Pendulum Cove, Deception Island (PEND)
62˚56’S, 60˚00’W Magnetic declination: 13.2˚E Inventory subarea: SH Inventory acronym: PEND Site Sensitivity: LOW Location — History — Features The cove is located on the NE side of Port Foster, Deception Island, and its name relates to pendulum and magnetic observations made by a British expedition in 1829. The flat, black sand beach slopes gently offshore and forms a distinct beach ridge. From the beach the ground slopes gently up to the Chilean research station that was destroyed during the 1967 eruption. The ground behind the ruins of the old station rises abruptly to the inner caldera wall, which at this point is mostly covered with glacial ice from the E rim ice cap. A substantial hill to the E is covered with ash and cinders that are deeply gullied. An Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) is located here, and is intended to protect rare bryophytes (mosses), but its boundary is not clearly marked and is merely described as beginning at the high tide line. The beach is entirely composed of loose cinders, with no soil, and is used by visiting ships to conduct brief, Antarctic swims. There may be yellow algae and boiled krill floating on the surface, and the steam rising from the beach often is laced with sulfurous odor. The beach is deeply gullied by melt-water streams, and erosion appears to be progressing at a rapid rate. Landing Characteristics Expedition companies often bring visitors to this site to swim where cold bay water mixes with volcanically heated water at the shoreline. Antarctic Site Inventory Effort Visits by Antarctic Site Inventory researchers, 1994-2003: 1. December 12, 1995 BH SF W. Discoverer 2. December 29, 1995 RN LB Explorer 3. December 18, 1999 RN Cal Star Assessment and monitoring. Preliminary surveying, censusing, and photodocumentation have been accomplished. Fauna — Flora — Censuses Penguins & flying birds . No species recorded as nesting. Antarctic terns may visit, however, to pluck boiled krill and other invertebrates from the shore edge. No site-specific penguin counts are listed in Woehler (1993). Seals . None. Flora . None observed. Access to the ASPA, where rare bryophytes are located, is prohibited. Conservation Aspects Site sensitivities. Close proximity to nearby Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) where rare bryophytes are located. Entry is prohibited, but the ASPA boundary is ill defined. Pointers for avoiding disruptions.
Visitation Aspects Numbers of tourist zodiac landings and participating visitors, 1989-2003:
Proximate visitor sites . Two other, regular visitor sites may be found within Port Foster: Whaler’s Bay and Telefon Bay. Vapour Col is located on W, seaward side of the island, Baily Head on the SE, seaward side. |
