Antarctic Expedition Travel Log

 

Embarkation, Ushuaia & Beagle Channel

Friday, 29 November 2013

After a pleasant day of exploring scenic and cosmopolitan Ushuaia, the southernmost town in Argentina, we met the M/S Expedition at 16:00 on the pier.There she was, our mighty expedition vessel that was to be both our home and base camp in the next ten days for the exploration of the great white continent.

The hotel team and expedition staff members met us with big smiles and helped us settle in to our cabins, where our bags were waiting for us. We had some time to explore the ship before gathering in the Discovery Lounge for a briefing from the Safety Officer, followed by the mandatory lifeboat drill

At 17:00 hours the Ms Expedition cast off the last lines and slipped out of Ushuaia’s harbour. We enjoyed the scenery and the sunshine on the outer decks as our ship sailed east into the calm waters of the Beagle Channel. We were finally on our way to Antarctica.

Soon another ‘ding-dong’ called us back into the Discovery Lounge, where our hotel manager, Alessandra Malaquias, acquainted us with our ship and facilities available. Our expedition leader, John Kernan, introduced us to the expedition staff and explained the concept of expedition cruising.

Soon it was time for dinner. During the delicious four-course meal, we got to talk with our co travelers while we enjoyed the expansive views over snow-clad mountains gliding by. On our way towards the open sea, we steamed past the last outpost of civilization: the little naval settlement of Puerto Williams (Chile), literally the southernmost settlement in the world. Southern Ocean, here we come!

After dinner we fitted into our lovely expedition jackets and some of us had a nightcap in the Polar Bear Bar, while the participants of the kayak program were called to the library for an orientation meeting.

At Sea

Saturday, 30 November 2013

We all went to bed with trepidation, hoping the Drake Passage would be kind to us on our voyage south. We prepared for the worst, expecting to be hit after passing below Cape Horn in the middle of the night, but except for a few rolls and a couple of loud bangs of waves against the ship, it was a very calm and restful night. Our first day at sea was going to be an educational one.

First on our agenda for the day was a lecture from Frank Todd (Ornithologist and expert on marine animals) on some of the animal life that can be expected once we pull into the South Shetland Islands. Soon after, we were treated to the amazing opening episode of the award winning documentary “Frozen Planet”, narrated by the legend David Attenborough.

But a sea day is the perfect time for the birders, and one or two could be found out on deck, enjoying the fresh sea air along with our feathered travel-companions on our journey south. A number of albatross, including Royal, Black-browed, Wandering, and best of all, three Light-mantled Sooty Albatross were seen, alongside Giant and Cape Petrels. 

We were making good time as we sailed toward Antarctica and the afternoon was again busy, starting off with John Kernan showing us how to get safely on and off the Zodiacs (Rigid inflatable boat). We were all invited to the mud room where we tried on different pairs of boots and found our locker area to store our gear in order to be ready for our first excursion. Later in the day, Sue Forbes (Photographer in residence) gave us our first lesson on polar photography. We are all anxious to get on shore and take photos of all the amazing sights and events we hope to experience in the next few days.

Before dinner, Captain Oleksiy Trofimenko introduced himself and his officers and we all toasted some champagne to an exciting and successful voyage.

During the evening the seas had become even calmer and we all went to bed looking forward to another day as we get ever closer to our goal...the Antarctic Peninsula.

Aitcho Island & Cecilia Islands, South Shetlands

Sunday, 1 December 2013

Another smooth night on the Drake Passage dawned early with bright sunshine. A keen bite in the air is a clear indicator that we have crossed over the Antarctic Convergence and we are close to the ice. We started the morning’s activities with the mandatory IAATO briefing with EL John to make sure everyone on board knows the guidelines involved in visiting the Antarctic, including distances that must be maintained from wildlife and how to stay safe whilst on land. This was followed by the bio-security checks to ensure that we don’t take any foreign bodies, seeds or bacteria onshore that might affect the well being of the wildlife or harm the environment. The morning was rounded off by a wonderful introduction to those charismatic birds, the penguins, by Frank S Todd.

Our heading then was towards the Aitcho Islands. These are named after the phonetic spelling for the UK Hydrographical Office (‘HO’) that produces marine charts used on most ships, and they are a group of small, rugged islands between the Islands of Robert and Greenwich.

During lunch, we began to feel more motion as the seas picked up and winds began to gust to between 30 & 40 knots. Although we were close to the South Shetland Islands, a landing may not have been possible with these conditions. Occasionally fog and snow flurries obscured the land, but the seabirds thrive in these conditions and petrels and fulmars soared around the ship.

Our Captain decided to take us through the fabled English Strait, a narrow passage of tormented sea with a spectacular vista. On arrival, we had the chance to visit two islands at one location, Barrientos Island and Cecilia Island, using the Zodiacs to shuttle between the two. Barrientos is a great spot for nesting Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguins, and both islands are good sites to look at nesting Southern Giant Petrels. On the snow covered beach at Cecilia, there were seven hauled-out Weddell Seals. A bonus landing that no one had expected was an exciting start to the trip. 

After dinner, Brooke (Camp master and Kayak support) gave a briefing to all campers as we hoped to camp the following night. We set sail for the Gerlache Strait for the next landing . As the sun set we steamed south, deeper into the realm of ice.

Cuverville Island and Neko Harbour

Monday, 2 December 2013

We awoke to a gorgeous setting as we were cruising the Gerlache Strait heading to our morning landing, Cuverville Island, where the largest Gentoo Penguin rookery of the peninsula is located. It was discovered by Gerlache’s Belgian Antarctic expedition (1897-99), and named by Charcot for a vice-admiral in the French Navy. While the kayakers went circumnavigating the island, the rest went to shore to check out the penguins or take a long hike up towards the top of Cuverville, where we were treated to a great viewing of the entire area, although it was too icy to reach the top. The weather was warm and the scenery breathtaking as we stared at the magnificent mountains surrounding the area. All of us enjoyed watching the daily life of a penguin, and admired how tough these little guys really are.

I remembered Cherry-Gerrards quote of the penguin “They are extraordinarily like children, these little people of the Antarctic world, either like children, or like old men, full of their own importance and late for dinner, in their black tail-coats and white shirt fronts - and rather portly withal.” As one moved higher up the slopes, eggs could be found on the nests of the penguins that had a head start on those down low. On our Zodiac ride home we slowly cruised by the icebergs, admiring the different shapes and colours of these monsters and came back to the ship for a well-deserved lunch. We were making our way to Neko Harbour for our afternoon landing. 

This was going to be our continental landing (it was my seventh continent !)

Neko Harbour was named for Christian Salvesen’s floating factory ship, Neko, which operated in the South Shetlands and Antarctic Peninsula in 1911-2 and 1923-4, and often used this protected bay to escape the storms. In order to get there, the captain had to manoeuvre around and through the ice, and it was a special treat when the the hotel staff served hot chocolate and Kahlua, while we stared out from the bow of the ship. Once we arrived, we all took a hike around the area and a lot of us had the thrill of sliding down the hill much to the amazement of the penguins. It was a great day and there was still more to come. Once we were given the OK to go camping, we set off after dinner to sleep on the ice and enjoy the sights and sounds of an Antarctic white night.

Paradise Bay

Tuesday, 3 December 2013

I was up at 5 AM, rolled up the tent and sleeping bag and ready to board the Zodiac to return to ship and have breakfast. It was one of the most exciting nights of my life. 

Bright sun, blue sky, little wind and calm seas prevailed as M/S Expedition cruised down the Gerlache Strait. Under these superb conditions, the breathtaking vista was unforgettable as the vessel was engulfed by some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet. As often occurs in expedition cruising, the plan of the day was tossed out the window by mid-morning. Due to extensive ice it was simply not possible to reach even the north entrance of the scenic Lemaire Channel, much less Petermann Island farther south. Further, the personnel at Port Lockroy informed us that the station was completely locked in ice, thus there was no hope of getting there either.

In the afternoon, the ship was drifting in the aptly named Paradise Bay. Half the group was taken ashore to the unoccupied Argentine summer station of Almirante Brown, while the other half enjoyed Zodiac cruising before the groups switched places. The kayakers actively paddled all afternoon. At the station, Jonathan (Geologist and Glaciologist) led us up to the high peak for a stunning view. The station was much larger at one time but it burned to the ground a number of years ago. When the new summer station was constructed, the site had to be shared with Gentoo Penguins that had not nested there previously. The little penguin colony was very busy, with penguins constantly coming and going. Fearless and inquisitive Snowy Sheathbills were scurrying about, often mingling with the human visitors. On the nearby cliffs Antarctic (Blue-eyed) Shags were gathering up nesting material. Diving down to obtain sea weed, the birds were continually flying back to the colony to present their mates with new construction material.

Plans for the next day had to be altered since it was evident that the ice at Port Lockroy was not moving. Consequently, a course was set across the Bransfield Strait en route to the South Shetland Islands to the north. During dinner a fabulous Killer Whale or Orca show commenced. At least twenty to thirty Orcas were in the area, at times quite close to the vessel. This was my first experience with Killer Whales, an encounter that will never be forgotten.

Deception Island & Yankee Harbour

Wednesday 4 December, 2013

For the nineteenth century sealers, Deception Island was such a mysterious place that its existence was somewhat mythical. But by the early twentieth century, the reputation of Whaler’s Bay was that of one of the most protected harbours in the region. This resulted in the construction of one of Antarctica’s largest and most prolific whaling factories, which sputtered out after the price of whale oil collapsed in 1931. One anomaly did remain that continued to add to the lure of Deception Island, the tales of hot springs found around the shoreline of Whaler’s Bay. Indeed, wafts of steam are a common sight to this day, a constant reminder that the volcano may be napping, but is in fact only dormant. 

We celebrated the day with a polar plunge, inside a sleeping volcano. I ran into the bay wearing a bikini with a smile and quickly realized that the water’s temperature was not so warm after all, yet I didn't care.

After lunch, we enjoyed another amazing excursion just a few miles away at Yankee Harbor. This landing site was something special as it was brimming with wildlife and offered plenty of room for us all to stretch our legs for a nice walk. 

On shore, thousands of Gentoo Penguins were busy getting ready for summer; gathering stones, finding and courting a suitable mate and preparing for another nesting season. Meanwhile, a variety of seals lay just up the shore, giving us some lovely photo opportunities in the gentle evening light. On our way back to the ship, many of us had the chance to observe several Leopard Seals just across the harbour. By the time the dinner bell rang we were all grateful to sit and warm ourselves with a hearty meal as we reflected on the highlights of the day.

Turret Point & Arctowski Research Station

Thursday 5 December 2013

The morning began gray, somewhat gloomy, and as the first landing at Turret Point got underway, a few snow flurries threatened to end our string of great weather days. The flurries didn’t last, and we hiked to the Adelie Penguin colony. We were justly rewarded with copulating, nest building, egg incubating and hatching chicks all at once! It was all going on today. We happened to arrive at the perfect time to see the show. The tiny chicks resemble furry Hershey’s Kisses with wings.

After lunch, the M/S Expedition cruised into Admiralty Bay on King George Island for a final landing at an authentic Antarctic research base. Arctowski Station is owned and run by the Polish, and although they are busy with science, they were gracious enough to welcome us ashore and provide a grand tour of the facility.

The afternoon seemed to settle in to a Malibu Beach scene. Most of us found a a rock or patch of sand on which to sit, relax and absorb the enormity of a perfect spring day in the South Shetland Islands.

At Sea

Friday, 6 December 2013

It was a fairly calm night with no wake-up call, and we enjoyed a late breakfast after a fun night in the Polar Bear bar. We were making great time, and it was a good day for catching up on all those things we had put aside due to the busy schedules of the last few days. Many of us caught up on our journals, read a favorite book, took a nap or two, chatted with friends in the lounge, or checked and shared photos we had taken, with lots of ‘chimping’. Kevin Morgan (Naturalist) started off the day with a lecture on seals and how “Sea Wolf” is an apt nickname for them, since they evolved quite recently from the ‘dog’ branch of carnivores. Kevin pointed out how lucky we were to see all the seals we were hoping for, including an Antarctic Fur Seal, since it is still quite early for them in the South Shetlands. The Elephant Seals on Turret Point were another highlight, and during the lecture Kevin explained about the amazing diving abilities of these marine mammals. Best of all had been the collection of Crabeater Seals, four Leopard Seals, and one Weddell Seal, on the last of the fast ice in Yankee Harbor.

Alex Cowan (Scientist) then gave a lecture on the fundamentals of global warming. Always a controversial subject, Alex explained climate change throughout the earth’s history and why the vast majority of the scientific community believes we are having an impact on the world’s climate through the burning of fossil fuels.

In the afternoon, we all relaxed and followed the electronic chart as it showed our progress north. The seas started to pick up as the day progressed, and the ship started to roll more, meaning the outside decks were closed for a while. A Light-mantled Sooty Albatross stayed with us for most of the day, a number of Giant Petrels, Southern Fulmars and a good number of Cape or Painted Petrels was indeed a visual treat, a photographer’s delight.

 

Drake Passage to the Beagle Channel

Saturday, December 7, 2013

At the conclusion of any trip comes a sweet time of reflection; a momentary pause in the holiday where time stands still just long enough to savor the memories that have been created and store them for future meditation. The wilderness of Antarctica will reign paramount in my spirit. The Drake Passage gently rolled the ship awake, greeting passengers with a lightly overcast sky and a day full of final presentations, lectures,celebrations and sharing. We gathered to exchange photos, emails and videos from the journey. It is indeed difficult to capture the magnitude of the Antarctic experience. 

Link to some more amazing photos

https://picasaweb.google.com/101316191518463096684/AntarcticExperience?authkey=Gv1sRgCNSl1r2s4MyBBg