The Guard of Deception Island

Walking home from my field sites on Deception Island, I always had to pass this sea lion, keenly guarding over his very own beach. Deception Island in the South Shetland Islands of maritime Antarctica is a tremendously interesting place for a wide range of geosciences - being the flooded caldera of a huge active volcano, it offers opportunities to study volcanology, seismology, geology, soil formation and permafrost to just name a few. Over the summer months, spanish base Gabriel de Castilla provides great infrastructure, logistics and support to researchers from all over the world.