Getting Ready To Camp with the Penguins

Thursday, January 21, 2016 - Travel Day 13, Expedition Day 5
Yalour Island 

This morning it is cold and snowing.  The visibility is quite poor, yet beautiful and the way one would expect Antarctica to be.

On the other hand it is also frustrating, as we can not see the soaring mountain cliffs rising above us in this fjord passage between Yalour Island and the continent.

Trying to gear ourselves up so that we stay warm and dry, composing and snapping photos in polar ice/snow, and wind while also protecting the camera, keeping it warm and dry in a moving zodiac is challenging.  Add in other people in yellow parkas all positioning themselves to take photos often in your sight line is an exercise in extreme frustration.

Gloves on, glove off, lens cap on , lens cap off, steamed up glasses.  Look left, look right, the head turns the parka hood doesn't so one must rotate the entire body in the Zodiac.  Up on the seat, down on the knees, wipe the snow out of the lens.  It certainly gives one deep respect for professional National Geographic photographers who wait months and years with patience and through inclement conditions to take a shot.

While we explored this morning, we saw more Crabeater Seals and a few more Adelie Penguins.  This afternoon we will be moving into Gentoo Penguin rookeries on Petermann Island.

Petermann Island - PM Excursion was quite interesting.  We had an opportunity to disembark from the Zodiacs and get up close and personal with the Gentoo Penguins.  When nesting in the spring, the first flock of Penguins to arrive climb to the highest prominence of rocks where the sun has melted the seasonal snow and make this their nursery.  Late arriving penguins lay their eggs and foster their chicks at the lower elevations.  They are closer to the water.

The penguins in the higher areas have quite a hike up the hill and then look like they are having great fun sledding down to the water, taking turns with their mate in keeping the chicks warm and fed.  Snowy slopes are covered with penguin highways.

The mortality rate for chicks is about 40-50%.  If they are born too late in the season, they may not develop their warm, water proof feathers before winter sets in and their parents leave them.  Some of the feeding chicks are very small and the likelihood of their ultimate survival is slim.

While we were out an about, we saw a cruising sailboat gliding through the snow and mist.

It is so nice to be down here in a warm ship where we can leave dodging icebergs, anchoring, anchor watch, ship's maintenance to the crew.  The downside, is moving on whether you want to or not.

When we returned to the Diamond, the campers (that's us) were issued our camping equipment.  Tomorrow if the weather is fair it will be our first opportunity to camp on the continent.  Our gear consisted of a water proof bivy sleep sack or swag, a foam sleeping mat that goes inside, along with a down s leeping bag and fleece liner....no tents.  We will be sleeping on the ice like the seals.  Can't say this sounds comfortable, but it's a once in a lifetime experience, so we are going for it.

We will leave after dinner aboard the boat, spend the night ashore, and return the following morning before breakfast.  No food, fires, cooking or  remnants of humans are left on the continent.  If one must relieve himself, there is a bucket that is brought back on board.  I think I will stop drinking liquids after lunch.  Dropping your drawers in Antarctic weather outside sounds a bit chilling.

We have been told, that we will only camp if the weather is fair tomorrow.  When we pulled anchor and headed out of LaMere Pass, some of the expedition team heard and saw a minke whale blow (we didn't) and saw some leopard seals on an ice float (we did).  Usually, the scenery here is magnificent, today we can hardly see 50 feet in front of us as the snow and wind blows about.

All is Well With the Worrall Travel R's in Antarctica

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Crossing and Below the Antarctic Circle

Wednesday, January 20, 2016 - Travel Day 12, Expedition Day 4

A pervasive dark gray cloud  that shrouded the sun created a stunning contrast with white and blue green icebergs in the morning light.  The wind was nearly non-existent as we boarded our Zodiacs for the AM expedition.  Today we set foot on land in Antarctica below the polar circle.

The plan this morning is to cruise through the ice fields and visit the now closed British Base 12 station on Detaille Island in the Lallemand Fjord, Loubet Coast, 66 52 S, 66 48 W in Crystal Sound that was closed in 1959 and has remained completely intact as if the men had just left.

 It is a historical sight and a part of the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust.  It is an authentic step back in time and presentment of the harsh and dreary conditions of living in Antarctica.  We took the coordinates and plan to register a world cache (virtual) here.  It will probably be the most remote and infrequently found cache in the world.  

Before we got to the base station we saw some more Adelie penguin colonies, one with some chicks, numerous cormarands, and impressively large icebergs, polar sculptures in a frozen wonderland.  The penguins are incredibly funny and fun loving creatures, hopping from rock to rock, sliding down the slopes like slippery, plump pillows, and porpoising through the water.

When we landed at the station, we had to scramble up some rocky outcroppings to the snow field.  After crossing Drake's Passage and cruising in dinghies for two days, it took a few minutes to regain our land legs.  We brought our own walking sticks, but the expedition team had a stack of them.  We were happy to have them as we trudged up the ice field to the station and further up to the top of the hill for some exceptiona l views of the fjord where the sun was not visible, but the golden light shone through the thinner clouds and illuminated some of the glacial fields.

When we returned to the Ocean Diamond, we watched the second half of Endurance, the story of Shackleton and his crew.  This is an amazing story, but even more so watching it here after visiting the base station and experiencing just a fraction of a the chill in a summer climate.

After lunch our second excursion was in the same fjord.  We were told from the onset that it would be highly improbable to see any Emperor Penguins.  This is generally not a local that they are found, but surprise!

The expedition team was jubilant because for many of them this was their first time seeing the Emperors with the rest of us. In total we saw 4 Emperor penguins that stand about a meter and half high and are three times the size of the little Adelies.  The big boys were molting and have perfected the art of standing completely still.

I got a pretty funny picture of one of the penguins bending his neck backward, his head disappearing behind his back.  From my camera perspective, he looks headless.  We laughed aloud when we saw it!

Hey!  Has anyone seen an extra head?

 We also had the opportunity to see an adolescent elephant seal,

 and of course a lot more weather sculpted icebergs.  By the time we returned from our PM excursion the wind had picked up and we were happy to board the ship.  Once the Zodiacs were hoisted on deck and everyone was accounted for, the Diamond made her way out to sea.  The captain had hoped to take the inner passage, but the wind was coming from the continent, and it was milder outside the passage and the lee side of Adelaide Island.  Even at that, the wind was blowing 45 knots on our starboard side and we were listing 10-15 degrees to port.

Russ and I went up to the bridge and were glad we were not in charge of navigating in these conditions.  The snow was falling, the wind was blowing, the the crew was dodging icebergs, 2 degrees port, 5 degrees starboard, 1 degree port......at about 12 knots per hour.  We could hear the hull hitting some of the small bergs and crunching along the side.  Yep time to go to bed and pull the covers over our heads.  By tomorrow morning we will be above the Antarctic Circle.

All is Well With The Worrall Travel R's in Antarctica

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Crossing Drake's Passage

Friday, January 15, 2016 - Day 7

We spent the night of day 7 the Albatross Hotel in Ushuaia across from the port. The weather files look manageable with 3-5 meter seas and wind 25-40 knots for Sunday through Wednesday.

Saturday, January 16, 2016 - Day 8

When we awoke on Day 8, we waited around in the lobby of Albatross meeting some of our shipmates until we boarded the Ocean Diamond at 3:30 pm and were greeted by crew and snacks, and the obligatory abandon ship drill.  We have life vests in our cabin.

By 6:30 we had cast off our lines and left the safe harbor heading down the Beagle Channel to Drake's Passage.

By 8:00, dinner time, we were still in the channel, but were gradually being introduced to ocean swell and stronger winds as we approached Drake's Passage.  We were issued our heavy duty parkas along with the other 179 other passengers.  I am sure these will keep us warm, but not sure how we are going to lug them around after we are finished with Antarctica.

Saturday night in to Sunday morning, we slept a little restlessly as we rocked and rolled through the night with the anticipated waves and winds.

Sunday, January 17, 2016 - Day 9

Dawn filtered through heavy overcast skies.  We are on deck 5 and from our sea splashed windows and water soaked decks, it's obvious that we are plowing into seas, sending bow wash our way.  Russ and I make it up to the bridge and have a look at the navigation equipment.  Ocean Diamond's speed overground is 11.7 knots.  Worrall Wind's best speed overground was around 7 knots.  Given the conditions outside we're making good time.  The plan is to cross the the Antarctic circle first and then work our way back north along the peninsula.

Monday, January 18, 2016 - Day 10

Conditions:   Cloudy

Wind: 15-20 knots

Waves 3 - 4 meters

Location:   61 33 S  (still 5 degrees north of the Antarctic circle)

                67 05 W

The seas are less boisterous this morning, perhaps 3-4 meters, rather than 5-6. A large boat creaks and groans just as our ketch did.  There are still a few white caps but the wind is not blowing the tops off.  We traveled through the Antarctic convergence zone last night and are paralleling the Antarctic Peninsula towards the Circle and Marguerite Bay where there both  Argentina and the UK have polar bases here.

By noon, the wind had subsided to 15 knots, and the seas between 1-2 meters. We spent some time on the bridge and spotted our first icebergs on the horizon. The expedition crew briefed us on how to safely board the Zodiacs

, and what we needed to do to prevent any foreign object, plants, food, and particles from transferring to the continent.

We were issued our polar parkas on Sunday. Today, we were issued our water proof boots, and all of our outer-wear gear was rigorously vacuumed by crew.  

Many of our shipmates had suffered from sea sickness during crossing Drake's passage so the captain's welcome cock tail was postponed until tonight when everyone could attend. After the party and during dinner, we started to pass by sea ice, bergie-bits, and huge ice shelves.  The ship is slowing down to safely navigate through the intensifying ice flow.

The captain anticipates that we will be crossing the Antarctic Circle about 6:30 tomorrow morning and that after lunch, we will take our first steps on Antarctica.

Tuesday, January 19, 2016 - Crossing the Antarctic Circle - Day 11

Pinch me!  I've dreamed so long of visiting Antarctica, it's hard to believe the time is now, and it's not a dream!  Wow.  

We started the day by having a champaign celebration when we crossed the Antarctic Circle. 66 33 South latitude, around 7:25 this morning.  There are many cruises to the Antarctic peninsula, but few cross the Antarctic Circle.

Crossing the Circle with Neptune's Blessings

Polar Friends Jeff, Betsy, and Penny.

So this was special for us.  This is the first attempt this year by the expedition team because the ice flow has been so thick it has not been possible.    While we were able to cross the circle, we were unable to get all the way to to Marguerite Bay.  The ice and ice bergs were too close for us to continue further with the hopes of escaping when we were done exploring. Apparently, this is the reason that some of the country's base stations have closed down because this is quite common.

Our captain stopped the shipped midway down Adelaide Island.  We donned our boots, parka, gloves, camera, and boarded dinghies that zipped through the water. And unlike the spray from the South Pacific, the spray from the bow of the Zodiac was freezing. The spray felt thick.  It was below freezing, and the water droplets immediately turned to ice on my camera lens, But, oh my, what glorious views of seals, penguins, and floating icebergs.

When we have a chance to post photos, you will see the crabeater seals, the Adelie penguins, and incredible icebergs with fabulous  hues of blues and greens.

Tomorrow we will still be below the circle in an a planned stopped at Hanusse Bay where the Polar Plunge will be an option.  Not sure about this. Having an ER doc aboard with heart paddles standing by is a deterrent.  It is almost 11:00 pm and it's snowing.  Ice crystals are forming on the windows.

All is Well With the Worrall Travel R's in Antarctica south of the Antarctic Circle.

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