Deception Island

Deception Island

Members of the Antarctica 2020, a series of ice swimming challenges and environmental swims inside the Antarctic Circle (66°33′46.5″ south) that was nominated for the 2020 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year

Map of Deception Island

Deception Island is an island in the South Shetland Islands off the Antarctic Peninsula that has one of the safest harbours in Antarctica.

The island is the caldera of an active volcano, which caused serious damage to the local scientific stations in 1967 and 1969. The island previously held a whaling station; it is now a tourist destination and scientific outpost, with research bases being run by Argentina and Spain. Various countries have previously asserted sovereignty; it is now administered under the Antarctic Treaty System.

Swimming in Deception Island

• The former whaling station now has tourist facilities and services where tourists can enjoy natural hot springs.
• Lewis Pugh was the first person to swim a mile in the caldera of Deception Island without a wetsuit or any protective gear. Pugh swam in the 2°C (35.6°F) water for 30 minutes 30 seconds to complete his mile swim in 2005. It is named one of the World's Top 100 Island Swims by the World Open Water Swimming Association.

Open Water Swimming in Antarctica

• Lynne Cox was the first human to swim in Neko Harbor and in Antarctica without a wetsuit when she swam 1.2 miles in 2°C (35°F) waters in 25 minutes in 2002
  
• Ryan Stramrood, Ram Barkai and Kieron Palframan attempted an Ice mile in Neko Harbor in Antarctica in -1ºC (30.2ºF) waters on 4 March 2014
  
• Andrew Chin completed a 1 km swim while Toks Viviers and Gavin Pike completed an ice mile in Paradise Harbour in Antarctica in -1ºC (30.2ºF) water also on 4 March 2014
  
• Lewis Pugh has swum 1 km in 0°C waters off Petermann Island and 1 mile in 2°C (35°F) waters near Deception Island in 30 minutes 30 seconds, both in 2005
  
• Ram Barkai swam 1 km at 70º south latitude, near Maitri, the Indian scientific research station in Antarctica, in Long Lake in 1°C (33.8°F) waters in 2008.
  
• Bhakti Sharma swam 1.4 miles in 41.14 minutes in 1ºC water in the Southern Ocean in January 2015
  

External links

• Arctic, Antarctica, BiPolar Ice Swimmers Announced by the International Ice Swimming Association
• White, Water, Swimming, Snow
• Antarctica 2020 Swimmers Describe Ice Swimming On WOWSA Live
• When Orcas Enter The Swim Zone
• Antarctic Circle Challenge, An Ice Swimming Hall Of Fame Honor Event
• Deception Island
• Lewis Pugh's Swims In The Southern Ocean
• How Cool Is Deception At The Bottom Of The World
• Lewis Pugh's Swims In The Southern Ocean
• When Ink Freezes Over, You're At The End Of The Earth
• Swimming to Antarctica by Lynne Cox, Alfred A. Knopf, 2004 ISBN 0-15-603130-2
• Tiburón Likes Cold Water
• Antartica Circle Ice Challenge: The Goal, Men And Cause
• Where Landmarks Are Pure Snowy White
• Fearless And Frozen At The Bottom Of The World
• How Low Can They Go?
• Which Was My Toughest Swim?
• The Effects Of Speedo Diplomacy
• Antarctica Ice Swimming Adventure By Ram Barkai