This morning we reach our southernmost point in the cruise. The barometer was at 989, water at 1.8 degrees C, air at 1.5 degrees C, negligible wind.
After staying up for the sunrise at 3:23 am, it was tough to get up early, but one look outside and I couldn't miss the view.
Captain on the bridge (click to enlarge)
Mindy at Lemaire Channel
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We sailed through the Lemaire Channel, which is a very narrow and scenic channel at about 64 degrees West longitude and a little south of 65 degrees South latitude. At the southernmost point in the channel, the captain stopped the ship and turned the boat around. What a treat to see the channel twice! Next we sailed through Neumayer Channel to Weinke Island.
Port Lockroy (click to enlarge)
At about 10am we made it to Port Lockroy, a former British Antarctic Survey (BAS) base in a sheltered harbor. The port was named by the French explorer Charcot in 1904, and is named after the French politician Edward Lockroy (who founded Chacot's trip). Cath and Ben, two of the staff from Port Lockroy, came on board to give us some background information about the base and the surrounding area before our landing. The geography of this bay lends itself well to whaling, and whaling was common here from 1911-1931. By 1931 the whalers could work off of ships and didn't necessarily need sheltered harbors to process the blubber. After World War II there was a secret British Navy operation to set up the BAS base. The sailors didn't even know where they were going when they left (Ben told us one sailor sent a letter to his mom saying that he was issued sunglasses so he must be headed somewhere warm!) (Also known as the "mushroom method of personnel assignment" - Ed.). They meant to set up the base at Hope Bay (to monitor the naval activity around the tip of South America), but couldn't access it that year because the ice pack was too thick. Instead they established Base A at Lockroy. The first thing they officially established was a post office (in true British fashion) (I'm betting a tea shop was second - Ed.). After the war there wasn't much utility to the base, so they handed it over to scientists and science was the main purpose of the base from 1945-1962.
Gentoo Family
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"The Beastie"
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One particular machine they used daily was an ionosond, which was referred to by the men as "beastie" because it was huge, heavy, regularly caught fire, and often interfered with BBC transmission signals. Now the base is managed by the Antarctic Heritage Trust.
At the base, there are only two small buildings, one is a museum and the other is where the staff live (maybe 4 of them?). You can mail a post card to anywhere in the world from here for $1 (the card goes to the Falkland Islands, then to the U.K., then it enters the U.K. postal system).
At Port Lockroy, some scientific experiments have been conducted for 16 years evaluating the impact of tourism on the ecosystems. The area around the base has been split in half, with one half open the human traffic and the other an exclusion zone. The results so far indicate no major difference in biodiversity between the two zones, which either means that people are respecting the rules about minimal impact activities or that the management plans for Antarctic tourism have been effective so far.
On the island at Port Lockroy there are sheathbills, penguins, roaming skuas, and an insect named Belgica Antarctica.
Peninsula Group Volcanics
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Jougla Point dike
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Across the bay from Port Lockroy we landed at Jougla Point in Alice Creek Cove. There was a Wedell seal lounging on the beach, some whale bones assembled on a bluff (supposedly from a blue whale, but more than likely a mishmash of several whale types). The geology here is a hybrid of Andean intrusion suites (igneous rocks) from the Peninsula Group Volcanics.
Weddell Seal
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Upon return to the ship, we were treated to a BBQ lunch outside on the deck. True "southern" BBQ (becaus we are so far south...) (Larry's would beg to differ - Ed.). We took a group photo and prepared for a quick jaunt over to Neko Harbor (our last chance to actually walk on the Antarctic continent). As we sailed we passed a harbor named Paradise Harbor, and the light and scenery really made it look like paradise! Our little Neko Harbor is a bit more intimate though, and we had a delightful landing.
Real Southern BBQ
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Half of the ship decided to cruise in zodiacs while the other half landed for hikes and more penguins.
Humpback Whale
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The zodiac cruisers were in for a real treat as they got up close and personal with several Humpback whales. One zodiac was even bumped by a whale (Paul's zodiac), and another zodiac got close enough to catch a glimpse of a whale with an underwater camera (Greg's videography skills and an icy cold plunge of the hands).
Mindy at Neko Harbor
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The hikers were greeted by beautiful pink granites on the beach, a really nice dike, and gentoo penguins. I was with the hikers, and we hiked up a rock face and snow slope to get a good view of the glaciers coming out of the mountains. The beach here is dramatically different than it was just a couple of years ago (it has been shaped by tsunami-type waves created when the glaciers calve off the cliff face). This landing was our last chance to set foot on the Antarctic continent.
We hiked up a snowy rock face to get a good view of the glaciers surrounding the bay, and then slid down the snow in dramatic glissade form ("Glissade" is apparently geologist-speak for "sliding on your butt like a five-year-old" - Ed.). The glissade was quite fun!
Fun with Black Ice
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Natalie's Knit Fur Seal thru Black Ice
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On the way back in the zodiac we saw two humpback whales fairly close by, and one of our passengers (Heather) found a really cool chunk of ice that you could see through (and there was much fun taking photos of our faces in the ice like a funhouse mirror). Upon return to the ship, the crew had hot chocolate and brownies waiting for us outside the mud room.
Paradise Bay at Sunset, Leaving Neko Harbor
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All in all it was one of the best days so far... But there is one more day of landings to go, so we'll see what it brings tomorrow!
As we approach Cuverville Island, we are sailing in the Gerlache Strait with 20-25 knot winds, barometer at 991, air temp at 1.5 degrees C, water temp 1.8 C. Today will be a very long day, with two landings and staying up until the sun sets at about 11 pm.
Gentoo feeding (click to enlarge)
Gentoo nest (click to enlarge)
At our first landing we saw Gentoo penguin colonies on bluffs above a granite cobble beach. Many of the Gentoo were making nests out of rocks and feeding their newborn babies... watching their antics was quite amusing. The penguins would gather rocks for their nest by carrying them in their beak and building a pile one pebble at a time. Basically, each nesting couple has about 1 meter radius for their "territory" and they defend it by squawking and nipping at those who get too close (almost like living in New York City, but more space - Ed.). Sometimes they would try to take rocks from another penguin's pile, and a squabble would ensue. It was so fun to watch, and could captivate one for hours.
Sea1 Feet (click to enlarge)
Leopard Seal (click to enlarge)
Zodiac Cruise (click to enlarge)
We took zodiacs out to cruise around Cuverville Island and saw very cool icebergs (Hah! - Ed.) in the water, fallen from glaciers on the coastline. We cruised past one leopard seal lounging on a berg in the water, and gave him a wide berth as he swam around and near our zodiac (leopard seals are known to bite zodiacs for fun, which is not fun for humans). On the bluffs above the water line we spotted some blue-eyed shags nesting with their chicks (it actually sounds dirty if you say it in a British accent - Ed.).
Gerlache whales (click to enlarge)
In the afternoon the ship cruised south through the Gerlache Strait. The captain was kind enough to slow the ship while we watched about 8 Orca whales surround about 3 Humpback whales. We weren't sure if the Orcas were on the prowl, but all of the whales put on quite a show.
Almost all of the passengers went out to the deck to watch, and you'd think we were the whale paparazzi with all the clicking going on! (Insert Lindsay Lohan joke here - Ed.) Nearing the end of the Gerlache Strait we passed by some distinctively shaped rocks that are named Una's Paps (after a barmaid in the Falkland Islands long ago) (Boy, the Brits really know how to leave their mark on the world, don't they? - Ed.).
Underwater Iceberg
Iceberg keyhole (click to enlarge)
Iceberg heart (click to enlarge)
In the early evening we did a landing at Port Chacot on Booth Island. Booth Island is the western edge of the Lemaire Channel, where Gentoos, Chinstraps, and Adelies (all penguins) (sounds like something out of West Side Story - Ed.) are known to nest together. We hiked a short distance to a high point with a rock cairn at the top and saw a beautiful sunset over the water and icebergs in the distance. The icebergs floating in this small inlet were in sort of an "iceberg graveyard" and were either pinned to shore, grounded, or had no place to drift.
Mindy at sunset (click to enlarge)
Sunset cruise (click to enlarge)
Metamorphic iceberg (click to enlarge)
Iceberg! (click to enlarge)
At 10 pm, we loaded zodiacs to do a sunset cruise around the icebergs in the water. We saw another leopard seal on a small piece of ice, and it just watched us closely as we cruised by. The icebergs in this place are beyond description. The minute you think an iceberg is "just normal" you notice a detail that captivates and distracts you then you realize how beautiful and unique each one is. Towards the very end of our cruise we stumbled upon an iceberg that was truly amazing... The ice itself looked like an outcrop of metamorphic rock! We saw folding and faulting and several shear zones in the ice and everyone in the boat was nearly speechless!! ("Speechless" and geology don't normally go together, you see - Ed.) Those photos were the talk of the ship when we got back around midnight that evening.
A few of us hardy souls decided to stay awake to see the sun rise. It was difficult to keep our eyes open after such a long day, but it was worth it and we got some great photos. Until tomorrow... happy reading!
We have a very exciting day today. Early wake up to watch from the boat as we sail through Neptune's Bellows, which is the entry into an active volcano known as Deception island. Overnight we cruised at about 12 knots. This morning we have overcast skies, 2.5 degrees C air (still warmer than Arizona - Ed.), 1.5 C water, and 20-25 knot winds.
Stormy bay (click to enlarge)
As we sailed through Neptune's Bellows, it lived up to its name. I went outside at the level of the bridge and had trouble standing upright from the wind. Throughout the day we contended with the wind, those who hiked high had hurricane-force gusts, and those of us who stuck a little closer to shore still had 35 knot winds!
Red lava face (click to enlarge)
Volcanic boulders (click to enlarge)
Deception Island is a broken-circle shape, with the break at the southeast. The volcanic rocks that make up the island are Cenozoic age (younger than 65 million years old) (awww - baby rocks, how cute! - Ed.), and there have been large eruptions as recently as 1969. There are geothermally heated sands and waters along the shore. More on the water in a minute...
Lichens (click to enlarge)
Sprouting grass (click to enlarge)
Chilean Base (click to enlarge)
Whaler's Bay Tractor
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There are two abandoned bases on Deception Island. One is a Chilean base that was destroyed in 1969 when hot mud flows came off of the glacier-covered mountain behind the base. Nobody died, but those manning the base were able to hike to the other side of the island and seek rescue from the British Antarctic Survey base. That base was destroyed later the same year by more volcanic activity. The old British Antarctic Survey base was a little more intact than the Chilean base. There is still a hangar building and several other buildings from the base (somewhere out there, a British real estate agent is preparing a "fixer-upper" flyer - Ed.). Next to the base was an older whaling station, and in fact the bay here is called Whaler's Bay.
Mindy swims! (click to enlarge)
The black sand beach (click to enlarge)
OK, here comes the good part... At the end of the day, as the tide came in, about 20 or 30 of us stripped down to our bathing suits and swam in the thermally heated waters! The only slightly crazy thing is that the waters weren't that warm. The air temperature of the air was about 3 degrees C, and the wind was blowing at about 20 knots or more. The water that was moistening the black sand was maybe 90 degrees F or so, closer to 100 F if you dug your hands and feet into the sand. But, I wasn't going to let a little cold weather prevent me (OK, who are you and what have you done with my wife?! - Ed.) from dipping in a hot spring, so I ran into the surf up to my shoulders, then screamed up to the beach to warm my hands and feet in the sand (Ah, there she is. Never mind. - Ed.). Now I can say that I have swam in the Southern Ocean! And inside of an active volcano! What an amazing experience, and I'm so glad I am warm again as I write this.
Mindy above the crater (click to enlarge)
The hardest part was putting my 4 layers of clothes back on while I couldn't feel my fingers. Back to the ship for hot tub and then sauna!! Sailed out back through Neptune's Bellows and off to more adventures tomorrow!
Woke up to calm swells in the Antarctic Sound. Quite significant head winds are keeping progress slow (20-25 knot winds). The air outside is right at 0 degrees C (this is where I point out that Arizona is colder than Antarctica right now - Ed.), water temp -.7 C, and barometer at 981. We sailed through a storm earlier in the morning, and when we had our wake up call we were 25 miles from Hope Bay. The original plan for the day was to start by landing at Brown Bluff, but the ice and weather prevented us from doing that. So we sailed on, and got treated to a short lecture (what we call "opportunity training") by Richard Alley on ice cores.
Richard Alley started his lecture with a song he wrote called the Great Penguin Waltz (complete now with pictures of penguins from our trip). He reviewed several of the methods used to date ice cores, including radioactive isotopes, borehole temperatures, and fractionation of noble gases (I prefer counting how many licks it takes to get to the center, but to each his own - Ed.). Good review for those who know of ice cores already, and neat summary for those who didn't.
Esperanza Base (click to enlarge)
Mindy in Hope Bay (click to enlarge)
Joanna (click to enlarge)
After lunch we managed to land near an Argentine base in Hope Bay. The base is named Esperanza Base, and is where many Argentinians live permanently (as a way of establishing some political claims to land down here). Babies have been born on this base, weddings have been performed, and there is even a school here for the 20 or so kids that live on the base Best field trips EVER - Ed.).
Turbidite (click to enlarge)
Trace fossils (click to enlarge)
Our luck with weather returned and we had a delightful afternoon
enjoying geology and penguins. This is our first actual steps on THE continent of Antarctica! For many on board this marked the 7th continent they have visited. For me it makes the 6th (someday I'll make it to Africa to claim my 7th continent). On shore we saw some volcanic rocks from the Antarctic Peninsula Group (Cretaceous age), and turbidite sequences from the Trinity Peninsula Group (Triassic age). Mount Flora towered over us while we roamed the beach, then we cruised over to another section of the beach to see a large colony of Adelie penguins (As opposed to Adele penguins, which sing soulfully - Ed.).
Adelie Baby (click to enlarge)
Diving Adelies
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Adelie posse (click to enlarge)
The Adelie penguins were very cute! They spent most of their time going back and forth to the coastline (on little penguin highways that were very orderly), picking up rocks to build (and maybe decorate) their personal spot of land in the colony, and looking after their babies that were not quite old enough to be left alone. Penguin antics get funnier and funnier as you spend more time with them, and I likely now have thousands of pictures of the little guys. I also kept thoughts in my head of how much my son, Daniel, loves the cartoon "Penguins of Madagascar" (in the back of my head I kept hearing "Rico, Kowalski!") ("The Private probably won't survive" - Ed.).
Thousands of Adelies
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Walking away (click to enlarge)
After 5 hours of penguins, we were just about ready to head back to the ship (although many of us would have stuck on the beach for a few hours more). The ship captain was getting a bit nervous about the ice coming into the bay (I like this guy! - Ed.), so we quick-like shimmied out of there while the sun was setting. The sunset lasted for about 5 hours, and was still beautiful when I finally went to bed near midnight. This is likely our last shot at seeing tabular icebergs, and the Antarctic continent is beautiful, so nobody was keen on getting to bed.
Adelies saying goodbye (click to enlarge)
Tomorrow is another exciting day, where we'll visit an active volcano, hope that it won't erupt while we are there (Once again, things that were left out of the itinerary briefed to me - Ed.), and swim in some geothermal pools of water at Deception Island. Should be great!
