The Bahia

In 1989, the Argentinian supply vessel The Bahia Paraiso ran aground within sight of Palmer Station and ultimately sunk. Thanks to the proximity of Palmer and the relative ease of rescue operations, there were no fatalities in the shipwreck. But the oil spilled as a result is considered the greatest single-event ecological disaster in Antarctic history. Despite three decades and remediation efforts, the wreckage (which is completely underwater except at low tides) still continues to leak the occasional drop of oil onto the ocean's surface here.

On our first day of full rec boating, where I got to go out as part of a group of 10 for like three hours. It was a totally gorgeous day, and we started out at low tide, when the metal hull of the overturned shipwreck was visible even from station. The ship was over 400ft long, so we were still this far away from the part of the wreckage breaking  the surface of the water...

...and yet when we looked straight down into the water we could see the ship's props shimmering below.

Crazy to see the wreckage upclose! And to imagine see the actual event of the ship striking rock and beginning to sink. Would have been amazing to see, but of course nothing we hope will ever happen again. The oil spill decimated the cormorant population on nearby Cormorant Island, and it still has not recovered.