Today we encountered a very different landscape as we sailed through the narrow entrance of Deception Island into the calm waters of the caldera. We were inside an active volcano, which last erupted in the early 1970s. Our destination was the remains of a parasitic volcanic cone, where we could really stretch our legs and work off some of the Christmas cheer we had enjoyed on board.

Unlike the towering ice cliffs and brilliant blues we had grown used to, this was a stark and surreal environment. Ice and snow lay scattered across volcanic rock and ash, the land stripped back to black and white tones. The contrast was striking, giving the strong impression of walking through another world, and reminding us just how diverse and unexpected Antarctica can be.