Deception Island is an island in South Shetland off the Antarctic Peninsula, which has one of the safest harbors in Antarctica. A recently active volcano in 1967 and 1969 caused serious damage to the local scientific stations. The only current research bases are run by the Argentine Army and Spain.

Deception Island (62°57′S, 60°38′W) is one of the most incredible islands on the planet. It is an active volcano in the South Shetland Islands, off the Antarctic Peninsula. Its unique landscape comprises barren volcanic slopes, steaming beaches and ash-layered glaciers. It has a distinctive horse-shoe shape with a large flooded caldera. This opens to the sea through a narrow channel at Neptunes Bellows, forming a natural sheltered harbor. It is one of the only places in the world where vessels can sail directly into the center of a restless volcano.