Adieu, Antarctica

Antarctica is still incredibly intriguing. The last few days have been tremendous. Yesterday morning, we had a true Antarctica experience with high winds, snow, and rough seas. Despite the conditions, we were able to make a landing on Brown Bluff, where we observed many Gentoo and Adelie Penguins, Antarctic Fur Seals, and seabirds.

Snowy Gentoo and Adelie Penguins



Adelie Atop an Iceberg



We spent the afternoon cruising the Northern tip of the Weddell Sea, entertained with unbelievable icebergs and tabular bergs. Tabular bergs aren’t true icebergs, as they do not come from glaciers. They actually are gigantic pieces of ice that have broken off of the ice shelf. The tabular bergs we saw most likely came off of the Larsen Ice Shelf. It took us over 30 minutes to navigate around a tabular berg, which must’ve been a least a mile or two in length!

Small Tabular Berg



Today we visited Elephant Island. For all of you history buffs that are familiar with Shackleton and the story of the Endurance, Elephant Island is a special place. There is a very small spit of land where 22 of his crewmembers camped out and waited to be rescued. They had already spent months on an ice shelf after their ship, The Endurance, was encased and eventually crushed by ice in the Weddell Sea. They made a treacherous crossing to Elephant Island in three wooden longboats. Shackleton and five crewmembers made the final passage to South Georgia Island, where they had to hike over glaciers and rough terrain before finally arriving at a whaling camp. How did they do that? A statue of Pardo, a Chilean officer whose ship rescued the crewmembers (with Shackleton’s assistance over four months later), is located on the small spit of land. Oh, and it’s accompanied with a number of Chinstrap Penguins.

Point Wild, Elephant Island



Today we bid goodbye to Antarctica. Now we are in the Southern Ocean in the outer reaches of the South Shetland Islands, making our way, once again, through heavy seas (rocking, rolling and pitching). The next step in our original itinerary included a visit the South Orkney Islands, but due to high winds (40 knots) and rough seas, our captain and expedition leader have set a course directly for South Georgia Island. We will arrive earlier than anticipated, but it sounds like an extra day there is like an extra day in paradise.

Another Penguin Species!

Today was more of a typical Antarctica day, with grey skies, strong winds, and cold temperatures. We arrived at Deception Island with the hopes to visit Bailey Head, but it was too unsafe to land Zodiacs on the shore due to the swells. Instead, we visited Whaler’s Bay, where there are many relics from the days of whaling as well as an abandoned British outpost. One of our guides, Mike Warr, worked at the British outposts in Deception Island and Adelaide Island in the early sixties. He shared many of personal anecdotes, which made the history of the island come alive.

Deception Island is a volcanic caldera, similar to Thira (Santorini Island) in the Greek Isles. The volcano erupted in the 1960’s, and there is almost daily seismic activity. Hot springs usually flow into the sea, making for a warm swim. Today, however, there was not any warm water, but still, some of my fellow passengers opted to go for a polar plunge. I did not witness the event, but apparently, it went very quickly. The eleven plungers were awarded certificates for their bravery. The remainder of us was awarded certificates for our good judgment!

Since we were unable to make any landings, we spent the afternoon cruising the outer coast of Deception Island in the Zodiacs. We watched leopard seals and visited a Chinstrap penguin colony, Vapour Colony. It’s a new (and fifth) species of penguin observed on the expedition. You can understand how it received its name.


Although I haven’t taken the greatest shots, I wanted to share some of my photos of the penguins flying through the water. This activity is referred to as “porpoising.” The still photos don’t even begin to capture the energy, which is exhilarating to experience! Yes, they are clumsy on dry land, but are incredibly swift and efficient in the water! Krill, anyone?

Chinstrap Penguins Porpoising

Gentoo Penguins Porpoising

To quote our expedition leader, “The seas are freshening” i.e., it’s starting to get really rough. This evening we have been gently reminded to secure our items, as it is possible they will go flying in the middle of the night. The Endeavour will forge onward with the plan to skirt the Northern fringe of the ice-filled Weddel Sea tomorrow. We hope to experience a different landscape in the Antarctic Sound as well as more ice, including the possibility of sighting tabular bergs!

One of the comments I have received on this blog stated I must have to pinch myself a thousand times a day. This is completely true. It feels incredibly surreal to be here, to experience Antarctica, its vastness, and all of its treasures.

Whale Tales

It’s been another crazy, action-packed day, filled with lots of history, scenery, and wildlife. The morning started with a kayak tour in a bay surrounded by glaciers. The rule of thumb is to stay away from a glacier by at least three times its height, in case the glacier calves (giant ice chunks break off and violently fall into the bay, resulting in large booms and huge waves). When I looked around, based on the height of the glaciers, we probably shouldn’t have been in the bay at all! We then toured a restored British outpost, Port Lock Roy, followed by hikes on the island.

The afternoon cruise down Andvord Bay was filled with numerous whale sightings: Humpbacks, Minke, and the Killer Whale (Orca type B). Of course, there was additional hiking in Neko Harbour, where Gentoo penguins and glaciers abound. This was the first official hike on the continent of Antarctica, as all of the previous landings were on islands.

Humpback Whale Tail



Minke Whale Showing Off



Antarctica Killer Whales (Orca Type B)

Lemaire Channel

It has been yet another unbelievable day in the Antarctic Peninsula. Weather continues to be incredibly warm (around 32 degrees Fahrenheit). The sun is strong, and everyone has sunburned faces. We started our day by hiking on Pleneau Island, and were once again entertained with Gentoo Penguins and unbelievable views of the channel, mountains, and glaciers. That was followed by a cruise down the Lemaire Channel, which is hard to describe in words. Perhaps a picture will help…



This afternoon we hiked on Torgersen Island. Just a few weeks ago it was crowded with thousands of Adelie penguins. Now, most of them have headed for the sea in preparation for the winter. However, there were still approximately one hundred colorful characters left behind, mostly chicks and active adolescents. It was interesting to actually see grass, Antarctic tufted grass. Here is a photo of an Adelie Penguin near a rock formation on Torgersen Island. Also included is a photo of three fluffy Adelie chicks.





Your tax dollars at work: we visited the U.S. research station at Palmer Island. The station is manned year-round, where marine, terrestrial, and atmospheric research is conducted. The National Science Foundation funds many of the projects. We met some of the scientists and learned about specific studies. The canary in the coalmine here is phytoplankton, which feeds the krill, which feeds the rest of the critters, and so on. Our world is warming quickly, and its velocity is fastest here in Antarctica… that is affecting the phytoplankton.

Here’s one last photo. It’s of some of my shipmates enjoying the wildlife and view from their Zodiac in Crystal Bay. Our expedition leader, Tim Soper, is manning the wheel. The blue background is an iceberg. Yes, they look silly, but they are also having a ball. Oh, and by the way, I looked just as silly as I took the photo from a separate Zodiac.

The Antarctic Circle and the Adelie Penguin

Well, it was another amazing day. Crystal Sound lived up to its name, with crystal blue skies, crystal waters, and crystal icebergs. Our captain has an affinity for the ice. He had no problems meandering around various icebergs. We crossed the Antarctic Circle this morning, escorted by Humpback Whales. The ship’s horn went off, and our captain made a champagne toast with the passengers to mark the occasion. It is only possible to navigate these waters in late summer due to the ice, so only approximately one in five of the company’s Antarctica excursions forge this far south in the Peninsula.

We spent the afternoon hiking on Detaille Island and visiting an abandoned British research station. Since the weather was once again unbelievably calm and warm, we stayed later than originally planned and cruised the bay in the Zodiacs. It was mesmerizing, viewing the icebergs, petrels, skuas, penguins, and seals (three species: Leopard, Weddel, and Crab Eater Seals). Now it’s late in the evening and we are headed North with plans to cruise the Lemaire Channel and visit Palmer Station, a United States research station on Anvers Island, on Saturday.

This is an iceberg in the Crystal Sound. To give you some perspective, that’s a seal on the lower right hand corner.



The penguin of the day is the animated Adelie Penguin. 

The adolescent Adelies are molting, and the last of their old feathers look like a mohawk on the tops of their heads!



The prize photo of the day was the Snow Petrel. Amazing bird, all white, and it never leaves the Antarctic, or as our naturalists say, it never leaves the ice.



Another great view of the moon, to end a superb day. I apologize for the low-resolution photos; they lose something in translation. I’m happy to share the original photos upon my return!

The Gentle Gentoo

     I arrived in Antarctica today, Thursday, February 12, 2009. The ship’s ride suddenly became smoother around 0300 this morning. I woke up early, looked out my porthole window, and was greeted by mountains, glaciers, and humpback whales. I headed out to the bow, and was entertained by the landscape, whales, and porpoising Gentoo penguins.

     Thursday was an unusually warm day. We bundled up for our hike on Danco Island, only to discover we were too hot! Not a cloud in the sky, barely a breeze, and although the water temperature was 31 degrees (yes, remember, it’s saltwater), the air temperature was 50 degrees. Our naturalists were joking that the expedition company obtained enough brochure photographs for the next five years!
     I spent the morning walking amongst Gentoo penguins. These creatures are very gentle. We are instructed to not get any closer than 5 meters. However, if you sit down and one walks closer to you, that’s acceptable. We are warned to give the molting penguins a wide berth, as molting requires a lot of energy, it’s itchy, and it makes the penguins irritable. We saw many chicks, some families with two chicks, and the chicks ranged from 3 to 8 weeks in age. The Oceanites researchers counted over 1800 chicks on the island today (by the way, they have to perform the counts three times, so that’s over 5400 counts for one colony; they visited three colonies today, and counted a total of 4898 Gentoo chicks)! Unfortunately, the younger chicks will not survive, as the parents will soon have to retreat to the seas for three weeks to eat like crazy before they molt for another three weeks. They won’t be able to complete raising the chicks.
     It was great fun to sit amongst the Gentoo penguins. They are quite comical in their behavior; squawking, stealing rocks, and having their chicks chase them. They have an unusual, inefficient, waddling gait, but once they are in the water, they are like torpedoes. The water is very clear, so we are able to watch them swim under water.
     The afternoon was spent sea kayaking alongside icebergs, penguins, petrels, gulls, skuas, and leopard seals! The bay kept booming with noises. Glaciers were calving and multiple avalanches occurred. It was surreal. Our captain was showing off his skills by gently maneuvering our ship to kiss (i.e., touch the bow) to various icebergs in the bay. Surreal again. Oh, and did I mention the icebergs were huge! Some were the size of an apartment building.
I have attached some photographs (I took hundreds of shots today). You’ll see I go to great extremes (e.g., lying on snow saturated with penguin guano) to get the best vantage point.

Fun results!

     I am also including a photo of a leopard seal. We saw many today, but literally no action, as they prefer to simply lie on ice floes. “Go with the floe” if you may!



     Tomorrow looks to be another exciting day. We are currently steaming farther South along the Antarctic Peninsula, with the goal to reach the southern part of Crystal Bay by early afternoon. This region is located South of the Antarctic Circle (66 degrees and 30 minutes South latitude). Our plans may change, based on the amount of ice en route.

Making a Wake in the Drake

     It’s Wednesday afternoon, and we’re still crossing the Drake Passage. We’re now South of 60 degrees latitude, so we’re officially in Antarctic waters. It’s getting smoother, and we’re acquiring our sea legs. Our first landing will be at Danco Island sometime tomorrow. We’re still mesmerized with the albatrosses and petrels. Some rockhopper penguins were seen this morning, heads bobbing in the water. A researcher from Oceanites is excited of the prospect of sighting beaked whales. We’ll keep our fingers crossed and our eyes on the horizon. I’m hoping to attach a photo of a wandering albatross. Amazing bird, floating effortlessly, with a huge wingspan (eight to twelve feet)! I’m also attaching a photo of the cape petrel, an efficient bird with beautiful wing markings.

Ushuaia, The Beagle Channel x 3, and the Drake Passage

We arrived in Ushuaia, Argentina early Monday afternoon. We toured the Tierra del Fuego National Park, which is part of the Andean Patagonian Forest. It literally is, “El Fin del Mundo” (the end of the world). Highway 3, which is the tail-end of the Pan American Highway, concludes here. It originates in Alaska, and is over 17,000 km in length (~10,500 miles). 

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.

Santiago Layover

     I've arrived safely in Santiago, Chile.  It's a striking contrast, leaving the frozen prairie and suddenly experiencing the arid, hot Andes.  I walked around the city on Saturday, and enjoyed the Chilean energy. Santiago is relatively quiet this time of year, as many people leave to enjoy their summer homes on the coast.  The locals are very friendly, and they love their ice cream.  I was able to sample some chocolate pepper ice cream, which was very sweet, followed by a subtle burn down the throat. Interesting juxtaposition.

     It's fun to stroll through the local markets.  I'm able to get a feel for the people and their culture.  I visited a fish market, and am always fascinated by all of the sea creatures and their culinary potential. Check out the pescada (fish) and pulpos (octopus, raw and then served grilled with sundried tomato risotto)!

     Dusk was terrific. The sun going down in the West, with the moon rising from the East over the Andes...only a few days short of being full.  It's nice to experience longer daylight hours after feeling like a mole in sun-starved Minnesota.  Today the sun set around 8:45 PM!

     Dinner was a smorgasbord of Chilean cuisine and wines.  It was great to sip a Pisco Sour.  Its initial tartness immediately reminded me of some very good times in Peru.  Pisco has a way of making everything taste better, even anticuchos (barbecued beef hearts)!  Although I have Peruvian Pisco at home, it's difficult to replicate the recipe without the South American limons.

     "Of all of the gin joints, in all the towns, she walks into mine."  No, this isn't Morocco, however, Sunday afternoon was spent west of the city, in Casablanca.  It's a municipality nestled between Santiago and the coast. Apparently Chile's best Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir wines are from this region.  It was a relaxing afternoon, spent touring the area combined with a lovely lunch.  Oh, yeah...and drinking wine.  

     Sunday evening was spent meeting 100 of my new best friends, my shipmates, who will be joining me on this adventure.  We mingled by the pool and had a nice dinner.  Everyone is excited.  There was at least one familiar face, Tim Soper.  He is our expedition leader, the same role he had when I was in Baja, Mexico whale watching.

     On Monday morning, an early chartered flight will take us to Ushuaia, Argentina.  We will tour the Beagle Channel in a catamaran prior to embarking on our ship, The Endeavour, headed towards Antarctica.  And away we go!

Off to the Southern Climes

    Today is the start of what is anticipated to be an amazing adventure: Antarctica, South Georgia Island, and the Falklands. This will be my seventh, and thus final, continent to lay foot upon. 

    As with my recent trip to Madagascar, there are many steps to this journey.  First, South America, with a stopover in Santiago Chile.  That makes it difficult to pack, as we're anticipating average temperatures in Antarctica to be from 20 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and it's been in the 90's in Santiago.  After a few days in Santiago, we'll head further South, to Ushuaia, Argentina.  From there we will embark on our ship, The Endeavour, which will be our home for the following month.  

    This is a map of our sea voyage, downloaded from Lindblad Expeditions. We will depart Tierra del Fuego Archipelago, with Cape Horn to our West, Antarctica due South. We cross the Drake Passage, which sometimes can be rough, the "Drake Shake," but sometimes quiet, referred to as, "The Drake Lake."  Fingers are crossed for a tranquil ride. There will be rough waters, but our double-hulled ship's stabilizers will help smooth the ride.

    Intermittent Internet access will be available on the ship, so I hope to make blog entries during my travel.  Everyone has asked so many questions about Antarctica, glaciers, birds (penguins!), whales, Shackleton, greenhouse effect, global warming, and even, "Why would anyone go to Antarctica?"  It's my goal to address these questions, post photos and more during my experience.   All aboard!