Brown Bluff

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Brown Bluff is a panel volcano at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and the highest mountain in the Tabarin Peninsula.

Geography

Brown Bluff is located on the east coast of the Tabarin Peninsula on Antarctic Sound, about 13 km south-east of Hope Bay and 8 km west of the Jonassen Island. The name ( much as Brown Cliff ) describes the appearance of the mountain from the seaward side. The north side is mostly ice-free and of a reddish brown color. The 745 m high Brown Bluff is about a million years old and has the typical shape of a panel volcano with steep walls and a flat plateau, suggesting that the Lavaaustritt was performed under a glacier or ice sheet.

Flora and Fauna

The stone and ash beach at the foot of Brown Bluff and the snow-free part of the cliff are recognized by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area ( Ant029 ). There is ever a colony of Adelie penguins ( about 20,000 breeding pairs ) and one of gentoo penguins ( about 550 breeding pairs ). Furthermore breed here kelp gulls, cape petrels, snow petrels and skuas, probably Wilson petrels, giant petrels and silver petrels. In mammals Weddell seals are observed on the beach regularly. Leopard seal hunt in the waters off the coast.

The vegetation is scanty. Lichens of the genera Xanthoria and Caloplaca growing on boulders of the beach and the cliffs to a height of 185 m. In higher regions are yet to find Moose.

Tourism

Brown Bluff is regularly visited by tourists. The shore is strictly regulated by the Antarctic Treaty of nature conservation reasons.

On the evening of December 28, 2007, it came in the waters off Brown Bluff to an incident. The Norwegian cruise ship Fram Hurtigruten ASA collided after a machine failure with an iceberg and was doing damage to the outer skin. Despite this damage the ship on its own could make for the nearest berth a Chilean military base on King George Iceland. Passengers were not used in the accident to damage.