We arrived early this morning to Stanley, Falkland Islands. We were escorted into the port by a number of Magellanic Penguins. We hiked out to Gypsy Cove, home to many creatures.
The Magellanic Penguin is a sweet little seabird. This penguin reminded me of a similar species I’ve seen in Peru, the Humboldt Penguin. The Magellanics make burrows for their nests. Most of the chicks have already fledged, so we observed primarily adults that were molting. A penguin can lose up to 40% of its body fat while molting! Once the molting is complete, the penguins head out to sea.
Magellanic Penguins Lying Low
Magellanic Penguins at the Beach
And in the Grass
Happy Feet
We also saw some Peales Dolphins down below, playing in the bay.
This is Juvenile Red-Backed Hawk. It was a very blustery day, and he caught the wind and just hung over my head. Very cool.
Lunch was spent at a local pub, eating pub fare (ale, fish & chips). We walked around the town of Stanley and visited the famous Whalebone Arch, which is made from the jaws of two blue whales (scattered whale parts is a common theme in this part of the world).
As we departed Stanley this evening, we were escorted by at least a dozen different Sei Whales. Pretty spectacular, considering they are an endangered species. It was a brilliant way to end another terrific day.
Another day at sea, and we try to keep ourselves occupied to help pass the time. The winds have calmed, which has lifted everyone’s spirit. More passengers have emerged from their cabins and showed up for meals today, which makes the ship feel less like a ghost town. I’ve been reading and contemplating a variety of topics, including elephant seals, blue ice, bird migration, whales, circumpolar currents, krill, fish blood antifreeze, the North Scotia Trench, photographic composition, and global warming, to name a few.
After being pestered by one of my buddies, the ship’s first mate, Bernd Buchner, showed a few of us how a sextant is used to determine a ship’s location. It’s a complicated process, but makes complete geometric sense. Bernd also happens to be a great teacher. Although all ships have electronic devices and GPS, it’s still required to know how to measure with a sextant to obtain licensure.
Bernd and Sextant
Sarah at the Helm (Watch Out!)
Many have been asking about our quarters on the ship. Accommodations are small, but to be honest, you really don’t need much space. Here is my cabin. It’s a good day, as the portholes are not sealed!
Here is the head (bathroom). I apologize, as I don’t have a wide-angle lens, but I think you can still appreciate the tight quarters. I personally think it’s safer to have such a small shower, as it gives you less room to fall about while bathing in rough seas!
Our ship is making great progress, and we should reach Stanley, Falkland Islands sometime early tomorrow morning. It sounds a bit foreign, to arrive in an actual port with a dry landing, gangplank and all, combined with a few thousand residents and buses! We haven’t been exposed to any real “civilization” for weeks. It will be a bit of culture shock. Perhaps some fish and chips accompanied by a Guinness on tap at a local pub will help calm my nerves!
Signing off, with a photograph of a rainbow from yesterday.
Today was spent completely at sea. It has been rough, but we are making progress. Earlier this afternoon it was announced that we were 417 nautical miles from the Falkland Islands. It’s still pretty far away, considering we are averaging 10 knots in rolling seas. Our ETA for Stanley is Friday morning. I filled my day with lectures, exercising, reading, resting, and eating. It feels like all we do is eat. One of my fellow passengers said she felt like an elephant seal, similar to this female that is molting:
Here is a photo I took with my waterproof camera earlier today from above the bridge. It makes you appreciate the ship’s pitching in the Scotia Sea. Fortunately, the stabilizers help decrease the rolling.
Passengers submitted their top five photos from South Georgia Island. We had a chance to view them tonight, and all agreed that the shots have improved greatly. The formal critique with Joel and Michael will occur tomorrow afternoon.
Here is a shot of King Penguins at St. Andrews Bay:
We are hoping to observe Magellanic and Rockhopper Penguins at the Falkland Islands.
The Navajo have numerous words in their vocabulary to describe rain. The Inuits have many different words to describe snow. Here, south of the Antarctic convergence, there are many different words to describe ice:
Sea Ice: Forms in oceanic waters (seasonal)
Glacial Ice: Forms from compacted snow compressed into ice (long term)
Grease Ice or Young Ice: A thin layer of fibrous ice crystals
Pancake Ice: Circular bits of thin ice with raise edges
Fast Ice: A solid layer of ice that becomes “fast” to the shore
Bay Ice: Fast ice that remains in place for more than one year (from freezing water and snow accumulation)
Shelf Ice: Bay ice that has persisted for many years and becomes very thick (up to 1000 feet)
Ice Floes: Pieces of broken fast ice
Pack Ice: Floes packed together that cover large areas
Icebergs: Ice broken off from glaciers
Tabular Bergs: Ice broken off from shelf ice
Here are a few iceberg photos:
We continue to carry on…
It has been another great day in paradise. We spent the morning touring Elsehul, a small bay in the northern part of the island. It is teeming with wildlife. There are lots of penguins (Gentoos, Kings, and Macaronis), albatrosses (Wandering, Grey-Headed, Light-Mantled Sooty, and Black-Browed), and countless fur seals. A very magical place.
Grey-Headed Albatross Preening
My Favorite, a Light-Mantled Sooty Albatross Couple
Macaroni Penguins Diving Into the Sea
Fur Seal Pups Playing in the Kelp
This evening we are steaming our way towards the Falkland Islands…yet another long journey. This crossing passes through an extremely active cyclonic area that includes high winds and stormy seas. It is referred to as, “The Furious Fifties,” located in the Scotia Sea from 50 to 60 degrees latitude situated between the Ross and Weddell Seas. The frigid air from Antarctica meets the warmer air from the north, making this one of the stormiest areas in the world. So the short story is, we are going to have a rough ride for the next few days. The winds are currently at 40 knots (over 50 miles per hour). Our ship has slowed down its speed to ten knots in an attempt to decrease the pitching and rolling. There is a double-watch on the bridge. Large icebergs are noted on the charts. All portholes are sealed. It will take us approximately 67 hours to reach our destination. I will keep my fingers crossed, attempt to keep my feet on the floor, hope to avoid seasickness, and once again look forward to stepping upon terra firma.
This morning, we had a very rainy, snowy, wet, grey, and windy beginning. We visited Gold Harbour, another King Penguin colony site. Unlike us humans, the penguins and other creatures seemed unaffected by the weather. They were designed to be wet. Penguins are seabirds. Check out the very wet Oakum Boy. He seemed a little humiliated.
Drizzly Oakum Boy
We visited Godthul this afternoon. We saw a cow-calf pair of Southern Right Whales on the way. Upon arrival, most passengers either enjoyed a quiet afternoon or went for a short hike. The remainder of the hardy crew just couldn’t resist another challenging hike. The motivation was the Macaroni Penguin. Although we’ve been inundated with Kings, the Macaroni is the most common Penguin on South Georgia Island with over five million pairs! They are more challenging to observe, as their colonies are located on hills or sides of cliffs. They have funky golden-orange plumes. The hard work of hiking on steep hills and tussock grass in Wellington boots paid off with close views of the colony and its inhabitants.
Macaroni Penguins
This evening we rendezvoused with our sister ship, the Explorer. She’s on her way to Cape Town, South Africa, followed by a tour of the Indian Ocean. We had an opportunity to tour the ship and visit with the passengers and crew. It’s a larger ship (~150 passengers compared to Endeavour’s ~100 passengers), and seemed much more “glitzy” (more like a cruise ship and less like an expedition ship). Despite this, I certainly wouldn’t mind cruising with Lindblad on the Explorer. Their trip to the Arctic to see the Polar Bears sounds fascinating. We wish the Explorer Godspeed as she makes her way further east. It will take her ten days to reach Cape Town. Hmm…How about another species of penguins? The Jackass Penguin can be seen at Cape Town!
This blog is beginning to sound like a broken record. Just when you think things can’t get any better, they do! We had a very early start today, with a Zodiac ride to St. Andrews Bay at 0500 so we could enjoy the sunrise with the King Penguins. As luck would have it, there were just a few clouds, which is unusual for South Georgia Island. I had five intimate hours with over 200,000 penguins, fur seals, elephant seals, and other birds.
King Penguin Duet Welcoming the Sun
Where’s Waldo?
Recall the King Penguin chicks, the silly looking Oakum Boys? Well, upon further patient and quiet observation, it became obvious that the newly born King Penguin chick is even uglier! The parents share the work with incubating the egg. They place the egg on their feet and cover it with their tummy flab, the “brood patch.” Once the chick is hatched (~54 days), the chick spends most of its early days tucked in the brood patch. The parents eat lots of fish (Lantern Fish) and squid, and then regurgitate it to feed the chick.
A Week Old King Penguin Chick and Parent
Elegant King Penguin Quartet
We spent the afternoon in Grytviken. It was interesting to tour the old whaling station and museum. Check out the stuffed Wandering Albatross! Don’t worry, it died of natural causes. Its wingspan is typically between ten to twelve feet! It makes it easy to appreciate why these birds are so mesmerizing as they fly by our ship.
Wandering Albatross Taxidermy Specimen
Today marked the last stop for the Shackleton portion of the expedition. There is a life-sized model of his lifeboat that they traveled in from Elephant Island. Six men in such a small boat, traveled over 800 miles to arrive at South Georgia Island. Shackleton died on South Georgia Island from a heart attack at the age of 47. He is buried at Grytviken. We visited his grave and toasted his memory with a shot of Jameson Irish Whiskey.
Ernest Shackleton's Final Resting Place
The Shackleton fans have treasured every step of the expedition thus far. They will now go through some withdrawal. One fan mentioned his dismay, as well as the fact that he thought he had seen enough penguins. The penguin fans have grown to love and admire Shackleton. For the rest of us, it’s all good. We continue on with a few more days in South Georgia Island, and then steam to the Falkland Islands.
It has been yet another unbelievable day south of the Antarctic Convergence. Our second day at South Georgia Island has been phenomenal. According to one of our favorite naturalists, we have observed a huge amount of biomass today. We visited a King Penguin Colony at Salisbury Plain, home of over 80,000 pairs. It was overwhelming to come ashore and be greeted by so many colorful birds…literally a river of penguins!
Salisbury Colony, a River of Penguins
The King Penguin lives up to its name: majestic, pristine, magical.
However, the chicks are the epitome of ugly ducklings. They are referred to as, “Oakum Boys,” fluffy brown balls of homeliness. It’s hard to believe they grow up and become elegant king penguins.
Kings with An Oakum Boy
There was also plenty of fur seals and accompanying fesity pups.
We spent the late morning on Prion Island, where Wandering Albatrosses are nesting. We had a quick lunch, and then went onto more Shackleton experiences. We hiked the final portion of his crossing of South Georgia Island, from Fortuna Bay to Stromness. I could only imagine what it was like for good old Ernie to hear the whistles blow at the whaling station at Stromness.
Up from Fortuna Bay
Down to Stromness (yes, that's my ship, with the abandoned whaling station to the right)
Tomorrow will be more biomass experiences. We will visit St. Andrew's Bay, home to over 100,000 pairs of King Penguins. Oh, yeah, and more Shackleton, with a visit to his gravesite at Grytviken.
Our captain, Oliver Kreuss, is a very talented, experienced European mariner with an affinity for the sea and all things ice. He’s made the expedition incredibly enjoyable, as he has an open bridge policy (i.e., we can visit him and his crew anytime). It’s fascinating to review his charts, electronic gizmos, sonar, GPS, etc. If it gets too cold on the bow, we are welcome to sit on the bridge and watch the horizon for wildlife.
What makes this experience unique is that the staff/crew are enjoying the trip just as much, if not more, than the passengers. This is also true for our captain. He gently maneuvers our 293-foot vessel into narrow channels, lightly kisses glaciers with the bow, and gracefully backed our ship right next to Point wild on Elephant Island. The other day I was alone on the bow, and out he came in his short-sleeve shirt…he was extremely excited. He pointed out two fin whales on our port side, and exclaimed, “They are racing with the ship!” He also has a great sense of humor. One day, one of my fellow passengers was visiting the bridge. He asked her if she’d like to steer the ship. Yes, of course, she would. He brought her over to the steering wheel. When she gripped the wheel, it fell off and landed on the floor. She was completely freaked out, but the captain and crew burst out laughing. The joke was on her! The ship is not controlled by a steering wheel, but by electronic controls. Anyway…
Captain Kreuss felt it was important to brief us this evening regarding an expedition ship that went aground in Antarctica a few days ago. It was in a bay that was very shallow and it ran aground. Three high tides later, the ship is freed and now on its way to Ushuaia, Argentina. Our ship, The Endeavour, is shipshape!
Captain Kreuss was also excited about our going ashore at Point Rosa earlier today. He has captained 85 trips to Antarctica, many of which included South Georgia Island. He had attempted landings at Point Rosa only three times (including our visit), and today was the first time, in his experience, a landing was made. He was very excited, as was all of the crew and passengers. Truly a very special day.
It’s been three days since we last set foot on soil (or was that rock? snow? penguin guano?). You can imagine our excitement when South Georgia Island was sighted on the horizon just after lunch. We made a very wet landing at Point Rosa. Yes, we’re still on the Shackleton theme. Point Rosa is where Shackleton and five of his men landed after making their crossing in a “refurbished” wooden longboat from Elephant Island. There they rested for a few days, slept in a small cave, and prepared for their trek across the island.
Point Rosa (Shackleton’s “cave” is on the right hand side of the photograph; note the tussock grass, and the “green-ness of it all!)
Although South Georgia Island is separate from Antarctica, it has many similarities. We are still South of the Antarctic convergence, so the waters remain extremely cold with an abundance of krill. There literally is no land within hundreds of miles, so the island is a Mecca for all animals. Many come here to breed, including King, Macaroni, and Gentoo Penguins, albatrosses and other sea birds, elephant seals, fur seals, etc.
Two more species of albatross have been identified: the Grey-Headed and the Light Mantled Sooty Albatross…truly beautiful birds. Southern Giant Petrels are everywhere, including trailing the ship with whalebirds (prions). Check out the petrel chick. The tube on top of its beak drains a salty solution, which is an amazing adaptation to accommodate ingesting seawater.
Our afternoon trek was a little challenging, as a number of elephant seals and fur seals were lounging on the beach and in the tussock grass. You have to be careful not to disturb them, as they can be very aggressive. Apparently fur seals are able to outrun humans. Here is an interesting pair hanging out together on the beach: an elephant seal with a mellow Gentoo Penguin.
Now we are headed to the Northeast side of South Georgia Island, where more adventures await us!
It has been over two full days of sailing, but we have yet to reach our destination. We should arrive at the Western side of South Georgia Island sometime tomorrow afternoon. We have been passing the time with watching life alongside the ship (whales, seabirds, waves, sunsets), attending lectures, exercising (yes, the ship has a small gym with treadmills, stationary bikes, an elliptical trainer, and two stair steppers), and eating. Many have been seasick, and have remained in their cabins…while visions of terra firma danced in their heads!
There are two professional photographers on board, Joel Sartore (National Geographic) and Michael Nolan. They have been running seminars to teach us amateurs how to take better photographs. It is a unique experience to stand and shoot next to them. They are excellent coaches. When we were shooting whales, Michael was crying out specific commands regarding camera settings, composition, focus modes, etc., all the while taking photographs himself. This afternoon, most passengers submitted their five favorite photos of Antarctica, which where then openly critiqued by Michael and Joel. It was great fun to see everyone’s work.
The majority of our amazing crew is from the Philippines. They treasure the snow, and had a lot of fun making a snowman, snow penguin, and snow seal. Here they are, enjoying the special moment.
We will be seeing hundreds of thousands of King Penguins on South Georgia Island. We have been warned that the chicks, fluffy brown balls of down, are very curious. It reminded me of an inquisitive Gentoo chick I met at Port Lock Roy. He was intrigued by my pocket zipper pulls. That was so much fun, but also difficult, as we are not allowed to touch them.
The seas seem to be settling down just a little this evening. It was a colorful sunset. Red sky at night, sailor’s delight.
