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Published: August 9th 2007
Everything Antarctica
Taken the day of our landing on the Antarctic Peninsula at Neko Harbour. This is everthing that was Antarctica for us with the Gentoo Penguin, an iceberg and our ship, the Ushuaia.The Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1902-1904 is widely considered as the most scientifically successful and definitely the most cost effective of all the early Antarctic Expeditions. Unlike most expeditions of its day, William Spiers Bruce kept his expedition to budget, there were no major accidents and no one died from scurvy, lack of food or cold. On our own journey to the Antarctic continent, we were attempting to achieve the same.
The day we entered the office of our booking agent, Antarctica was an idea in the back of our mind. We were quickly convinced by the trip’s dossier and signed on for an 11-night voyage. This was a sizeable dent to our traveling budget - but when would we be in the southern-most part of South America again?
Just after 4pm on 11 March 2007, we cleared Argentinean customs in the port of Ushuaia and boarded our Antarctic Expedition ship: the “M.V. Ushuaia.” I quickly noted the cost of a beer aboard had already increased from the stated brochure price of US$1 to US$2, further scuttling our budgeted float aboard this boat - W.S. Bruce would have been most displeased.
The trick was to book a
M.V. Ushuaia
We are boarding our ship the Ushuaia in the port town of Ushuaia on 13 March 2007. This was be our home for the 11 night voyage, sleeping in a cabin with bunk beds on ´B´Deck (Room 416). voyage as early as possible. Cabin upgrades were prioritised in order of the reservations received. Even our relatively late enlistment saw us moved from C-deck to B-deck. We still had bunk beds and shared a bathroom with the adjacent cabin, but we now had a porthole view. Already convinced that the lowest deck of the boat was better on a rolling ship to decrease our chances of feeling sea-sick, we hoped with our passenger status rising that our stomach’s contents would resist doing the same.
The ship cruised the calm waters of the Beagle Channel with the Argentinean ranges flanking port-side and Chile’s snow dusted mountains of Tierra del Fuego impressively imposing off the starboard bow. A welcome drink in the ship’s bar area allowed us to meet everyone aboard. There was a wider variation of ages than we expected. Our expedition staff were introduced and we enjoyed the first of many great 3-course meals. Later that evening, the M.V. Ushuaia navigated past Cape Horn to the West as it headed South across the notorious seas of the Drake’s Passage.
Luckily, we encountered kind weather conditions. Although, despite relatively calm seas, the ship rolled enough in the Drake’s
Landing on the Continent
On Saturday 17th March at 11:40am (Argentinian time) we landed on the Antarctic Continent proper at Neko Harbour-lat: 64 50´S long: 62 33´W. to cause a number of passenger’s prolonged retirement into their cabins for the duration of our two-day crossing. Meanwhile, assisted by taking travel sickness tablets, we spent this time socialising with our new shipmates, playing card games like “uno”. This was punctuated by informative scheduled lectures on Antarctic history, relevant discoveries, explorers and fauna, which were delivered by the very qualified and experienced expedition staff. There was quality meals served throughout the day, however, if the seas rolled just enough to test out a land lubber’s minimal resistance to the ship’s varying pitch, then the bacon was skipped over at breakfast or we passed on taking lunch’s desert course. The sporting distraction was counting the passengers that left the dining room when each course was laid out.
Attendance at the IAATO briefing held on the third evening aboard was mandatory for all passengers. The sensitivity of the Antarctic ecosystem, zodiac transfer safety and the guidelines for our landings, so to have minimal impact on the environment were presented. Everyone left the briefing exited for the first landing the next morning, no doubt thinking that night of our imagined expectations of the great southern land experience to come.
Land
First Landing at Hannah Point
This was our first landing in the South Shetland Islands and our first encounter with a colony of Gentoo Penguins. Two pairs of Maceroni Penguins were also unexpectedly amoungst them. Ahoy!
Friday, March 16th Lat 62° 39’ S, Long 60° 37’ W
Hannah Point, Livingston Island In the early morning the zodiacs shuttled us from the M.V. Ushuaia to the shores of Livingstone Island; part of the South Shetland Archipelago. Exited for our first encounter with penguins up-close, we stepped ashore to spot hundreds of gentoo and chinstrap penguins. The chinstraps are distinct in that they have a line formed of black feathers below their beaks that resembles the chinstrap of a soldiers helmet. The gentoos, the most prolific penguins of our voyage, had a bright red beak and white patches around their eyes. Quite unexpected were the four Macaroni penguins we saw, with their distinguishable flare of the bright yellow feathers like a fashionista’s race-day headdress. Christian, our on-board field Ornithologist, had not expected to spot this species so far south. Some Southern elephant seals had hauled themselves onto the rocks to malt and gave off a prodigious stench. We also were shown patches of Antarctic Hairgrass and Antarctic Pearlwort, the only two species of flowering plants in the entire continent. Although, the fossils collected by an unnamed expedition, which we handled on Walker’s bay showed us evidence
Deception Island Whaler´s Water Boat
Our second landing was at an old whaling station in at Deception Island. This Island is the caldera of an active volcano where we swam in a pool of water heated by geothermic rocks. of rich foliage from an ancient forest of the Southern land.
Lat 62° 59’ S, Long 60° 34’ W
Whalers Bay, Deception Island The Captain steered the ship through the narrow passage named Neptune’s bellows which placed us inside the flooded caldera of a collapsed volcano. From this most sheltered anchorage bay in the South Shetlands, we landed at Whaler’s Bay - and the Norwegian whaling station “Hektor” (1911-1931). This is a designated historic site under the Antarctic treaty. Walking across red and black sediment from the 1969 eruption, fur seals stirred as we passed the partially buried boats, whalebones and water-tanks. The climb up to Neptune’s Window afforded views across the island and out to the sea surrounding it. The expedition staff dug a pool into the geothermic gravel for a warming retreat from the icy plunge we took into the Antarctic sea. This is probably the furthest South we will ever be likely to swim and the coldest water too.
On Saturday March 17th 2007, at 15:40h (UTC), we set foot on the continent of Antarctica at Neko Harbour - Lat. 64° 50’ S, Long. 62° 33’ W.
The day was bright, if a little
Sunrise in the Gerlache Strait
The sunrise reflecting off glaciers on the Horizon. overcast, and the wind calm. There was excitement in feeling the gravel on the shore of the continent crunch beneath out gumboots stepping from the zodiacs. A grand glacier dramatically descended to the harbour waters from the range above us. Icebergs floated close to the shore and the gentoo penguins curiously watched on. Some were malting to spend the coming winter season at sea with new layers of feathers. They appeared a little miserable, their despairing stance and forlorn faces like that of a man’s whilst his wife is shopping for a new winter coat. Other penguins were teaching their young the swimming and krill catching behaviours necessary for their survival.
We were briefed on the necessary action to take if the glacier carved: we were to head for higher ground as the ice falling into the water could create waves that would swamp the shore. The prospect of this sounded exciting and we were not deprived of this experience. At the last moment of our time ashore, an astonishing “crack” echoed across the harbour as a large iceberg caved from the glacier. One could not imagine anything more topping this landing off when two minke whales decided not
to be outdone by swimming beneath our zodiacs as we returned to the ship. The luck of the Irish was with us on this Southern St. Patrick’s day. If we turned and headed back to port after this day, I was happy that the value of this trip was well beyond my expectations. Everything to come after this day was a bonus.
Lat. 64° 53’ S, Long. 62° 52’ W
Paradise Bay For all of the excitement of our morning, the zodiac cruise around the icebergs and past the glaciers of Paradise Bay was the ideal after lunch excursion. Two crab-eater seals lay atop a glacier and we witnessed the initial stages of sea-ice forming on the water’s surface. Some sun briefly broke through the clouds to light up pillars of glacier ice as giant jellyfish swam in the clear water beside our zodiac. Prior to dinner, the Captain began navigating the 11-km long, 1-km wide run of the Lemaire Channel. This narrow passage’s steep walls are formed by a geological fracture line between Antarctic Peninsula and Booth Island. After dinner it was to the bar to exhaust the supply of Guinness as the Irish flag fluttered on the
ship’s bow to mark Paddy’s Day.
(Not So) Daily Adelie
Sunday, March 18th
Lat. 65°05’ S, Long. 64°00’ W
Port Charcot, Booth Island The gentoo colony on Charcot amusingly waddled and skated across the ice stained by green and red algae. Some move with such purpose toward one direction and suddenly turn to march in the other. The winds were strong and its potential intensity obvious by the amount of large icebergs shepherded into the bay and held to the shore. The gust became stronger as the ship headed further South, reaching over 60 knots (110km/h) at times, causing us to turn back from our planned landing at Ukraine’s Vernadsky research station.
Lat. 64°44’ S, Long. 62°37’ W
Danco Island After navigating North through the Lemaire Channel, the zodiacs were again deployed to take us to Danco Island. Stepping ashore, we were greeted by the only Adelie penguin spotted for the entire trip. This is a true Antarctic penguin species and it was highly unlikely that we would see any in this area at this time of year. This gregarious little guy was clearly out of place amongst the Gentoo penguins with its distinctive, all-black hood and
Glacier Carving at Neko Harbour
Following a loud "crack" sound, a block of ice, bigger than a house, slid into the water causing one metre waves to wash onto the shore. dark circle eyes.
Breakfast at Ahab’s
Monday, March 19th Lat. 64° 41’ S, Long. 62° 38’ W
Cuverville Island In the early morning, as the ship slipped through the mouth of the Errera Channel past three resting humpback whales. Awoken by the sound of the motors, they began to dive and feed near us as we fed ourselves during breakfast - man was no longer a threat to them here. On landing at Cuverville Island, we witnessed the inevitability of nature as a leopard seal caught a penguin for its own breakfast. On this island were gentoo penguin nests and Skua nests higher on its rocky slopes. Skuas are large brown bird the size of a chicken and will attack penguins to eat their chicks. On our returning zodiac, a fellow passenger (Bec) jokingly asked our zodiac boatswain in polite Spanish if the humpbacks that we spotted in the morning could breach nearby our vessel. Surprisingly, and rather obligingly, the humpbacks surfaced nearby and our boatswain skilfully steered us through the sculptured icebergs as the whales swam around and dove beneath them.
Lat. 64°33' S, Long. 62°01' W
Foyn Harbour The highlight of the onboard catering
Walking on the Continent
Taken as the group retreated from the climb up to view Neko Harbour´s glacier carving large blocks of ice into the water below it. was the BBQ in Antarctica. The chef and galley staff constructed the traditional Argentinean Asado on the deck of the ship. We enjoyed tender cuts of roasted meat with chimichurri for lunch. The afternoon excursion was exploring the abandoned evidence of whaling activity in Foyn Harbour. The water boats, stacked barrels of blubber and the remains of the whaling factory ship Governoren spoke the untold history of whaling in these parts. The Norwegian M.V. Governoren was run aground on 27 January 1915 to save the 85 crew on the ship where its fully laden cargo of whale oil had caught fire. Inside its remains, we could see the rusty harpoons where they still lay from that day.
Farewell to the White Continent
Tuesday, March 20th Lat. 62° 36’ S, Long. 59° 55’ W
Half Moon Island A dusting of fresh snow crunched underfoot as we walked around the crescent shaped island in the morning. Chinstaps were the most prevalent species of penguin and a colony of juvenile male fur seals taunted each other on the opposite shore. The Argentine research station “Teniente Camara”, was already closed for the season. An international effort from our shipmates contributed to the
Glacier in Paradise Bay
The sun peaked through the cloud cover to spotlight faces of the gaciers that surrounded as us we cruised Paradise Bay in the zodiacs. construction of a snowman. It proudly wore the Aussie scarf though.
Lat 62°24’S, Long 59°47’W Morning Temp: 2oC
Barrientos Island, Aitcho Islands The final landing of our voyage was at Barrientos Island to farewell our new favourite animals: the gentoo and chinstap penguins. It was sad for all to board the zodiacs for our last shuttle off the South Shetland Island. Everyone looked over their shoulder’s toward the island and penguins all the way back to the ship.
Wednesday & Thursday, March 21st & 22nd 'And now the STORM-BLAST came, and he
Was tyrannous and strong:
He struck with his o'ertaking wings,
And chased us south along. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - S.T. Coleridge
The wind had picked up overnight and the seas were predicted to be rough for the Drake’s Passage crossing North to Ushuaia. The expedition staff continued to present interesting, educational lectures on topics including climate change, the history of whaling and sealing and the o-zone problem. Some passengers retreated to their cabins again with sea-sickness. Meal times attracted only half of the ships numbers.
Our final presentation was an emotional event where all the expedition staff presented a visual
M.V. Ushuaia in Paradise Bay
Taken from our zodiac as we cruised the waters of Paradise Bay. We witnessed the first stages of sea ice forming and the many icebergs floating in the water from the massive glaciers that surrounded us. compilation of our voyage. They had meticulously recorded every detail of our ship’s navigation and zodiac landings; including a list of every species of penguin, whale, bird and seal spotted. A comprehensive collage of photos documenting the expedition was introduced with the engaging guitar licks from “The Sultans of Swing” (Dire Straits); followed by heart-strumming lyrics from “Stuck in a Moment” (U2) and the exuberant finale: Queen’s “Nothin’s Gonna Stop Us Now” - left the entourage with eddies of equivocal emotions from the entire experience.
Despite the rough seas, the favorable winds saw the M.V. Ushuaia into the Beagle Channel early on the last evening, allowing all to enjoy the Captain’s dinner on a still ship close to Ushuaia’s port - where it all began ten days before. A quiet night for the port’s pilot boat allowed us to dock earlier than scheduled - and with the ship’s bar practically exhausted, we headed for land to celebrate into the early morning.
It was sad to farewell those who shared in our Antarctic journey. For all the people we’d met only eleven days previous, it felt as if we had known them for months longer. There forms a unique
Weddell Seal
This weddell seal was resting on an iceberg in Foyne Harbour. bond between individuals who collectively perceive an event, experience or place to be extraordinary. For each of us, memories of Antarctica will remain all of these.
T
Epilogue:
Three weeks after disembarking he M.V. Ushuaia, we were in a small town called El Chalten over 1000km to the North of Ushuaia. Walking down the unsealed roads of this dusty town to the micro-brewery, a car came to an abrupt halt close by. Out jumped a man, excitedly waving to us. Certain we were unlikely to know a single Argentinean in these parts, it was not until he came closer that we recognised him as the boat’s chef Rubén. He warmly greeted us and we mixed Spanish with English to describe our travels to him. With a boisterous Argentinean embrace he fared us well once more. Amazing! An Antarctic Sea Voyage
Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink ;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - S.T. Coleridge
Yea, foolish mortals, Noah's flood is not yet subsided; two thirds of the fair world it yet covers. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
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MikeyJ
non-member comment
Auld Lang Syne
Might the penguins still be seeking the bagpiper from generations past? The long awaited pics are being pored over for global warming changes (glacier collapse noted) but mostly we're just smiling at the fantastic-ness of it all.