Brown Bluff Antarctica
Antarctica
Frequently Asked Questions
Brown Bluff is a shoreline in Antarctica, on the Antarctic Sound. There is no pier and nobody lives there : you approach by zodiac from the ship, toward a long beach of pebbles and ash wedged between two glaciers.
A basalt wall in brown and rust tones rising to 745 metres. Geologists identify it as a tuya, a rare volcanic form : a volcano that erupted beneath a thick ice cap. It was built up over the last million years.
A colony of about 20,000 pairs of Adélie penguins occupies the pebble slopes, joined by some 600 pairs of gentoos. The shore belongs to them : squabbles over stones, meticulous preening, single files diving into the icy water.
No. Icebergs and drifting floes sometimes block access to the shore, and wind, swell or tidal currents can rule out any landing. Expedition leaders decide in the morning with the ice chart in hand. That uncertainty is part of the trip.
Short guided walks lead to viewpoints where the whole scene opens up : the rust coloured wall above the nests, the glaciers framing it, and the sound scattered with tabular icebergs. You watch the colony from a distance, accompanied by the expedition team.
Modest fitness is enough : the walks stay short. You do need to be able to climb in and out of a zodiac and make a wet landing in shallow water, in tall boots.
Warm layers and a windproof shell are essential, as the site is very exposed. Boots and a parka are supplied by most expedition operators; gloves and eye protection are up to you.
No, distance rules protect the birds. That said, penguins are naturally curious and sometimes come over on their own to inspect visitors' boots, and then you simply stand still.
The austral summer, November through March, the only season expedition ships work the Antarctic Sound. Early season pack ice makes access less certain; January and February usually offer the best odds of getting ashore.
Because it brings together in one place a spectacular volcanic cliff, two glaciers calving into the sea and one of the region's great Adélie penguin colonies. It is also one of the few beaches on the continent itself where you can set foot.
