (click to enlarge)

We have a very exciting day today.  Early wake up to watch from the boat as we sail through Neptune's Bellows, which is the entry into an active volcano known as Deception island.  Overnight we cruised at about 12 knots.  This morning we have overcast skies, 2.5 degrees C air (still warmer than Arizona - Ed.), 1.5 C water, and 20-25 knot winds.

Stormy bay (click to enlarge)

As we sailed through Neptune's Bellows, it lived up to its name.  I went outside at the level of the bridge and had trouble standing upright from the wind.  Throughout the day we contended with the wind, those who hiked high had hurricane-force gusts, and those of us who stuck a little closer to shore still had 35 knot winds!

Red lava face (click to enlarge) 

Volcanic boulders (click to enlarge)

Deception Island is a broken-circle shape, with the break at the southeast. The volcanic rocks that make up the island are Cenozoic age (younger than 65 million years old) (awww - baby rocks, how cute! - Ed.), and there have been large eruptions as recently as 1969.  There are geothermally heated sands and waters along the shore.  More on the water in a minute...

Lichens (click to enlarge)

Sprouting grass (click to enlarge)

Chilean Base (click to enlarge) 

Whaler's Bay Tractor
(click to enlarge)

There are two abandoned bases on Deception Island.  One is a Chilean base that was destroyed in 1969 when hot mud flows came off of the glacier-covered mountain behind the base.  Nobody died, but those manning the base were able to hike to the other side of the island and seek rescue from the British Antarctic Survey base.  That base was destroyed later the same year by more volcanic activity.  The old British Antarctic Survey base was a little more intact than the Chilean base.  There is still a hangar building and several other buildings from the base (somewhere out there, a British real estate agent is preparing a "fixer-upper" flyer - Ed.).  Next to the base was an older whaling station, and in fact the bay here is called Whaler's Bay.

Mindy swims! (click to enlarge)

The black sand beach (click to enlarge)

OK, here comes the good part...  At the end of the day, as the tide came in, about 20 or 30 of us stripped down to our bathing suits and swam in the thermally heated waters!  The only slightly crazy thing is that the waters weren't that warm.  The air temperature of the air was about 3 degrees C, and the wind was blowing at about 20 knots or more.  The water that was moistening the black sand was maybe 90 degrees F or so, closer to 100 F if you dug your hands and feet into the sand.  But, I wasn't going to let a little cold weather prevent me (OK, who are you and what have you done with my wife?! - Ed.) from dipping in a hot spring, so I ran into the surf up to my shoulders, then screamed up to the beach to warm my hands and feet in the sand (Ah, there she is. Never mind. - Ed.).  Now I can say that I have swam in the Southern Ocean! And inside of an active volcano!  What an amazing experience, and I'm so glad I am warm again as I write this.

Mindy above the crater (click to enlarge)

The hardest part was putting my 4 layers of clothes back on while I couldn't feel my fingers.  Back to the ship for hot tub and then sauna!! Sailed out back through Neptune's Bellows and off to more adventures tomorrow!