Antarctica – Land of Heroes 2022
1st December - 20th December 2022
MS Island Sky
Thursday 1st December. Puerto Madryn
Of the gladdest moments in life, methinks is the departure upon a distant journey to unknown lands. Shaking off with one mighty effort the fetters of habit, the leaden weight of routine, the cloak of many cares and the slavery of home, man feels once more happy … afresh dawns the morn of life.
Sir Richard Burton, Journal entry, 2 Dec 1856
The Aerolineas Argentinas flight arrived about 35 minutes late into Trelew Airport from the sweltering heat of Buenos Aires. A stiff breeze and a temperature of around 25 C was perhaps a little more bearable as the luggage was collected and the coaches were loaded to make the 60 kms journey to Puerto Madryn. These Welsh-sounding place-name originates from the time of Welsh settlers who arrived in the area in 1865 to begin a new life. The bus journey across the steppes of Chubut province, Patagonia was uneventful as we gazed at the massed ranks of wind turbines and even at the life-sized statue of an enormous dinosaur which had been found in the area around Trelew (Lewis’s village). The arrival at the end of the long pier with the ship alongside was not without its comedy. All the hand luggage had to be placed on the ground with everyone standing well downwind of the line. And there was plenty wind blowing! A welcome cup of tea and something to eat was quickly followed by a short briefing and a lifeboat drill, where large orange lifejackets were tried and fitted. The lifeboat drill was squeezed in before dinner with everyone donning the bright orange lifejackets, which we hope never to have to use in earnest. Owing to the strong wind blowing, which seemed initially to moderate and then regroup for another blow, the ship was unable to leave the quay at the scheduled time because of the diminutive size of the pilot boat which was unable to cope with the sea conditions and which was to return the pilot back to the mainland. Nevertheless a welcome dinner was served both on the slighty breezy Lido deck and in the restaurant. We departed sometime after 2200.
Friday 2nd December. At Sea towards the Falkland Islands
I think we shall have a very interesting trip to the Falklands as we go to the West Island where hardly anyone has been, except sealers and such–like ruffians. Commander Sir William Wiseman.
Royal Navy Commanding Officer H.M.S. Dwarf, Falkland Islands, 1881-1882, in a letter to his wife
A day at sea en route to the Falkland Islands. Conditions once leaving the confines of Bahia Gales (Welsh Bay) were favourable with a following wind and sea which made for a comfortable voyage. During the morning Mark gave a lavishly illustrated talk on the Falklands War of 1982 and this was followed by Simon, our ornithologist who showed a representative sample of the birds we are likely to see during our voyage to and on the Falkland Islands. There were an enthusiastic group of guests who spent long hours gazing at the passing birds with Giant Petrels, Wilsons Storm Petrels and Great Shearwaters much in evidence. Southern royal albatrosses and black-browed albatrosses were also frequent attendees. During the afternoon there was some administrative entertainment with distribution of waterproof boots and jackets to everyone. With the weather as clement as it was a wildlife watch from the deck revealed more interesting observations with a distant whale (unidentified), a bull fur seal and a selection of birds. Later Pam gave an outline of the voyage ahead and the various staff members introduced themselves and their area of expertise. An introduction to Zodiac operation was given by Dave and a demonstration of the donning of the neoprene survival suit by Ignacio (Nacho). Everyone dispersed to reappear some time later for the Captain’s Welcome party in the lounge where some of the ship’s officers were presented and a toast drunk to the success of the voyage, before a special dinner in the restaurant.
Saturday 3rd December. At sea towards the Falkland Islands
How fresh was every sight and sound on open main or winding shore! We knew the merry world was round, and we might sail for evermore.
The Voyage. Alfred Lord Tennyson
Our first event for the morning was a talk from Chris on the geology of the Falkland Islands preceded by a few words on the history of discovery in 1592 by John Davis. Later in the morning Mike gave a fascinating and detailed account of the Falklands War from someone who was there. In the early afternoon Genna held an informal photo workshop in the lounge to help everyone get the most of their photographic apparatus whether it be a high end SLR or a smartphone. As were approached our landfall at the north-western corner of the archipelago the weather conditions altered subtly with a swell coming in from the west. The cloud cover increased a bit as we motored along the north-east coast towards our intended landing spot. From the ship it was obvious that any landing onto rocks would be potentially unworkable as well as significant difficulty of loading boats at the marina. The ship then passed through the channel between Steeple Jason and Grand Jason and its outliers and was met with turbulent conditions where the current and wind were conflicting. Anyone on the open deck four forward would have had at least a spray bath as Island Sky ploughed through the gap and turned north- westwards to pass along the windward side of the island. The shoreline fringe was a seabird city and constitutes the largest black-browed albatross colony in the world with an estimated 180 thousand pairs and we had a good view of a large part of the colony. A rain shower passed through fairly quickly confirming the Falkland weather lore of “four seasons in a day”. The possibility of landing on the south-western shore were even less possible than the other side of the island and in due course Island Sky turned and headed for a sheltered anchorage off Carcass Island.
4th December 2022. Grave Cove and West Point, Falkland Islands
Away with systems! Away with a corrupt world! Let us breathe the air of the Enchanted Island
George Meredith
It was an earlier start this morning in order to cram as much into the day as possible. The anchor was raised from our position off Carcass Island at 0600 and we motored round into Death Cove to arrive off Grave Cove shortly after 0700. A small yacht anchored close in. In due course Marie-Paul, the owner of Dunbar Station was collected from the beach and brought to the ship to then give an overview of life on what is the most westerly part of West Falkland Island. Thereafter everyone was ferried ashore in the Zodiacs. Some guests chose to remain in the vicinity of the landing but many made the pleasant walk of around a mile over springy turf to the windward beach. Here amongst the logs of driftwood we were greeted by gentoo penguins who had emerged clean and shiny from the surf and were making their way to the various colonies dotted around the valley. However, perhaps more entertaining were the Commerson’s dolphins which delighted everyone as they surfed in the waves and generally enjoyed themselves. Turkey vultures and striated caracaras (Johnny Rook in Falkland parlance) were also present in numbers and many smaller birds also appear on the bird list. Lunch aboard was largely taken in the bright sunshine on the Lido Deck for many although a cool breeze whistled past the ship as we lay at anchor just off the bay of West Point. The weather remained bright and sunny as everyone made their way up the steep slope past the house, through the dense gorse thickets and over the hill towards the albatross colony at the Devil’s Nose. A couple of Land Rovers were available to transport those that required it. Initially at the albatross colony, shared with noisy neighbours in the form of rockhopper penguins, there were not many flying birds but as the afternoon progressed more albatrosses were making low passes over our heads. Some sleeping sea lions were also spotted on a rock ledge near the water. The lure of tea and cakes back at the settlement courtesy of Thies and Kicki our hosts and caretakers of the island was a welcome respite before a finally run back to the ship in a choppy sea. Commerson’s dolphins gave us a finally display before we left by bow-riding one of the Zodiacs inbound to the ship. Our recap this evening included a briefing by Pam on tomorrows events, Chris gave a plea to use sunscreen in view of the thinning of the ozone layer over Antarctica and Southern Ocean and Dave showed a number of quirky aspects of life in Stanley. Kim completed the recap with an explanation of why the Governor of the Falkland Islands was visiting the ship tomorrow. This is due to Noble Caledonia helping to resupply and repatriate British Antarctic Survey personnel from Rothera Base at 68° South on the Antarctica Peninsula at the time of the Covid lockdown regulations. During the evening and overnight a passage was made along the northern edge of the Falkland Islands and early morning saw us making an approach into the Outer Harbour, through The Narrows and into Stanley Harbour to tie up alongside FIPASS (Falkland Interim Port and Storage System).
Monday 5th December 2022. Stanley Falkland Islands
The street of that port is about a mile and half long. It has the slaughter house at one end and the graveyard at the other. The chief distraction is to walk from the slaughter house to the graveyard. For a change one may walk from the graveyard to the slaughterhouse.
Ernest Shackleton, 1916
There was a moderate breeze as everyone disembarked for the various tours and excursions that had been arranged. These included a walking tour to illustrate some of the sights of Stanley, a farm tour to Fitzroy which lies south of Stanley and a battlefields tour which took in some of the salient points of the Falkland war in 1982 when Argentina decided that they needed to acquire some more territory. After lunch there was an opportunity to visit the sights of Stanley or take a further excursion to Gypsy Cove to the east of FIPASS to see some more penguins. Throughout the morning the wind abated and the day was fine, even warm. The final excursion group arrived back at the ship from Gypsy Cove at almost the same time as the last shuttle from the centre of Stanley. Once the final preparations were made the lines were slipped and Island Sky moved across Stanley Harbour, through the Narrows and out into Port William. Chris described the scene where the SS Great Britain, Brunel’s great steamship had lain abandoned at Sparrow Cove until she was recovered and shipped back to Bristol and the dry-dock in which she was constructed and can now be visited. Shortly after we could feel a gently swell pick up as we passed the Cape Pembroke lighthouse. Further offshore flights of white-chinned petrels were waiting for dusk before making a landfall. After Pam’s briefing and account of the weather prospects for the crossing to South Georgia, Mark talked briefly about Antarctic rations and how they have changed over the years, followed by Simon who told a story about how his name was blazoned across his forehead during presentation eliciting amusement amongst his audience. After dinner a light-hearted quiz was held in the bar with Mike as the quizmaster.
6th December 2022. At sea towards South Georgia
If God ever wanted to take a vacation, he (or she) would take it in South Georgia
Frank Todd
A day at sea meant a relaxing and leisurely breakfast. However there was plenty to keep everyone occupied. First in line was Simon who gave an illustrated account of various penguin species that we may see and some of the biological aspects of penguins. In the late morning Mark covered a variety of topics around the development of the Beaufort Scale of wind strength. During the afternoon we had the mandatory IAATO and biosecurity briefing prior to arriving on South Georgia. A very intense and thorough cleaning of all equipment likely to be going shore was displayed for inspection. During the late afternoon Chris was about to launch into a story about Sir Ernest Shackleton when Orca were spotted close by. Needless to say the whales took precedence and the lecture was postponed. Whales are always worth watching and particularly to spot Orca out in the open ocean is remarkable. It is uncertain what they were feeding on but it could have been a minke whale.
7th December 2022. At sea towards South Georgia. Shag Rocks
I now belong to a higher cult of mortals, for I have seen the Albatross
Robert Cushman Murphy “Log Book for Grace” 1937
Another day at sea. Colin presented a programme detailing the seals we are likely to encounter during the voyage at 0930. Later in the morning we had one of the several mandatory briefings concerning how to behave around wildlife and in general why South Georgia is so special and the measures to try and maintain it so. During Afternoon Mark talked about giant icebergs and how they are generated and move around Antarctica. Shortly before 1600 in remarkably good weather conditions the small group of islands of Shag Rocks appeared on the horizon. As we approached the Captain took a course southwards then east and north to allow us to view the rocks from three sides and so a good view was obtained from an unusual side. Shag Rocks are effectively a micro-continent and appear to have been translated eastwards from South America. All the real estate on the guano-covered rocks appears to have been taken by the eponymous shags, which must hatch, live and die on the rocks. There is the off-lying Black Rock somewhat to the SE of the main group, which could be seen as the waves swept over it. The bird life around the ship included an Arctic skua (somewhat out of normal area) harassing, without apparent success, a wandering albatross. Around the rocks the Imperial Shags could be seen carrying seaweed back to the rocks in order to maintain their nests. There was an increase in the numbers of Antarctic prions around the ship as we continued on our former course towards South Georgia. Before dinner this evening we had a briefing from Pam and Chris gave a few snippets of information on the geology of South Georgia and how different it was to that of the Falkland Islands. Kim outlined the purpose of the Noble Caledonia Charitable Trust (NCCT) and some of the projects that any monies raised goes to help fund. She also announced the winner of the sweepstake on the time of the ship passing through the convergence. A jigsaw was duly awarded.
8th December 2022. South Georgia, Right Whale Bay, Salisbury Plain
Lands doomed by Nature to perpetual frigidness, never to feel the warmth of the sun’s rays, whose horrible and savage aspect I have not words to describe. Such are the lands we have discovered, what then may we expect those to be, which lie still further to the south
From the journal of Captain James Cook, H.M.S. Resolution 1775
During the night we continued to roll gently towards South Georgia and during the early morning passed the Willis Islands and Bird Island which lie at the extreme western end of the island of South Georgia (NEVER “South Georgia Island” !). Although the conditions did not look favourable with a north-westerly swell having picked up overnight the ship had a quick look into Elsehul, a small sheltered harbour at the western end of the island and confirmed that the anchorage position was too exposed to permit operations and so we headed further east to Right Whale Bay which is protected by a promontory. As we entered the bay the swell died away but an occasional blast of 40 knots of wind rolled over the mountains and caused the spray to lift and a short chop to occur, and then it would die away to leave the regional airflow of 5-10 knots. A scout boat confirmed what could be seen from the ship - that the fur seal population precluded any possibility of landing. Bulls with their harems of female seals and progeny were equidistantly spread along the beach with no obvious break in the line that we could have exploited to make a landing. Additionally the beach was steep with a distinct drop-off into deeper water making any beach landing hazardous. Therefore the decision was made to Zodiac-cruise the beach and bay. There were a good number of king penguins making their ablutions and giant petrels (GP’s), Antarctic terns and Cape Petrels (aka Cape Pigeon or Pintado Petrel) were also much in evidence. Onshore there was a good smattering of elephant seals at either end of the long beach. Snowy sheathbills and Skuas also patrolled their territories. After over an hour in the Zodiacs it was time to return to the ship – the rain was slight and intermittent but the wind gradually abated during the morning. For a first introduction to South Georgia it was perfect without running the gauntlet of fur seals and their testosterone. During lunch the ship repositioned eastwards to the Bay of Isles, so named by Captain Cook in 1775. The bay is fairly exposed to the north-westerly wind but the islands offshore do help to minimise the worst of the weather. Two Zodiacs were launched to go and assess the situation on the beach and after much deliberation with regards to the location and wave conditions it was deceided to proceed with a landing but only for those who considered themselves sprightly. Around 1500 the first guests arrived and Chris and Simon walked along the beach avoiding the sleeping fur seals and occasional king penguin until the edge of the colony was reached. This gave a breath-taking view of both adult and juvenile king penguins which stretched into the distance up the hill at the back of the main colony. Other birds were scattered in groups on the grass field to the west of the main colony. The overall feeling was one of “are we really here?” and “is this real”, but in general one of awe. Skuas whizzed overhead maintaining a watching brief over their “supermarket” and an occasional duck (probably the SG pintail) passed by. By the return time to the ship the wind had moderated somewhat. The pressure hose was out to maintain clean Zodiac and clean apparel for our inspection at Grytviken tomorrow. The recap this evening featured Kim talking about Bernard Stonehouse, who unravelled some of the breeding mystery of King penguins. Simon illustrated an anecdote, the punchline of which I cannot recall even a few minutes after its promulgation. The sweepstake for the first iceberg was drawn and won. During dinner the ship repositioned to Hercules Inlet but it was too dark to linger and so we pressed on to drop anchor at 2145 off Stromness whaling station.
9th December 2022 South Georgia, Stromness, Grytviken
Do not let it be said that Shackleton has failed….No man fails who sets an example of high courage, of unbroken resolution, of unshrinking endurance.
Roald Amundsen
Pam gave everyone a gentle wake up call at 0630 with the good news that the weather was bright and sunny as we lay at anchor off Stromness whaling station. The staff boat with all the emergency equipment departed for the beach around 0730 and as soon as we were established on the beach the guests were brought ashore onto a gravelly beach with the obligatory attendant fur seal population. The landing spot was at a small lagoon area where the water provided a slight divisional barrier between competing male fur seals. The first group were the “far and fast” long walk which hoped to get to the col overlooking the valley where Shackleton, Crean and Worsley would have heard the steam whistle from the whaling station to confirm that there were on the right track. The second group arriving on the beach were the “waterfall” group who headed up the valley keeping mainly to the braided stream bed to reach the foot of the waterfall down which the explorers had abseiled. The third group ambled across the valley floor towards the elephant seal haul-out along and above the beach. Everyone was catered for in terms of desires and ability. Both South Georgia pipits and the South Georgia pintail meat-eating duck were spotted. Terns were nesting in the valley and a small Gentoo penguin colony was well inland at the top of a moderate hill. There were also one or two king penguins who appeared to be moulting or just a big ragged. The scenery was spectacular with the local mudstone often weathering to give a deep iron-rich coating on the rocks on the valley floor. During lunch we sailed round to Cumberland East Bay but en route those on the Lido had a good view of Mount Paget, South Georgia’s highest peak at over 2922metres. A vast cloud bank also made for a dramatic scene. On our approach to Grytviken a few humpback whales were spotted and the ship was slowed as we passed them. A zone of brash ice calved from the Nordenskjold Glacier was present at the entrance to Grytviken and this also slowed our approach. The cross on Hope Point originally erected by Shackleton’s comrades in 1922 was visible as we approached and gradually the buildings of King Edward Point and the BAS base and administrative centre became visible. At the head of the bay rusting red metal structures, the remains of the partially dismantled whaling station could be seen. After a thorough biosecurity inspection by the Government Officer everyone was landed below the graveyard. In small groups they walked to the site of Shackleton’s grave where Chris gave a short discourse on the great man and we then drank a toast in memory of The Boss and to explorers everywhere. Everyone was then free to explore Grytviken in their own time. Later Sarah led a group up the valley to a point half way to Maiviken and got wonderful views towards Mount Paget. For others there were many places to visit as well as the museum run by the South Georgia Heritage Trust and the Post Office behind the manager’s house/museum. Some tried their hand at bell ringing in the church and others made many photographs. Back on board, there was a short briefing from Pam and Mark told a story about his part in the downfall of an octopus. During the evening we left Grytviken and around 2130 anchored in St Andrews Bay ready for an early start in the morning.
10th December 2022. South Georgia St Andrews Bay and Gold Harbour
I have often had the impression that, to penguins, man is just another penguin: occasionally violent, but tolerable company when he sits still and minds his own business.
Bernard Stonehouse, the Antarctic scientist who unravelled the mysteries of the King penguins breeding cycle.
An early start this morning with breakfast operation in the dining room and Lido deck starting at 0600, although the expedition staff were there a bit earlier to give time to establish a safe landing place on the beach. Landing commenced at 0700. St Andrews Bay is an iconic location with a huge glacial outwash plain and moraine deposits which allow a little elevation gain to overlook a vast penguin colony. It is the location that has been used by the BBC from “Life in the Freezer” onwards. The landing into a corner of the beach was an attempt to mitigate the effects of the wave surge and make disembarking easier. Everywhere the beach was crowded with penguins and seals but fortunately this location has a preponderance of elephant seals rather than fur seals which makes for a slightly safer area. Giant petrels were also very much in evidence. Negotiating the elephant seal weaners to gain the grassy areas behind the beach was the first obstacle. The main consideration in order to gain a bit of elevation to overlook the main penguin concentration involved crossing the melt stream but there were staff on hand to do this and there were no inadvertent swimming classes! The sight of the huge penguin colony is an awe-inspiring moment. There were fur seals lying around and unless you were particularly vigilant there was an occasional growl. But there was also lots of activity on the beach with king penguins coming in and out of the water, elephant seals sparring amongst themselves and a general hubbub. It is astonishing to think that all these animals depend entirely on a small shrimp-like crustacean called Euphasia superba aka krill which also sustains whales. Everyone was back aboard by 1045 and the ship departed for Gold Harbour, around 2 hours south-east. En route there were a good number of blows of humpback whales sighted and some quite close to the ship. We witnessed a couple of breaches too when whales leap out of the water before crashing with a huge splash. It is uncertain why they do this – for fun, to rid themselves of parasites or to attract attention? The Lido was busy for lunch as we motored along the coast admiring the jagged snow-clad peaks and after crossing Royal Bay turned into Gold Harbour. The name has changed over the years from Sandwich Bay to Anna’s Bay to Gold Harbour but there is no gold here, perhaps only iron pyrites (fools gold). Again the landing site was scouted on this predominantly elephant seal and king penguin beach. The backdrop for the bay is the Bertrab Glacier which hangs over a vertical cliff and must periodically break off and crash into the lagoon. During the short landing the weather went from sunny/bright to overcast and by the time the last Zodiac had departed the beach it was snowing heavily. Perhaps a fitting closure to a wonderful day and indeed a complete set of planned landings on South Georgia. The weather continued murky as we departed from Gold Harbour with the snow continuing to fall. The Captain took the ship through Cooper Bay and inside Cooper Island with the hope of seeing a little more of the landscape and perhaps a chinstrap and macaroni penguin or two. We did pass another vessel attempting a landing in the vicinity but of the land we saw virtually nothing, given the visibility. It has been proposed to poke our bow into Drygalski Harbour, a long fjord but visibility-wise this too seemed pointless and so a course was shaped for Cape Disappointment and thence into the Scotia Sea.
11th December 2022. Scotia Sea towards Elephant Island
“Who’s there, besides foul weather?”
William Shakespeare.Kent in King Lear Act 3, scene 1
With the activity of the earlier days it was a pleasant relief to have a bit if lie-in this morning. The sea state had contributed to a moderate amount of banging and crashing and shuddering as the ship ploughed through the swell which was on our starboard bow. Nevertheless there was still a good turnout for breakfast and the stalwarts were on the Lido and keeping an eye on the bird-life as it winged its way past the ship on the 20-25 knots of wind. The sea was a little confused which made for a slightly irregular motion. The first event of the morning was Colin’s talk on some of the submarine life which inhabits a world which many will rarely see. There was time for a coffee before a full house for a comprehensive talk on the “race” of Amundsen and Scott to reach the South Pole in 1911-12. The point of the additional scientific work done by the British expedition contrasts nicely with the single-mindedness of the Amundsen journey whose main aim was to get to the pole (and back!) as quickly as possible without any other subsidiary scientific motive. And Amundsen and his team used both skis and dogs, skills that had been learned in the Arctic. During the afternoon after lunch, which again could be taken in the open air of the Lido, watching the Cape petrels winging past the ship, as well as the restaurant, a rest period was declared. Later in the afternoon Kim explained some of the policies and governance of the Antarctic Treaty, its various committees and how it all works. She touched on the areas of dissent and possible areas of conflict in the future, but everyone hopes that Antarctica will remain a universal continent devoid of petty political point scoring and remain a continent for science. At recap this evening, Dave gave an account of the reindeer that had been brought south and released on South Georgia and the penguins that had been taken north and released on the Lofoten Islands in northern Norway. Both animal species are now absent form both locations. Generally it is not a good idea to translocate animals from one continent to another.
12th December 2022. Scotia Sea and A76a
‘The foam of the breaking sea surged white around us. We felt our boat lifted and flying forward like a cork in a breaking surf’
Ernest Shackleton South
Through the night the seas had been moderating from a 3 metre swell and the wind had gradually been dropping. Again a leisurely breakfast time slot this morning but there was a good turn-out for Simon’s presentation of his experiences on the other side of the continent where the Ross Sea impinges on the land. It is here that the huts established and used by Scott and Shackleton in their various bids for the glory of reaching the South Pole. The huge American Base at McMurdo Sound somewhat swamps the isolation of these historical artefacts. The Captain had allowed short visits to the bridge to see the workings of the ship and four groups were shown the “nerve centre” of the ship and an impromptu explanation of the various screens, levers and panels was given by some of the expedition staff. Shortly after lunch as conditions moderated even further with blue sky and sun breaking through we started to see an ice blink over A76a, a massive iceberg which had broken from the Ronne-Filchner Ice Shelf in the southern Weddell Sea in May 2021, and was now drifting in the Scotia Sea. We had altered our direct route from South Georgia to the Bransfield Strait to view this gargantuan piece of floating ice which at the most recent estimation was 73 x 14 nautical miles. We sailed alongside this island until around 1930 – some 6+ hours at 13 knots! Meanwhile in the lounge Mark gave a compilation of some the BBC Frozen Planet documentaries he had been involved with as an academic advisor. Before dinner with an approaching calm sea, almost unheard of for this part of the Southern Ocean Pam gave a briefing on our plan for the morning before Sarah drew attention to some of the artists who use polar subjects for their canvases and Colin put the British Antarctic Survey personalities of Joe Farman, Dave Shanklin and Brian Gardener behind the discovery of the reduction of ozone over Antarctica every winter and the struggle to have this piece of ground-breaking science published. By way of ?entertainment an amusing evening of Call my Bluff (with an Antarctic theme) was arranged in the lounge after dinner. With a team of Mark, Nacho, Kim and Simon and Mike as Chairman the contestant lied or otherwise obfuscated a series of definitions designed to fool the audience.
13th December 2022. Elephant Island and Bransfield Strait.
Men are not old here, only the rocks are old, and the sheathing ice: Only the restless sea, chafing the frozen land, ever moving, matched by the ceaselessly-circling sun…
Frank Debenham. Geologist on Scott’s Last Expedition.
Pam gave a gentle wake-up call at 0720 to advise everyone that conditions outside were amazing and that we were approaching Elephant Island. It is difficult for everyone to appreciate that we were not in the Roaring Forties, nor the Furious Fifties but in the Screaming Sixties and yet on looking at the sea it was glassy calm with barely a swell running and blue sky and sunshine. A quick breakfast and then with the scout boat with staff away to assess a possible landing at Point Wild on Elephant Island it was a case of fingers crossed. The word came back that a short-stay landing was possible for virtually everyone that wanted. Point Wild is notoriously difficult to land on generally because of its location on the edge of the Drake Passage and therefore subject to all the depressions that squeeze through that gap from the Pacific to the Atlantic. A rotation was planned which allowed everyone the opportunity to land for 15 minutes and admire the chinstrap penguins and the bust of Luis Pardo, the Captain of the small harbour tug “Yelcho” which rescued the 22 men left on Elephant Island after the demise of the ship Endurance. Staff were on hand to assist on shore at this iconic location in the Shackleton story. A short Zodiac cruise was also given in the vicinity of Point Wild. In rounding the eastern end of Elephant Island at Cape Valentine we encountered probably a couple of dozen fin whales and possibly also a blue whale intent on feeding. A great sight which interrupted lunch on the Lido when we passed three fin whales close to the ship. Genna had managed to obtain a copy of the World Cup football match which removed the England team from the tournament courtesy of the French side. There was a few interested to watch the match on the screens in the lounge. Further bridge visits were also organised and Chris conducted them around the various aspects of the ship controlled from there. The rescheduled “Chasing Ice” video was shown after afternoon tea time on the lounge. The recap and briefing this evening included Mark who told a story about a cat who ate the specimen of the icefish, but only after it had been drawn by the naturalist on James Clark Ross’s voyage to the southern and Antarctic Ocean in the late 1830’s, but before it could be preserved in spirit for posterity. Fortunately another example was caught during the Belgica expedition of the late 19th century. Simon gave us another rambling story (or reminiscence) of acquiring a nearly full bottle of Irish whiskey, and Chris brought us back to earth with a summary of some of the geology we are likely to encounter in the Antarctic Peninsula. After dinner we had something completely different – “Dangerous Dave” gave us a hair-raising tale of some of the experiences he had as a tour leader/driver on overland truck-based tourism in parts of South America and a particularly harrowing episode in the Orinoco delta of Venezuela.
14th December 2022. Mikkelsen Harbour and Cierva Cove
And now there came both mist and snow,
And it grew wondrous cold:
And ice, mast-high, came floating by,
As green as emerald.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”
Through the night we had headed south into the Gerlache Strait and even before looking out the window it was obvious that there was a degree of motion to the ship due to a short chop on the sea, the result of a 25-30kt easterly wind. It was hoped that in Mikkelsen Harbour that we may obtain some shelter but this was not to be. The staff went ashore to assess the situation there, everyone got wet going in due to periodic dowsing in salty water, the landing was almost non-existent due to the large amount of snow and the normal beach was not visible. When on the small island in the middle of the bay the snow had a thin crust but once your foot broke through it was knee deep which made walking on the island extremely arduous. Even the penguins were waiting to lay eggs, which of course they could not do until the snow melted and they could get onto the rock. Pam deceided that a landing would not be a pleasant experience and so we returned to the ship drenched and wind-blasted. Once the Zodiacs were recovered the ship headed south. During the morning Chris gave an account of his time on Stonington Island in Antarctica in the 1970’s which was well received. Lunch was brought forward in anticipation of being able to offer a cruise in the afternoon amongst the ice in Cierva Cove near the Argentinian station of Primavera. The wind continued to blow 25, gusting 30 knots. By early mid-afternoon it was deceided that where we were was not going to improve any time soon and a move was made to track further south in the hope of finding a relatively sheltered bay. A choice was made for Charlotte Bay or an extension thereof at Recess Cove. As the ship negotiated all the loose ice it became clear that the wind was lessening and by the time we arrived in the vicinity of Recess Cove, although the visibility was not brilliant, the wind was 10-12 knots and there was sufficient ice to offer a cruise of around an hour. In the event the Zodiacs that were loaded (and a few people decided that it wasn't for them) were out for nearly an hour and a half and thoroughly enjoyed themselves as the various boats visited icebergs and managed to find an odd skua, an occasional penguin and a sleepy Weddell seal. Once the boats were back aboard Pam gave an impromptu briefing over the PA system about the plans for the morning and the evening progressed from there with a very pleasant Filipino-style menu and the serving staff were dressed in a local patterned shirts. Towards the end of dinner a rendering of a popular Filipino song was offered by the available crew members, both in the restaurant and on the Lido. Meanwhile the ship headed south relatively sedately to arrive at our next destination tomorrow morning.
15th December 2022. Cuverville Island, Errera Channel and Neko Harbour, Andvord Bay
From where, therefore comes that peculiar lure of these polar regions? Amid this desolation and death I have experienced a more vivid pleasure of my own life. I feel that, in some way, these regions make a kind of religious impression on one… The man who penetrates his way into these regions feels his soul uplifted.
J.-B. Charcot. «Le Français» au Pole Sud. 6th February 1905
The weather this morning looked a little more promising with only a slight wind as we made our way slowly towards a drifting position for the ship, it being too deep to anchor. A scout Zodiac was dispatched fairly early in view of the knowledge that there was a lot of snow on site and that steps were likely to be necessary to fashion on the snow bank. In the event it was the brash on the beach which dictated more the position of the landing. Cuverville Island is the site of a major Gentoo penguin rookery organised in discrete suburbs across the site. Skuas patrol each group of penguins looking for a tasty meal. Unfortunately largely because the excessive snow fall, probably the result of climate change, penguins were laying eggs onto snow because their traditional nest site was still buried under significant snow. This of course was bad news and meant that eggs laid thus would not be viable. Once the steep access from the beach to the snow cover was negotiated then a pre-formed and flagged path was the safest and surest way to visit some of the other colonies of Gentoo penguins. For those that made it right along the beach there was a distant view of a leopard seal lying on a floe and this was also viewed from the sea by those having a short Zodiac cruise. Lunch aboard was a substantial spread and included a barbeque which had, because of rain threatening, been moved indoors to the dining room but with the option to take plates of food back up to the Lido, which many guests did. Meantime the ship traversed the Errera Channel and turned to port and entered Andvord Bay heading towards Neko Harboour. En route we encountered our sister ship Hebridean Sky and after launching a Zodiac, transferred several boxes of stores and equipment to her and in exchange received boxes in return! We reached Neko Harbour in virtually flat calm conditions and after establishing a beach head everyone was brought ashore to climb the short hill for a view over Andvord Bay, the penguin rookery adjacent and the magnificent views which stretched as far as Anvers Island some 20+miles away. Our recap feature this evening after Pam was Kim who gave an amusing account of the baseline survey done at Cuverville Island in 1993 which resulted in many of the IAATO rules we follow today. Dinner was taken while the ship passed through the narrow northern entrance to Paradise Harbour and exited by the Bryde Channel to pass into the Gerlache Strait and thence round the southern end of Weincke Island.
16th December 2022. Port Lockroy and Fournier Bay, Anvers Island
An Antarctic expedition is the worst way to have the best time of your life
Apsley Cherry-Garrard “The Worst Journey in the World” 1922
During the early morning we stole gently into our anchorage in the Peltier Channel just off Port Lockroy. At breakfast time there was heavy snow falling on the Lido deck and visibility was probably less than a mile or so. Not a terribly auspicious beginning to the day as none of the fantastic scenery which surround the base could be seen. However, at the start of the landing the snow had stopped falling and there was little wind. The landing was split into two groups to avoid overcrowding in the base but before anyone left this ship two of the women who look after the museum and shop came on board to give a presentation in the lounge to our guests. Once the formalities were over everyone went ashore, some initially to Goudier Island where the Base A museum is located and others to Jougla Point just across the way where there are some imperial shags and penguins as well as whalebones buried underneath a vast amount of snow for the time of year. Everyone had the opportunity to visit both sites. A considerable amount of merchandise and postcards were purchased and, if not written in situ were hurriedly written aboard and whisked ashore just before the last Zodiac was lifted. During lunch the weather continued to improve as we made a transit up the 16 miles of the Neumayer Channel, a 1.5 mile wide seaway and then into the Gerlache Strait. Overlooking Port Lockroy the most magnificent mountain rage of the Fief Mountains looms over the area (colloquially know as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but Mt Luigi is 4400 feet high so quite some Snow White!). The wind increased to 25 knots as progressed northeastwards up the Gerlache Strait but started to die away as we entered Schollaert Channel to be replaced by a thick fog. A detour into Fournier Bay was requested by another ship to recover a medical case from them which was only on day 2 of a 14 day voyage. Meanwhile they had offered to share their good fortune in the form of a large group of feeding humpback whales. Once in position the Zodiacs were lowered and headed off into the fog in the pursuit of whales. It was a fantastic experience with humpback whales feeding all over the bay and virtually oblivious to our presence. I suspect all guests had a life-changing experience – even us seasoned veterans of Antarctica were thrilled. It is quite humbling to be near 35 tons of whale just doing its own thing and not bothered by our small boats. We were over a 1.3 miles from the ship in thick fog and so GPS tools were employed to safely return us to Island Sky. A short briefing from Pam was followed by Mark who talked about Deception Island, Simon gave us another of his rambling “reminiscences”, with Kim mentioning that some of the Noble Caledonia Charitable Trust monies will go to the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust for their work at Port Lockroy and elsewhere. Dragan, our hotel manager advised that there would be a “choco-fest” in the lounge after dinner, and this was in due course well attended. Island Sky headed north-eastwards towards out next destination in Deception Island early tomorrow morning.
17th December 2022. Deception Island and Half Moon Island, South Shetland Islands
Strange. There is always sadness on departure. It is as if one cannot after all bear to leave this bleak waste of ice, glaciers, cold and toil…
Fridtjof Nansen 1912
During the early morning the Island Sky was moving a bit as we crossed the open stretch of water exposed to the Bellingshausen Sea to the west as we made our approach to Deception Island. Once in the lee of the island the sea calmed. We lined up with narrow entrance to the flooded caldera of this large and active volcano. The entrance may appear on the surface to be quite wide but there is a rock in the middle of Neptune’s Bellows which has caught an unwary craft on more than one occasion. To clear it the ship has to pass quite close to the northern cliff and Pete’s Pillar before rounding the corner into Whaler’s Bay. The weather was overcast which is normal for this part of the world where the meteorological depressions squeeze through the gap between South America and the Antarctic Peninsula. Once safely through and anchored the scout boat was launched and in due course everyone was brought ashore onto a volcanic gravel beach. Many guests chose initially to stroll along the beach towards Neptune’s Window, a low point in the caldera wall, before returning and examining the various ruinous buildings and structures of the whaling station and scientific base. The whaling station was abandoned in 1930-31 season after the price of whale oil plummeted because of a glut caused by over-catching. The eruption in 1967 temporarily ceased operations of the scientific base and everyone returned in 1968 but a further eruption and lahar destroyed the base hut and everyone was removed thereafter. Towards the end of the landing a number of hardy (or foolish?) souls took to the water in the polar plunge and were then whisked back to the ship for a warm shower. The water temperature was around 2°C but may have been marginally warmer along the waters edge where it is heated geothermally. Wildlife is notably absent within Port Foster although some boiled krill were recovered from the beach and returned to the ship for examination. A few penguins and a young elephant seal were also spotted on the shoreline. Island Sky departed from Deception Island into the Bransfield Strait and headed north-eastwards towards the South Shetland Islands. The weather over lunch was wet with a light rain falling. Half Moon Island lies in the South Shetland Islands between Livingston Island to the west and Greenwich Island. It contains a small Argentinian base which is occasionally occupied, but the main interest of course lies in the wildlife of chinstrap penguins. The abundant lichens on the rocks above the landing also contains some of the largest land animals in Antarctica, namely mites and springtails which browse on the vegetation and other invertebrates. Unfortunately the rain did not let up but it was not heavy nor unpleasant, and with virtually no wind the weather did not deter most guests from coming ashore. Surprisingly there were a couple of Adélie penguins resting here but the bulk of the birds were chinstrap and Gentoo penguins. Kelp gulls had staked a claim to the rocky outcrop just above the beach and of course there were patrolling Skuas. A leopard seal was spotted swimming close to shore and several Weddell seals were hauled out. The raised beaches of the island provided relatively easy walking. The Argentinian “Camara” base on the ridge rarely has any occupants and this proved to be the case today. Our final landing in Antarctica drew to a close, welcomed back aboard with a glass of hot chocolate and the ship then motored eastwards in the smooth waters of the Bransfield Strait before passing through English Strait and out into the Drake Passage, where it began to get a bit more “lumpy”. However, this did not occur until we had completed the Captain’s Farewell cocktail drink in the lounge.
18th December 2022. At Sea Drake Passage towards Ushuaia
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
Mark Twain
A moderate sea was running throughout the day but many of the guests were up and about. The Lido was closed for the morning breakfast due largely to the wind but as the day progressed the wind moderated, the sea calmed and the sun shone. There weren’t many birds around the ship but an occasional pintado petrel, black-browed albatross and rare soft-plumaged and blue petrels did put in an appearance. Inside there was administrative details to be communicated in the disembarkation briefing from Genna, and Mark gave a thought-provoking and detailed account of climate change and how it affects the world and in particular how the polar regions are severely affected. The loaned boots and jackets had to be returned for laundering. The soccer World Cup final just happened to be played today and we were able to have an audio feed with a delayed animation of some of the play. Nacho was pleased with the result when Argentina succeeded with the penalty shoot-out. Later in the afternoon Ryan gave an account of some of the work he and Pam had been engaged in with tagging sharks in the Indian Ocean. An interesting and complex piece of a complex jigsaw of environmental data. By dinner time we had re-crossed the Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence) and the water and air temperature reflected this at 5°C. Our evening entertainment in the bar was hosted by Mike for a final quiz to find out how much information had been retained from the masses of information imparted during the voyage in the form of talks and blurb on the backs of daily newsletters. The winning team scored an impressive 17/20. Island Sky continued to make very good progress and a quiet night was experienced by everyone as we crossed a rather smooth Drake Passage.
19th December 2022 . At Sea in Drake Passage towards Ushuaia
A sure cure for sea sickness is to sit under a tree
Spike Milligan, Irish Comedian 1914-2002
By early morning we had obtained the lee of the islands around Cape Horn and by breakfast could see the Chilean islands of Lennox, Neuva and Picton and around 1100 started to enter the Beagle Channel. Chris gave a personal account of his time in the 1970’s when he had the good fortune to be a polar explorer and run huskies in Antarctica. This time is now passed and huskies are banned from the continent. Our offering of bridge tours continued and later in the morning a film of a four-masted sailing vessel rounding the Horn in the 1920’s was shown to contrast with our smooth sailing in the same waters. Within the Beagle Channel dolphins were spotted before we picked up the pilot arond 1400 from the pilot station based on the Argentinian shore. Dragan, our Hotel Manager and Alex the Chef were on hand to answer questions about items as diverse as “how many eggs…”, “how many toilet rolls…” , “food waste..” etc. The final round-up and the photo presentation which Ryan has been compiling was shown before our final dinner and arrival in Ushuaia.
20th December 2022. Ushuaia
Before I left England I was told by an explorer friend that when once I had been to the Antarctic, I should, in spite of the discomforts, dangers and difficulties, fall under the spell of its fascination and all my life wish to return. Many times since I have realized he was right.
Thomas Wyatt Bagshawe, “Two men in the Antarctic”, 1922 Bagshawe (aged 19) and Lester (aged 22) spent a year and a day at Waterboat Point, Paradise Harbour in 1920-21, and together constituted the grandly titled “Imperial Antarctic Expedition”.
Disembarkation day. Ushuaia claims to be at Fin del Mundo. Actually Puerto Williams on the south side of the Beagle Channel (on Navarino Island which is Chilean) is further south but is only a small town and naval port. We trust you have enjoyed sailing with us on this voyage to the “Antarctica- Land of Heroes”, take home lots of memories, no penguin smell, and lots of photographs. We hope to see you again somewhere around the world on another Noble Caledonia voyage.
Chris Edwards