Deception Island As Seen From Orbit

Deception Island is an island in the South Shetland Islands close to the Antarctic Peninsula with a large and usually “safe” natural harbor, which is occasionally troubled by the underlying active volcano.

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 with over 15,000 visitors per year. Two research stations are operated by Argentina and Spain during the summer season.

While various countries have asserted sovereignty, it is still administered under the Antarctic Treaty System.

It is a popular destination for tourists and for scientists who come to study its unique geology and ecology. This Rare cloud-free image was acquired on 17 March 2023 by Sentinel-2