The Fram drift

...or going with the stream in the Southern Ocean.

Today we started our day the same way we left it last night, like being on a dancing ground. This was the first glance of what we expected it to be in the Southern Ocean. Exactly as we have heard and dreamed in all the adventure stories we were told as child’s, those of the hard discovery voyages of the old glorious early days of Antarctic exploration which captivated our imagination in a fascinating way, such that has brought us today to experience the same thrill.

We continued in east direction, leaving the Falkland/Malvinas Islands behind and turning slightly to the south, in the way to South Georgia.  

As you can see, the day was bright and perfect to enjoy the company of our faithful feathery companions, the cape petrels, the southern giant petrels, also some prions and light mantled sooty albatrosses.

 

 The day was full of preparation for the arrival to South Georgia, that meant to clean and vacuuming all the old gear and clothes, avoiding the risk of entering any alien species of plants or diseases into the islands.

Also some bridge visits were organized and some of our guests were able to become more familiar with our floating home. While writing this lines, the whole ships rolls half smoothly but permanently in the commanded direction, all thanks to the highly technological equipment we have on board, as you can see on the picture, not to forget the most important of them, being the “coffee machine”.

We finished the day with our traditional “fashion show”, modeling for the benefit of all the participants and wishing a healthy and recovery night to our guests.  

2 trips done!

The last two days we spent at sea, most of the time in the Drake Passage. We had a little bit of stronger wind and many of our Chinese guests could not really handle this. They preferred to stay in the cabins and we got the feeling that we had suddenly lost quiet a number of passengers in Antarctica. But on the Captains Farewell they showed up all again. Some still a little bit pale in the face but happy to be in the calmer waters of the entrance of the Beagle Channel.

We thought, that this is the right time to let our wonderful trainee, Niri, from Norway let write again about his experiences until now.

Hallo blogger!

It’s me again, Niri the trainee.

I have now been with the FRAM for 2 trips. The first tour has been a trip with passengers from nearly all over the world to the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), South Georgia and the Antarctic peninsula. My second trip has been a full Chinese charter to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Tomorrow my third and last trip will start; again with passengers from many different nations and again to the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), South Georgia and the Antarctic peninsula. I am looking forward to it as I want to see how different the landscape looks like later in the season and what my new friends, the penguins and all the other birds are doing now, in December.  

I took some time to understand how far from home I really am, but seeing the flora and fauna in Antarctica I understood that I’m on the other side of the planet!

The animals that live in and around the south icy sea are really interesting creatures! It’s very nice to work with a team that consists of people with different specialties! If I have a question about history, biology, geology, organizing or anything else, someone in the team can answer.

Everything runs on tracks in the team. It’s clear to me that they have a lot of experience doing this kind of thing.

The daily life of the ship can be calm, like on a sea day. But if we have kayaking, camping, cruising and ordinary landings all in the same day, things can get busy! But I like it, you get time to relax but you don’t get too lazy. But of course I have not to lecture so that I have a little bit more time, especially on sea days, than my lecturer colleagues.

Here you can see my team and me in "action".

Photo John Chardine

Photo John Chardine

Photo Ina Schau Johansen

Photo Marsel van Oosten

I know I’m going to enjoy the next trip, hiking, polar circle boat rides, maybe camping, more seals and a lot of fun!  

Can there be something nicer than ice?

Let’s say it just at the beginning, our last day has been incredible, incredible wonderful. The day started early at 8:00h with a landing in Cuverville, in a huge Gentoo Penguin colony and it ended after an amazing cruise through the Neumayer Channel in the evening light. 

It would be nearly not possible to explain with words what we experienced this day. Please, look at the pictures, perhaps they say more than words can do.

And now perhaps you will understand our answer to the question: “can there be something nicer than ice?”. Yes, yes and a third time yes. Penguins on the ice, camping on the ice, kayaking between the ice and a PolarCircelBoat cruise in front of this impressive glacier landscape, which is all so much better than ice!

The journey continues!

This is now our third day in Antarctica and we have found lots to do in the South Shetland Islands. This chain of volcanic islands is moving away from the Antarctic Peninsula a few centimetres a year as a result of seafloor spreading. The active volcano called Deception Island is a result of this continued tectonic activity.

After spending a bumpy night in the northern-western part of the Bransfield Strait, we sailed into the flooded caldera of Deception Island in the early morning. The wind was howling outside but once we were inside the caldera, it calmed down. Pack ice from last winter had piled up in Whaler’s Bay but a portion of the beach was open enough for us to land. You really have to pinch yourself when you land at this place- remember it’s a ACTIVE volcano that erupts at regular intervals. It is time for another one based on how long it has been since the last. Evidence of the volcanic activity was in the form of steam rising from the beach, a sulfur smell in the air and hot water just below the surface of the black volcanic sand. As usual there were some Gentoo Penguins on the beach and at the end of the landing, a few were able to watch a Leopard Seal lying on an ice floe. Deception is famous for its Antarctic swimming opportunities and a few brave souls ventured in to the frigid waters. Behind the beach, we explored the outside of an abandoned British base and the oldest whaling station in Antarctica, dating from the early 1900s.

Pack ice in Whaler's Bay

Leopard Seal

Leopard Seal

Marsel van Oosten

Coming back out of Deception through Neptune’s Bellows is as impressive as going in with the high volcanic cliffs and the sea stack on one side, and colourful rock and snow on the other. Once out, we headed for our second landing of the day at Walker Bay on nearby Livingston Island. By the time we reached the bay the winds had dropped and all we had to contend with was a moderate swell. However, the Expedition Team was able to find a safe place to land on the beach. This landing was like none we had done before on this trip with the beach dotted with Elephant Seals and Southern Giant Petrels nesting and roosting behind the beach. Most walked up to see the fossil collection made from the area and on display. The Elephant Seals were mainly younger males but there were a couple of huge bulls with their big “blow-up” noses, and a young “weaner” lay on the beach on its own. It’s incredible how these young seals can become independent of their parents at such a young age and without any help learn to be an Elephant Seal.

Young Elephant Seal - 'weaner'

Elephant Seals - FriedaPhoto

Some went on a Polarcirkel boat cruise around the bay and got excellent views from the water of the rich Antarctica oasis of Hannah Point with its green vegetation and breeding penguins and giant petrels.

So overall our day was fantastic with a good mixture of beautiful scenery, geology and wildlife. Stay tuned for more to come!

Antarctica Day

1st of December is the date when the Antarctic Treaty had been signed. For us it was a real Antarctic Day. The first half of it we were busy preparing for our landings. That means vacuuming backpacks, trousers and jackets to prevent that we introduce any seeds and other organic material that does not belong here. Furthermore we had bridge visits, briefings and a group photo to commemorate Antarctica Day.

Accompanied by some fin whales we left the Drake Passage and passed in-between Nelson Island and Robert Island to the Southern Side of the South Shetland Islands. There we were suddenly surrounded by snow that was whirling all around Fram. That much that some worried about our first landing. Nevertheless we continued towards Greenwich Island. When we arrived at a bay called Yankee Harbor the snow disappeared as fast as it had captured us.

 

 

We started the landing right away and had a fantastic afternoon. We found Yankee Harbor full of wildlife, although the area is still covered by a thick layer of snow. That doesn’t bother the several thousands of Gentoo Penguins. They were walking and sliding all around to and from their colony. Even though rocky areas and thus nesting possibilities are still rare the skuas were mating.

Some seals were sleeping on the end of the narrow stipe of land that shelters the inner part of the bay.

While these impressions created smiles on all faces ashore, clouds and sun were creating the quickly changing dramatic light in the scenery around. And all of a sudden, while we were leaving the place, very low and fast moving dark grey clouds brought a fresh load of snow. We reached the ship safely and then were again blinded by swirling snow for the next half hour.

What a great Antarctic day!