‘The World is only tolerable because of the empty spaces.’ Doris Lessing
Weather: Fine
Brown Bluff. Iceberg zodiac expedition.
Returned from the Antarctic Peninsula – another early morning wake up and breakfast with clear skies and sunshine. Did our official landing on the Antarctic continent and now can claim that we have now had foot on all seven continents!
Did an ice-berg cruise and would love a dress in the colours that reflect from sun to sea to ice. Almost edible. The sun is shining and we are almost HOT. We sit and chat with hot chocolate in our hands and with various people in the group, most amusing. Conversations range from American football to sheep farming in Tasmania. Use your imagination to conjour up the various twangs and intonations.
We had another wonderful braai on the deck last night. Surrounded by tabular icebergs, clear skies and sunshine this must have been the most unusual braai that we have ever participated in. Caribbean music played as the staff cooked delicious meat and we helped ourselves to salads and drank gluwien from paper cups.
Our group consisted of a South African couple from Benoni, an Israeli couple and ourselves. At one stage we were doing the ‘conga’ through the tables simply to keep our feet from falling off the end of our legs. We had the staff dancing with us and we put that day down as ‘one of the best’.
Early morning start onto the Zodiacs to land at Elephant Island. This is where the survivors stayed for five months waiting for Shackleton’s rescue. We are the first expedition ship to land here this year.
Towering glaciers, ice blue is the colour description. Fine icicles drip from the edges as they drift in the ocean.
The Zodiacs move from ship very easily and return just as easily. Once back at the ship the craft are hoisted up and checked so as to be ready for the next expedition.
Surrounded by icebergs and have just heard that due to the excellent weather conditions we have changed direction and are to visit Penguin Island before going to the Antarctic Peninsula. All being well we land there after dinner this evening. Another wonderful bonus.
After dinner we were called onto the bridge to see a pod of Orcas feeding. I have only ever seen orcas in movies and Sea World in Florida. These were swimming and foraging in ocean, coming up to breathe every now and then. The ship was silent as the captain turned her around so that we could view these magnificent dolphins.
We are now waiting to go on another expedition to Penguin Island. This is another ‘bonus’ excursion. Nine o’clock at night.
What an evening. We landed on the island which was covered in snow. Weddell fur seals lay on the snow with Chinstrap and Adele penguins crouched on the ice. One or two were most curious and poddled over tilted their heads and peered at the passengers.
Back on board and after a cup of hot chocolate we are now ready to sail onto to another amazing area.
We have been sailing all day in fair weather and no swells. Apparently this is remarkable weather for the area and we are ‘doing well’.
Whales were spotted off the port side [hammmm hmmmm that is the LEFT side for all you land-lubbers out there] and they were deemed to be Fin Whales who seemed to be on an eating spree and simply foraged around the boat keeping their mind on the right things.
We are in ice-berg country. The seas abound with these huge monoliths which are a piece of history floating on the ocean. This afternoon we passed a huge berg - with penguins perched on the one surface. The captain was good enough to circle it and we had this spectacular view of turquoise ice as is tipped into the ocean with a cerulean shelf which floated just under the surface of the ocean. Imagine a ball gown in the same colour with light ruches of aquamarine and white lace peeking as the skirt swirls.
We had another great dinner with a couple from New Mexico who enjoy sea-kayaking in the remote areas of Alaska. We have some wonderful tips for our next expedition [which has to be the northern Polar areas. Well we have the gear don’t we?]. Alaska and Greenland here we come!
We hope for an early start tomorrow as we are forging ahead so rapidly. The captain has to slow down because the weather is so good [can you believe it?] and we are approaching Elephant Island too quickly. This is the island that Shackleton and his men arrived at after their escape from the ice shelf after their ship broke up and sank. This is the place too, where the men remained for five months while Shackelton went to find assistance to get them all back home.
We will probably only have a Zodiac ride as there is little beach for landing, but as you know that is good enough for me!
Hopefully the captain will keep good watch in the next few days, as this is the land of the Ice Queen and many icebergs and much pack ice lies around and before us.
After a long night’s sleep, we are now steaming ahead to the Antarctic peninsula.
Some facts and figures about Antarctica
Ice Terminology
Anchor Ice: Submerged ice which is attached to the sea bottom.
Bergy Bit: A piece of floating ice rising between 1 to 5 meters above the water.
Brash Ice: The remains of large pieces of ice crashing into each other and forming a large heaping pile.
Fast Ice: Sea ice attached to the shore or between grounded ice bergs.
Frazil Ice: Needle-shaped ice crystals that form a icy slush in the water.
Grease Ice: The stage at which the water gets a matte looking appearance when its between freezing and frazil ice.
Hummock: An area where ice floes have rafted or piled up on top of each other, often reaching heights several yards.
Ice Blink: A lighter section underneath the clouds which indicates reflecting light off the ice below. This technique was used by many early explorers to help steer them away from ice packs.
Ice Window: The short summer season when the fast ice has broken away to allow ships to come close to the Antarctic coastline.
Lead: A section of open water within pack ice and large ice floes.
Nilas: Thin crust of floating ice that bends in the waves, but does not break. The darker in appearance, the thinner the nilas is.
Pancake Ice: Discs of young ice, formed when waves jostle them against each other rounding their edges.
Tide Crack: A crack between sea ice and the shoreline. This crack is caused by the rise and fall of the tide and is usually to wide to cross safely.
www.eco-explorers.antacrtica.com
We had a relax after our shore excursion. Well to be honest I had a snooze while DJ played with his remarkable images. He has been able to capture magnificent wildlife photos and I cannot wait for you to see them. The animals, similar to The Galapagos, simply sit and do what is natural for them. So in comparison [and I know that is not fair] to African wildlife image taking this offers more opportunities to obtain more photos.
We spent the whole afternoon in Greytviken – the whaling station. But before that we have officially seen our first ice-berg – larger than a grand piano. So we are officially [I suppose] in South Polar country.
A barbeque arranged for the evening turned into such fun. Arranged on the Lido deck [no swimming pool in sight]the view was as different from a South African braai that you could get. Icebergs on the horizon, steep cliffs nearby and a small museum whale village on shore. The staff is always so helpful and certainly full of fun. I have found a ‘fellow Indian’ who on making a chance remark about the area being similar to Kashmir, became an instant pal and when he mentioned that he lived just outside Dharamsala we were instantly related.
The staff began setting up the evening function on the deck early afternoon and as always everything was set and done for our return. Caribbean music played, more food than you can consume [anything from sausage to prawns] great salads. Gluwein was the drink of the evening which was quaffed by all the passengers.
The community of the Greykviten joined us [all fifteen of them] and preceded to enjoy themselves talking amongst the passengers and enjoying the companionship expedition ships provide – although apparently it is not a given that they are invited on board.
Many of the people on shore are contracted for more than two years. I suspect they find it extremely difficult to fit back into the humdrum home life in England. One young person is doing research on the breeding patterns of the King penguin – and hopes to return for a second term and stay on the even more remote Bird Island for a further two years.
Obviously when St Andrews Bay was on the agenda both David and I needed little impetus to go on the excursion even though it was an early [very early] wake up call. We had three landings yesterday - the last one being the whaling station that Shackleton arrived at after his epic check. Similar to the Namibian Elizabeth Bay and Kolmanskop the buildings were stark and forlorn.
We often have a late supper and are up with an early morning call to commence darting from here to there. I usually choose to stay about an hour and a half to two hours on at the landing areas. David has to be gaffed off the beaches as he, together with a few other 'intrepid' photographers and the artist, leave only on the last Zodiac. I come back, tidy up and sit in the library or fore-lounge [it's like being on your own private yacht with everyone else on an excursion] and write and enjoy a cup of 'well-deserved] hot chocolate [even though it IS rather too]. However, if anyone thinks we are on holiday, think again - the up side of all this high activity is that I am fitter than I have been for a while. So my dearest children should beware - I might take them on later this year!
I also enjoy visiting the Bridge. It is always silent up there with the captain discussing position and weather conditions with the crew and all in all a formal, busy silence pervades. One of the other things I love is the Zodiac rides. So every now and again I beg an extra ride or two and often get a tour of the bay we are visiting as well.
On our way back to the ship [which was a few kilometres today]. We had a glimpse of our first [very small] iceberg and as we head down south they will obviously become more obvious. [Hope the captain knows this]. The small ones are called "growlers", being the sound they make as they scrape the side of the ship. [GULP]
Breakfast is served soon and with my stomach growling as the icebergs do. I had better go and get some food.
Anyone for scrambled eggs and smoked salmon?
We are on the ocean – sailing in weather that [quote one crew member] is as good as it gets! The sun is shining and the ocean, while not steady-steady, is rolling steadily.
Before boarding yesterday we visited the Ushuaia National Park and were able to walk along board walks.
We viewed geese, still lakes, clear glacier filled rivers and the mountains of Chile and Argentina .
I sent a postcard from the most southerly post office, where the post master saw us arrive and zipped over in a Zodiac to do his duty. We had our passports stamped with his special stamp – all at a cost of course.
After an easy boarding, we were shown into our compact cabin from a drizzly and wet Ushuaia we were given a very brief briefing after which we went on deck and were nearly swept away by cheeky biting wind. Our bright yellow parkas will ensure that we will be visible on the ice and kept warm at the same time.
David had given me some medication for anti sea-sickness which made me float around the galleys like an albatross. Sitting chatting to David through the evening meal was a dream-like experience, not because I was mesmerised by his scintillating conversation, but because I was totally out of things!
I do not know if I undressed to sleep, but woke this morning still ‘out of it’ and eschewed any further of DJ’s ‘magic muti’! I did manage to dislodge the shower soap as I manoeuvred myself in the shower area, but after a hearty breakfast of cereal, eggs and smoked salmon I have recovered enough to walk on deck without fear of diving off the edge and now sit in the lounge surrounded by the crew and some fellow passengers, all of whom I look at and hope to goodness that they are competent enough to lead us through and crisis we might encounter.
The guests as always for me are almost more interesting than the wildlife.
We have ‘The Birders’ who, even though there are only ‘x’ number of birds to identify at any given spot, argue, dissect and ponder the siting. The conversations always end up with one of the ‘spotters sighing – ‘well, yes, yes, it has the eye-stripe so it must be the……………albatross.’
We then have ‘The Experts’, those who have been on an Antarctic cruise before where on the previous ship the food was better, the lecturers more erudite and the passage smoother. For me the passage so far has been smooth and fab and that’s good enough for me.
We also have the ‘team players’. Many Australians who have their green and yellow shirts on with kangaroos bounce about. The Israelis who talk ‘big’ and secretly and the Brits who put on the accent and treat everyone else like colonials. This lot may well set another sortie when they land on the Falklands.
Don’t let’s even talk about ‘The Photographers’ who discuss aperture, light and focus until all have disappeared into a cloud of grey.
The internet here is dodgy, with the satellite being behind the funnel, no one being cheeky enough to request that the captain turn the vessel for easier internet access. David has arrived with a cup of hot chocolate. I feel more ‘in the moment’ again...
Till next time.
