The shock of that experience saw the Brits follow Chile"s lead and abandon their post here in 1969, which remains in situ to this day, sprawled across a 650m stretch of Whalers Bay. Mud flows from the 1969 eruption destroyed many buildings and engulfed the whalers" graveyard, which held 35 tombs. Yet, other buildings remain. The old accommodation block, Biscoe House, sits back from the beach with a slump in its middle, pockets of snow now gathering next to old desks and rusted ovens. Nearby are rotting whaleboats, timber barrels and a scattering of sun-bleached whalebones.