10 March 2009

We’ve had smooth sailing and fine weather for the remainder of our voyage.  Yesterday afternoon we arrived in Stanley Harbour, East Falkland.

Most of us headed out of town for an hour or two to Gypsy Cove to see the moulting Magellanic Penguins and the gorgeous white sand beaches and turqoise waters.  Along the way a number of rusting hulks can be seen, leftovers from a bygone era when ships called in to Stanley for repairs after rounding the Horn. 

Stanley is a charming town home to a little in excess of two thousand hardy folks.  It’s easy to while away an afternoon nosing around the capital.  After weeks at sea surrounded by ice, snow and wildlife its nice to pull up a stool in a British pub for a plate of fish and chips and an ale or three.  One of my favourite spots in town is the cathedral, especially the sculpture out front, an arch made of Blue Whale mandibles. 

The weather in the Falklands has been spectacular.  On our approach to Stanley, fog gave way to brilliant sunshine and a host of whales, playful dolphins and Rock Shags entertained us.  We also passed two enormous cruise ships and I think without exception everyone was pleased to be aboard the Clipper Adventurer and not one of these giant behemoths.

Shortly after leaving Stanley a full moon rose under clear skies.   After dinner I indulged in a little experimental photography and managed to use the moon to sign my own name in a photograph.

Overnight we headed west to Saunders Island.  We launched the zodiacs shortly after sunrise and headed for the beach in strong winds.  The island truly is a wildlife paradise.  It is home to four species of penguin, the Rockhopper, Gentoo, Magellanic and King Penguins.  It is also home to nesting Black-Browed Albatross and Shags.  Curiously the shags, albatross and rockhoppers all nest together up on the cliff tops.  The albatross chicks are now fledglings.  They perch awkwardly upon huge earthen egg-cup nests and wait for their parents to return with the catch of the day.  Some spread their wings practising for the moment when they will take to the skies for the first time.  One adult albatross even landed at my feet and took a curious whiff of my boots.  Poor fellow nearly passed out but recovered and headed off into the colony.

Saunders Island is possibly my favourite place to photograph birds.  Not only is the backdrop stunning you can also get a photograph with a regal King Penguin alongside a humble sheep.  There are also dozens of other birds that call the island home including Flightless Steamer Ducks and Striated Caracara, a very rare bird of prey.

Once back on board we repositioned to West Point Island where we experienced the best weather of the entire voyage.  Once on shore we took a leisurely hike across the island to the Black-Browed Albatross and Rockhopper Penguin colony.  The colony at West Point Island differs from the colony at Saunders Island in that the birds nest amongst huge 6 foot high tussac grasses.   The landing also differs from others as there is a wonderfully hospitable family that offer tea and cakes amongst a lovely English garden once you’ve had your fill of the wildlife spectacle. 

Its been a wonderful day to finish a wonderful voyage… actually its not quite finished.  We have another day at sea tomorrow before entering the Beagle Channel and dispersing to all corners of the earth.  It’s been an absolute pleasure and privilege for me to visit these places and to share them with others. 

So that’s sayonara from me as another Antarctic season draws to a close.  Thanks for tuning in.  Don’t forget to check back in a couple of days.  I’ll post  a few images from the past 18 days after we arrive back in Ushuaia.

David Sinclair

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7 March 2009

Yesterday morning we rose early, about 4.50am and prepared for a landing on Prion Island to see nesting Wandering Albatross and the South Georgia Pipit.  A staff zodiac left the gangway after some difficulty loading and landed a short time later.  On the way we passed through a narrow channel boiling with fur seal pups.  After dropping off the shore party I returned to the gangway to collect passengers.  

After loading the first two passengers it was apparent that getting 109 passengers on and off the ship would be nigh on impossible and fairly dangerous, particularly if conditions escalated.  By the time the staff returned to the ship, 15 minutes after the decision had been made to abort the landing, the swell and wind had picked up even more making it a little difficult to get back on board for our crew of seasoned veterans.  Unfortunately the wind and waves continued to build so that Plan B, the massive King Penguin colony at Salisbury Plain and Plan C, Right Whale Bay were also out of the question in the conditions so we secured the decks and made for the Falkland Islands a little ahead of schedule.

As we pulled away from South Georgia we bid farewell to our last iceberg and were seen off by flights of albatross, petrels and prions.  The waves continued to hammer the ship sending clouds of spray over the top deck and blue water over the bow.  On occasions the force of the waves sent shudders through the ship.  To give you an idea of the forces imparted on the ship when I stepped on the scales in the gym at the top of a wave I almost achieved weightlessness, weighing in at less than 70 pounds and at the bottom of the wave as we slammed into a trough I weighed in excess of 260 pounds.  For the record I weigh approximately 175 pounds. 

Some folks love the swell.  It really is an amazing sight being up on the bridge watching the drama unfold, however, for the majority it’s a little uncomfortable and for some downright miserable.  Given we’ve had a good few days and are fairly tired after a hectic schedule a day or two in bed wont hurt! 

We’re still experiencing some rough conditions today, however, happily, the forecast is for fairer winds and good conditions for our landings in the Falklands.  Earlier this morning we passed by ‘Shag Rocks’, a rocky outcrop in the middle of nowhere.  Four rocky outcrops rise straight from the ocean floor.  The small ocean shelf provides a rich food source for a shag colony which must number in the thousands.  We continue to enjoy great close-ups of albatross and are savouring the prospect of some calmer seas later today.

A few blogs ago I mentioned running into a huge pod of migrating Sei Whales.  These whales were beyond the ‘furthest south’ we expect to see Sei Whales. Now that we have an oceanographer on board, Lars Boehme, whom we picked up at Husavik, we have a theory as to why we saw them so far south.  Apparently on South Georgia this summer approximately 95% of the Gentoo chicks failed.  Many parents deserted their chicks as they struggled to find enough food for themselves.  The water temperature was reportedly 5C warmer than usual.  The theory goes that the Southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current failed to deliver its bounty of krill for the Gentoos to gather food for their chicks.  The King Penguins forage further from shore and have a different breeding cycle so this may explain why the King Penguin chicks did not suffer a similar high mortality rate.  If the current failed to deliver the krill to the north, this may explain why the Sei Whales were found so far south.  I hope to get a more thorough explanation later today when Lars and his seal biologist colleagues give us a lecture on their work on elephant seals.

David Sinclair

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5 March 2009

My love affair with South Georgia continues unabated.  I can only imagine what Captain James Cook and his crew on the Resolution must have thought when they first laid eyes on South Georgia.  I can imagine why Sir Ernest Shackleton’s wife gave instructions to have her husband laid to rest at South Georgia. I can imagine returning to South Georgia again and again.

Last night we tied up at King Edward Point opposite Grytviken after a lovely afternoon hiking and beachcombing at Godthul.  Earlier in the day strong winds had prevented us from landing at Moltke Harbour and St. Andrews Bay.

South Georgia’s first land-based whaling operation was established at Grytivken in 1904 by Swedish captain Carl Larsen.  Grytviken is one of a number of largely intact rusting whaling stations that dot the east coast of the island.   Grytviken was also the scene of the first skirmish between Britain and Argentina in 1982 and it is the final resting place of Sir Ernest Shackleton.  In fact, I believe that on this day 87 years ago the Boss was finally laid to rest.     

A museum and church lie adjacent to the remains of the whaling station.  All of these structures lie at the end of a picturesque bay.   To the East the giant snow and ice clad peaks of the Allardyce Range dominate the skyline. To the West, a large bluff provides protection and a vantage point, the very same vantage point of the famous Australian photographer, Frank Hurley.

After toasting the Boss we enjoyed a visit to the museum.  The museum houses some remarkable artefacts form the whaling days and some remarkable wildlife exhibits including a humpback whale foetus.

After throwing the lines at Grytiken we sailed for Husavik, another picturesque bay north of Grytviken.  Husavik is one of three adjacent harbours, all home to whaling stations.  The other two are Leith Harbour and the more well known Stromness where Shackleton and his two companions arrived after crossing the rugged interior of South Georgia following their harrowing boat journey from Elephant Island in the James Caird. 

At Husavik we picked up three seal biologists and an oceanographer headed for the Falklands.  They’ve been studying Elephant Seals and we look forward to a first hand account of the results of their work in the coming days.  Shortly thereafter we decided to abort an attempt to retrace in reverse the final leg of Shackleton’s journey from Fortuna Bay to Stromness, once again due to strong winds.  Well every cloud does have a silver lining.  We sailed around the corner into Fortuna Bay and found a protected cove rich in wildlife and gorgeous scenery.  Beautifully lit mountain tops, glaciers, Reindeer, King Penguins, Fur Seals, Light-Mantled Sooty Albatross all against a lush green shoreline made for a beautiful afternoon.  I cant wait to review today’s images.

I’m ready for a kip now as I am a wee bit tired after enjoying the hospitality of the good folks that call the British Antarctic Survey base at King Edward Point home and tomorrow morning the first zodiac leaves for Prion Island, home to nesting Wandering Albatross at 5.15am!

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1 March 2009

More whales!

Yesterday was a ‘sea day’.  That is, we spent all day at sea travelling to our next destination.  It was the finest sea day I can recall. The sea was absolutely glassy, perfect for whale spotting and whale watching.   In the morning we spent time mingling with a small pod of Fin Whales followed a few hours later by a small pod of Sei Whales.  Later in the afternoon whale blows started appearing everywhere. For at least an hour in late afternoon light 20 or 30 Sei Whales all migrating north at a steady 5 to 6 knots surrounded us. 

At the time we were travelling with the whales we encountered a huge tabular berg that was slowly rolling back and forth.  It would start in the upright position and roll so that one side was completely submerged then revert to its former position.  As it rolled back towards the upright sea-water cascaded off its surface.  I’ve never seen a huge berg roll back and forth like that and I didn’t know whether to watch the berg or the dozens of whales around the ship.

This morning, shortly after sunrise, we arrived in Scotia Bay at Laurie Island in the South Orkney Islands.  Enormous bergs littered the ocean.  We attempted to contact our Argentine friends at the Orcadas Station to no avail.  After all it is Sunday today, a day of rest.  So, we sounded the ships horn to let them know we had arrived.  A short time later we established contact and it was agreed that we would come ashore at 8.30am. 

We had a lovely morning exploring the small isthmus upon which the base sits wedged between mountains and glaciers.  Lots of chinstrap penguins call the island home as do a vast quantity of fur seals and a few elephant seals.   The Argentine park ranger told me we’d just missed a pair of itinerant King Penguins.   Never mind as I figure we will see tens of thousands of King Penguins in South Georgia in a few days time.

On the way out of Scotia Bay the sun came out and illuminated an extremely unusual berg, an emerald green berg with white and grey streaks. The sound of cameras clicking could be heard for the next half hour, photographers beavering away trying to catch the special scene.  Chinstrap Penguins perched atop other bergs as if to bid us farewell.

Once back on board we completed the mandatory South Georgia Biosecurity briefing and vacuumed and cleaned all clothing, baggage and equipment to be taken ashore and all on board signed a declaration stating that they had read, understood and abided by the regulations aimed at ensuring no alien species are introduced to South Georgia. 

We are steaming north-east once more.  We expect to make landfall on South Georgia the day after tomorrow.  Meanwhile its time for more whale watching and bird spotting.  In the last two days we’ve enjoyed the company of a couple of hitchhikers, a Wilson’s Storm Petrel and a gorgeous downy Snow Petrel.

David Sinclair

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Saturday 28 February 2009

Orcas everywhere! 

Yesterday morning we awoke to find the strong currents had smashed the large chunk of sea ice into which we had ventured the previous evening into tiny pieces.  Even so icebergs choked our path to the south and slowed our progress to Devil Island.

Before breakfast I spied seven Snow Petrels and well over a dozen Orcas.  Many of the Orcas were covered in diatoms lending a pinkish hue to their flanks.  We stayed with the Orcas for a good half hour before inching south once more. 

A majority of folks landed on Devil Island and took the walk to one or both of the twin summits that give the island its name.  The remainder took to the sea in the zodiacs to explore.  We found a couple of Crabeater Seals, Fur Seals on floes and a flock of Kelp Gulls in a neon blue iceberg pool.  We also drove our zodiacs onto solid pans of sea ice for an ocean landing. 

Once we were back on board we headed north-east towards Paulet Island.  On the way we came across another group of Orcas.  This time an enormous male Orca with its huge distinctive dorsal fin accompanied a smaller pod of female Orcas.  The Orcas were curious and came right up to take a look at us, a terrific thrill for everyone.

Just prior to arriving at Paulet Island we crossed paths with Minke and Fin Whales.  We spent a short time with the whales before heading to anchorage and taking to the zodiacs for a landing on the island. 

Sometimes you can smell Paulet Island well before you can see it.  The smell is intense.  At the height of the summer tens of thousands of Adelie Penguins nest here.  When we landed, most of the Adelies had left for the winter.  A few chicks that had not completed their moult remained.  The evidence of the great numbers of penguins was everywhere.  A toxic layer of krill coloured guano coats the lower slopes of this volcanic island.  Fur seals littered the beach and the smell of seal urine and penguin guano permeated our clothing.  One unfortunate lady slipped at a rather inopportune moment and returned from a stroll covered in guano. 

The island is also home to the remains of Nordenskjold’s Hut which has until very recently been in remarkably good repair.  When we arrived at the stone hut a big male fur seal sat perched on a wall and another side of the hut had been destroyed no doubt thanks to the marauding seals.

Later in the evening we set sail across the Scotia Sea for the South Orkney Islands.  The Scotia Sea is named after the ship of Scotsman Robert Spiers Bruce, the meticulous indefatigable Scottish Nationalist that led the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1902-1904. 

Early this morning we came across some huge bergs including a single berg 12 nautical miles in length and a pod of feeding Fin Whales.  We are now streaking across calm seas towards our destination, Orcadas Base on Laurie Island.

David Sinclair

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26 February 2009  10pm

Rarely does a visit to Antarctica commence with disappointment.  Unhappily for us the bad weather we experienced on the Drake Passage remained with us for our first day in the South Shetlands.  We anticipated that our first landing scheduled for Hannah Point on Livingstone Island would be adversely affected so we altered course for Half Moon Island which unfortunately did not provide shelter from the 40 plus knot gusts sweeping across the Southern Ocean.  We dropped anchor and 7 minutes later we weighed anchor and made for Deception Island hoping that wind conditions in the caldera would be within the safe zodiac operating limits.

Captain Idar managed to edge the ship through Neptune’s Bellows into the caldera of Deception Island, however, a landing was out of the question as the hills surrounding the caldera did not provide a suitable lee.  Nevertheless we did enjoy a ship cruise inside an active volcano in Antarctica and could see the historical sites from the safety of the ships decks.  Deception Island is steeped in history.  As a proud Aussie I always enjoy visiting the site of the first Antarctic flight made by Australian explorer Sir Hubert Wilkins and wonder if Nathaniel Palmer was in fact the first person to see the Antarctic continent from Neptune’s window.

Yesterday’s disappointments were cast aside from the moment I rolled out of bed.  Every morning the first thing I do is peek out my porthole and this morning I spied huge bergs everywhere.  I sprang out of bed… I am prone to exaggeration and hyperbole… actually I rolled out of bed onto the cabin floor, threw on some clothes, splashed my face and headed out on deck, camera in hand.  The wind had dropped and the temperature had plummeted, so much so that the upper deck was coated in ice.    We wound our way slowly through huge tabular bergs and myriad smaller icebergs into Hope Bay, home to Argentina’s Esperanza Base and a hut used over a hundred years ago by members of Otto Nordenskjold’s Swedish Antarctic Expedition. 

The base is nestled on a rocky shore at the foot of some huge glaciers and mountains. A fresh coat of powder snow lent a surreal air to the landscape.  The base itself has an intriguing history.  It is the site of the first Antarctic birth, an Argentine of course.  It has a school and a radio station and really is an interesting little community in its own right.  It is also a continental base so a number of the passengers celebrated their seventh continent with gorgeous vistas of the ice filled bay.

After lunch we sailed a little further south to one of my favourite sites on the peninsula, Brown Bluff.  It is home to nesting Snow Petrels, Cape Petrels, Gentoos, Adelies, Kelp Gulls and numerous fur seals, however, it is not the wild life that is the highlight, it is the black sand beach and the huge brown overhanging cliffs.  The cliffs have discharged enormous brown rocks onto the beach and the water off the beach is unusually calm with tide pools that are perfect for the ultimate wildlife reflection shots.  So we spent a lovely couple of hours strolling along the beach, watching full-grown Gentoo chicks learning the ropes for their first winter at sea and fur seals play-fighting.  A number of passengers enjoyed a walk on the periphery of the glacier at the southern end of the Bluff.

As soon as we returned to the ship a few lunatics took to the ocean to ‘enjoy’ a polar plunge.  Following the plunge we headed south once more through Fridtjof Sound.  The Sound was chocked with ice and by the time we entered Yalour Sound we had to make a decision about where to spend the night.  It had started to snow and with so much big ice around and fast flowing currents (up to 2 knots) it wasn’t an option to stay where we were.  So after making a brief incursion into some first year sea ice we turned the ship and made out way north again to avoid the worst of the ice.  I will never tire of watching seals and icebergs out the window while enjoying a glass of nice red and a hot meal!  A snow petrel even fluttered past the dining room… and this is a job!

David Sinclair

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Tuesday 24 February, 9.30am

We arrived back in Ushuaia from our unscheduled adventure early on the morning of the 22nd.  After replenishing our stores, taking on a new group of excited passengers, completing the mandatory lifeboat drill and clearing customs we threw the liens and headed back down the Beagle Channel around 6pm.

The days are getting shorter quickly.  The golden hour for photographers in the Beagle Channel is now closer to 7 or 8 pm compared to 10 or 11 pm in mid January.  We were treated to some vibrant rainbows and gorgeous scenery on our way out to sea.  We knew it would not last.  The weather charts indicated we were in for a rough crossing.   We are now staggering around the decks like drunks.  It is highly amusing if not a little dangerous at times to watch each other sway ungracefully from one side of a room to another.  At times we list like the ship in a bid to fight the immense forces the ocean imparts on our 100m long home.

Usually the rolling quickly lulls me into a deep dreamless sleep.  Not so last night.  I lay awake for hours trying to find a comfortable position. Every so often I would get out of bed and glimpse out of my porthole.  My cabin lies a little above sea level.  It is great fun to stare out of the porthole in a heavy swell.  Sometimes I am lifted high above the waves, at times I am below sea level and the port hole is filled with a heaving mass of blue brine.  At night the ship’s lights illuminate the sea.  Wind scours the tops of waves sending flurries of white water streaming into the darkness.  I smile knowing there is a few inches of solid steel between me and the merciless open ocean.

When I awoke this morning the swell had not abated.  New challenges confronted me. Taking a shower involves bracing oneself against a wall and hanging on to a handle.  You dry yourself with a single hand.  After a while you get the hang of things and know that between swells there are a few precious seconds when the ship is almost upright and you can hurry about your business until once again you are swept to one side by the motion and gravitational forces.  For the most part it is highly amusing and all part of the adventure. 

I am very much looking forward to this final adventure of the season.  My favourite place on the planet is South Georgia.  I’ve been fortunate to travel to approximately 50 different countries and many remote wild regions on the planet and South Georgia is the winner for me.  Our journey will take us from Ushuaia across the Drake to the South Shetlands and on through Antarctic Sound to the Weddell Sea or Eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula to Snow Hill Island, Paulet Island, Brown Bluff and on to South Georgia via the South Orkneys.  In South Georgia we will visit massive King Penguin colonies and the remains of the whaling stations amongst other things.  Following South Georgia we will make for the Falkland Islands which are home to gorgeous beaches and abundant wildlife, then finally, sadly another Antarctic season will come to a close.  The sea ice and freezing temperatures will reclaim the continent for eight long months.

David Sinclair

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David Sinclair, Quark’s onboard Naturalist and Zodiac Driver, blogs from Clipper Adventurer.  Join his discoveries of the Peninsula on the Classic Antarctica Expedition.  View David’s photography website at www.davidsinclairimages.com

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