Brown Bluff, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica (2024)

Brown Bluff, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica, photograph # 1 — on the Tabarin Peninsula, in the northernmost part of the Antarctic Peninsula, the bluff is an ice-capped, flat-topped mountain, with a prominent cliff of reddish-brown volcanic rock; the beach is home to over 20,000 breeding pairs of Adélie penguins, about 550 pairs of Gentoo penguins, and other birds

From Enterprise Island in Wilhelmina Bay on the west coast of Graham Land on the Antarctic Peninsula, east of Anvers Island and north of the Lemaire Channel, we sailed northeast all along the western coast of the northern coastline of the Antarctic Peninsula, rounding the top of the Peninsula to then sail a little ways south to reach Brown Bluff, on the Weddell Sea.  The bluff is on the Tabarin Peninsula, in the northernmost part of the Antarctic Peninsula.  Brown Bluff is an ice-capped, flat-topped mountain, 745 meters (2,444 feet) in height, with a prominent cliff of reddish-brown volcanic rock.  Brown Bluff is a million-year-old volcano with a diameter of more than 12 kilometers (7.5 miles), known as a tuya — a flat-topped and steep-sided volcano that has erupted from within a glacier.  Brown Bluff is a very unusual sight, and in fact tuyas are quite rare worldwide.  We learned that a a tuya is a volcano that has been flattened by erupting through a glacier.  These are the rarest of all volcano types and only found in areas that have seen large-scale glaciation in the past.

Below the cliff lies a 3-kilometer-long (2 miles) beach that is blocked on both sides by large glaciers spilling into the adjacent sea, delivering bergs and brash ice (fragments of small floating ice) that sometimes block off access to Brown Bluff.  The coast is also very exposed to wind, waves, and tidal currents, so landing (and leaving) can be difficult.  When we landed with our Zodiacs, it was noted that this was our last continental landing on this expedition.  The beach is home to over 20,000 breeding pairs of Adélie penguins, about 550 pairs of Gentoo penguins, and a mix of Kelp Gulls, Skuas, Snow Petrels, and Pintado Petrels. 

Brown Bluff, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica, photograph # 2 — Adélie penguins on an iceberg that we passed on our Zodiac en route to the landing site from our ship

Brown Bluff, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica, photograph # 3 – a close up of some of the Adélie penguins on the iceberg

Brown Bluff, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica, photograph # 4 – my beach landing welcoming party was a Gentoo penguin

Brown Bluff, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica, photograph # 5 — Brown Bluff is a million-year-old volcano with a diameter of more than 12 kilometers (7.5 miles), known as a tuya — a flat-topped and steep-sided volcano that has erupted from within a glacier — a very unusual sight, and, in fact, tuyas are quite rare worldwide

Brown Bluff, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica, photograph # 6 – small black chunks of lava rock are embedded in some of the large, brown lava rocks (large boulders) from the volcano’s eruption a million years ago

Brown Bluff, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica, photograph # 7 — lichens in the genera Xanthoria and Caloplaca have been recorded on exposed boulders

Brown Bluff, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica, photograph # 8 — the landing beach here is made of pebbles and volcanic ash, rising quickly towards steep reddish-brown cliffs; the cliffs are embedded with “volcanic bombs” – large pieces of lava that were thrown out during an eruption, cooling in the air to land as solid spherical or oval shapes

Brown Bluff, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica, photograph # 9 – Gentoo penguins on the rocky landing beach

Brown Bluff, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica, photograph # 10 — Adélie penguins on the landing beach and uphill, under one of the promontories

Brown Bluff, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica, photograph # 11 – the three Gentoo penguins on the ground are sitting on their nests, waiting for their chicks to emerge from their eggs

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