There were some young gentlemen who rode their motorcycles all the way from north of Buenos Aires, over 3700 km (2300 miles). I photographed one of them by the sign validating his accomplishment. It reminded me of the movie about Che Guevara, “The Motorcycle Diaries.” Highly recommended.
Tierra del Fuego, “Land of Fire,” is a fascinating place. Geographical/political lines have evolved over the years. Chile and Argentina share the archipelago. Like Sarah Palin, although I was in Argentina, I could see Chile from the Beagle Channel. The land mass is nestled between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Magellan Straits is to the North. The Andes mountain range, the spine of South America, heads East and sinks beneath the sea. The landscape is amazing, with its rugged peaks, cirques, and glacial valleys, all within its watery milieu.
“I now belong to a higher class of mortals, for I have seen the Albatross” (Dr. Robert Cushman Murphy, 1936). Well, I’ve been fortunate enough to see this pelagic bird in New Zealand and the Galapagos Islands. I’m lucky again, as many black-browed albatrosses were sighted as we spent the remainder of Monday afternoon touring the Beagle Channel on a catamaran. They are mesmerizing, as they glide with what appears to be no effort, in and out of the waves. We will see many species of albatross on this journey, including the Royal Albatross, who breeds in New Zealand and migrates all the way to Antarctica, a major cuisine commute!
We boarded our ship, The Endeavour and became acquainted with our crew, ship layout, and accommodations. I’m in a quaint two-room cabin with two port-holes. The room is larger than I’ve had on previous trips, so it feels very spacious. Amenities include a spa, exercise room, a terrific library, and Internet access in the lounge. Dining is very relaxed and informal. No black tie requirements here.
This will be the Endeavour’s last Antarctica excursion, as she will move north and offer expeditions in the Galapagos Islands. The company’s new ship, The Explorer, will be Lindblad’s sole Antarctica ship.
On Monday evening, February 9, my ship entered the Drake Passage, approximately 55 degrees south latitude. The northern equivalent of 55 degrees latitude is near Hudson Bay. It is 650 nautical miles (747.5 land miles equivalent) from our first landing in Antarctica, the South Shetland Islands. It will take us over two days to reach our destination. The forecast is conservatively optimistic. We will have strong winds at our stern with approximately 15-foot waves. I anticipate our experience will be somewhere between the “Drake Lake” and the “Drake Shake!” There is a lot of anxiety amongst the passengers regarding seasickness. I have seen many Scopolamine patches behind peoples’ ears. The ship’s physician recommends treatment with meclizine. Tablets are set out in the reception area. Nuts at the bar, meclizine at reception. Help yourself. Our days will be filled opportunities to keep us distracted with lectures (birds, geology, history, photography), bird and whale watching, exercising, and relaxing.
On Tuesday morning I woke early and was surprised to see that I was feeling well. The night’s passage was incredibly smooth. However, when I looked out the window, I saw land! I reviewed my map and confirmed that no land should be in sight. I spoke with one of our guides who said a passenger became ill last night with pneumonia. She needed to be medically evacuated. So, just as we were leaving the Beagle Channel around 2200, the ship turned back. We returned to Ushuaia and arrived at 0300. It’s a new record for Lindblad: three trips in the Beagle Channel in one day! We subsequently entered the Drake Passage ten hours behind schedule. This experience makes you appreciate just how Antarctica is so remote. Although I’m certain it was a disappointment for the ill passenger to leave the ship, it could have evolved into a very serious situation, possibly resulting in death, without adequate medical care so far from civilization.
It is now Tuesday evening. We’ve had a rocky ride through the Drake Passage. Swells have been from 15 to 25 feet in height. The good news is, the 20-knot wind has been to our starboard stern, so it’s been pushing us along, in a rolling fashion. I spent the morning on deck, but once I sat down for lunch, I started to feel ill. There’s nothing like a long nap! I slept most of the afternoon, was able to return to the deck to shoot some photos of albatrosses (the Royal and Wandering Albatrosses), and actually enjoyed dinner.
Wednesday will be another full day at sea, comprised of more lectures, photography, reading, and preparation for our trips ashore. Antarctica landfall should occur in the evening.
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