Blogs from Antarctica, Antarctica - page 24

The Adventure On January 8 we boarded Holland America's 61,000 tonne Amsterdam and made an overnight sail to Montevideo where we visited the city centre. Two days later we were at Port Stanley in the Falklands where visited a Gentoo penquin rookery...over very bumpy trails. Joan made friends with one. The wind was about 50 mph, but it was a pleasant warm day and it was thrilling to see a huge number of these birds together in their natural environment. Two days later we circled Elephant Island famous for the place where 22 of Shackleton's men survived for 99 days while he set out in a small boat to South Georgia...800 miles away! From there we spent two days visiting the Archipelago. The mountains, ice sheets, icebergs, glaciers, penquins, whales and birds provided vistas overwhelming in ... read more

After nearly 3 and a half months living and working here at the South Pole, my flight back to Christchurch leaves in 3 days. Believe it or not - I'm going to miss being here quite a bit. It was far better an experience than I'd anticipated and I've had a blast. Everyone working down here is great - and hopefully I'll be able to keep in touch with the friends I've made here for a long time. Indeed, if I have the opportunity to find employment for my wife down here, I'd be happy to winter next year. I don't even think I can begin to list the "first time" experiences I've had here. They're nearly daily. Yesterday I marshaled one of the LC-130 Hercules aircraft in on landing. It was utterly exhilarating, standing there ... read more

After the magnificent sunrise of the previous morning I decided I'd give it another try. It was a bit misty and cloudy so no chance of any repeat! The ship moored at its last destination in Antarctica - Half Moon Island. As the mist turned to thick fog we boarded the Zodiac. As it left the ship we could see absolutely nothing, just the immediate water around the dinghy. The ride in could only be navigated by compass. As we neared the island, the silhouette of land crept out of the fog along with the resident colony of chinstrap penguins. After a beach landing we walked around a small part of the island watching the penguins. In the distance on the other side of the island you could see two Antarctic Fur Seals playing 'King of ... read more

I woke up early, probably with the excitement of what should be an extraordinary day. Hope Bay, a picturesque bay in Antarctic Sound (sea), which has been dubbed 'Iceberg Alley'. It is home to an Argentine science centre, which boasts a school, mayor and post office! There is also a huge Adelie penguin rookery close by. As I stirred I felt the ship rocking gently, then I could hear the waves hitting the side of the hull. The weather seemed to be quite bad, which would be bad because the seas could be too rough for the Zodiacs to make the crossing to land. Sure enough I re-awoke to the captain's voice over the PA informing us that the winds were at gale force 8, some 35 knots, hence, there would be no landings. Quite simply ... read more

When we awoke the next morning the Drake Passage had been cleared and we had sailed up the Bransfield Strait into the South Shetland Islands. The ship dropped anchor in Discovery Bay, a bay off Greenwich Island, sheltered from the Bransfield Strait by Robert Island, which lay opposite. It was from Discovery Bay that we had a Zodiac (rubber dinghy) cruise around the coastline. Although the seas were calm, it was still pretty choppy. As I was positioned at the front of the boat, I soon had a tasty mouth full of Antarctic water! As the Zodiac cruised around the bay, penguins swam next to us. They swam in a very strange but 'penguin' way, almost dolphin-like as they dived in and out of the rolling swells. There was plenty of bird life sitting on the ... read more