South to the Lemaire and beyond

We continued our journey south today, first with an early-morning transit of the Lemaire Channel, followed by landings at Petermann Island then Vernadsky Station.

In the middle of the Lemaire, we encountered a field of brash ice and bergy-bits but our captain and chief officer steered us safely through. We passed another ship in the channel, which is a very rare event anywhere in Antarctica, let alone in such narrow a place. Some minke whales and Snow Petrels were sighted on the way through.

The weather was not as sunny as yesterday but this didn't stop us from enjoying the magnificent panoramas of icebergs around the Petermann Island. And we continue to have calm conditions! Petermann Island is home to a mixed colony of Gentoo and Adélie Penguins, and Blue-eyed Cormorants, and we had great opportunities to view and study all three. In addition we noticed a stray Chinstrap Penguin in amongst the Gentoos and Adélies.

After a short cruise farther south we came to Vernadsky Station for our afternoon landing. This station is part of the Ukranian antarctic program and used to be owned and operated by the United Kingdom. In those days it was called "Faraday". At the station we caught a glimse of what it's like to live and work in Antarctica. The station has a gift shop (the most southerly in the world!) and a bar which serves Horilka (Ukranian vodka). Many passengers partook of a "wee dram" on this most southerly point in our cruise!

After Vernadsky we head back north again through Lemaire Channel, this time with good visibility to the tops of the mountains of Booth Island and the mainland.

Cuverville Island and Port Lockroy

We awoke to beautiful sunny conditions today amongst the islands of the Antarctic Peninsula. Some fog and snow in the night slowed us down a little but we made it to our first landing at Cuverville Island in plenty of time. There we were blessed with bright sunshine, warm conditions and no wind, which is a rare combination in Antarctica!

Cuverville Island was discovered by Gerlache on his 1897-99 voyage, who named it for J.M.A. Cavelier de Cuverville (1834-1912), a vice admiral of the French Navy. For us it provided fantastic views of nearby Rongé Island, the mainland of Antarctica, and its animal residents- the Gentoo Penguins and skuas. The penguins were beginning to build their nests and lay eggs, and the skuas were patiently waiting for the snow to melt so they could get their breeding season started as well. We knew the Gentoos had started to lay because we watched as a skua flew over the colony with a stolen Gentoo egg. We also received an image from one of our passengers that proves penguins can fly!

In the afternoon we repositioned to Port Lockroy and on the cruise were awestruck with the beauty of the ice-clad mountains of Antarctica. The light was great for wildlife photography on our Port Lockroy landing, which included a visit to the Gentoo and Blue-eyed Shag colony at Jugla Point.

At the British Base A, Port Lockroy, people were able to do some shopping and post letters and cards at the official British Post Office there. The Base is maintained by the United Kingdom Artarctic Heritage Trust (http://www.ukaht.org/).

Sea and land

Our day began at sea and ended on land. This was last day of crossing the Drake Passage before we arrive in Antarctica, and the water was nice and smooth. Too bad we had fog most of the day and could not see well the approach to the South Shetland Islands. However, this helped our attention in the educational lectures we had on weather, penguins and other topics.

In the mid-afternoon, we made landfall in the South Shetland Islands, which lie to the northwest of the Antarctic Peninsula. Our first landing of this expedition cruise was to Half Moon Island, and the mist and fog, which remained for most of the late afternoon and evening, provided a perfect atmosphere for our landing. The light was also just right for good wildlife photography- bright but not harsh. The Chinstrap Penguins had begun to lay egg and local predators- the gulls and skuas- were actively stealing a few. However, there are usually so many penguins in a colony that gulls and skuas cannot have a big impact on the production of young.

Seals like to visit Half Moon Island, and we had the pleasure of observing two Weddell Seals and a young male Elephant Seal on our visit. The Weddell Seals lazed away their time but occasionally looked up to check that we were still there. The Elephant Seal landed on the beach at the end of the landing but seemed very interested in our presence on "his" beach.

First day at sea

This morning our passengers were given a great bird-watching and photographing session by 2 of our Expedition Staff members, John Chardine and Olle Melander. As usual in this area of the Drake Passage, many Cape Petrels, some Southern Giant Petrels, a small flock of Southern Fulmars, and at least 10 Albatrosses of three different species (the majestic Wandering Albatrosses, the elegant Black-browed Albatrosses and the fascinating Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses) were up in the air and around the ship to help our passengers in their morning task. As if it had been programmed, the fog arrived and decreased the visibility when the session finished, and it has stayed rather low ever since.

Life on board has been quite busy, getting everything ready for the landings as soon as we arrive in Antarctica. The passengers learned about the optional excursions that they can take in Ushuaia and Buenos Aires and attended some lectures. They have also had time to start getting to know each other and the ship.

Antarctica here we come!

We spent a very pleasant day in Ushuaia, the most southerly city in the world, in preparation for our departure to Antarctica in the early evening. The weather was beautifully warm and sunny on this early summer day in the southern hemisphere. In the afternoon the sun shone brightly on the southern end of the Andes Mountains.

Passengers arrived on the ship in the mid-afternoon and settled in. Some had the chance to walk around Ushuaia and enjoy what the city has to offer before coming aboard. One couple, who had followed our Fram blog for the past few months, happened to meet our ship photographer and asked for their picture to be taken. Here they are (with their permission to appear in the blog!).

As we left Ushuaia, we sailed east along the famous Beagle Channel, named after HMS Beagle, the ship in which Charles Darwin sailed in this part of the world in the 1830s. (Don't forget that the 24 November is the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin's "The Origin of Species"). Each side of the channel, the green hills covered in Southern Beech trees and grasses contrasted with the snow-covered peaks above.

We will now be two days at sea before we reach the Last Continent!

South America approaching

On our last sea-day of this fantastic voyage we approach the very southern tip of the South American continent. Cape Horn is to our port side and ahead lie the Chilean islands of Isla Wollaston and Navarino, the Beagle Channel, and our final destination, Ushuaia.

We had a great day on the Drake Passage with calm seas for most of the day and a moderate swell as we sailed north. Our constant companions, and a joy to watch, have been the seabirds, which today followed us behind and in the lee of the wind. At one time we had four species of albatrosses around the ship- Black-browed, Grey-headed, Wandering, and Light-mantled Sooty, accompanied by many Giant Petrels and Cape Petrels.

Around midday we came upon a pod of Finback Whales so we slowed the ship and observed them for a time.

As we make your way through the corridors of the Fram tonight, the sight of packed suitcases outside each cabin can only mean one thing- our voyage is almost over. A pity as we were just getting to really know each other.

Heading north on the Drake

We are now sailing northward towards Cape Horn on smooth waters. The Drake Passage has an undeserved reputation for being rough all the time but in fact it is often quite comfortable, as today. We call flat-calm conditions on the Drake Passage, the "Drake Lake".

In the early morning we were treated to cruise into the active volcano that is Deception Island. We passed through Neptune's Bellows and circled Whalers Bay. Ahead of us lay the remains of the Norwegian "Hector" Whaling Station and the British Base B. Both were severely damaged after the last eruption that took place in 1969.

As it is one of our last nights aboard the ship we held our fund-raising auction before attending the Captain's Dinner. We now have one more day at sea before arriving at Ushuaia on Thursday morning.

Our last day in Antarctica

The weather continued to be fine today with calm conditions all day. We had bright cloud overhead which made the photography particularly good as the light was not harsh.

Our first landing was at the British base A at Port Lockroy, which was named by Charcot for Edouard Lockroy, French politician and Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies, who assisted Charcot in obtaining government support for his expedition. The base houses living quarters maintained in original style, an official British Post Office, and a well-supplied gift shop, and is run by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (http://www.ukaht.org/). People tend to choose to build Antarctic bases in places that are free of ice and this is the sort of habitat that penguins prefer as well. It is no surprise then to see penguins (Gentoo) nesting all around Base A, seemingly oblivious to the comings and goings of people. In amongst the Gentoos scurried several, all-white Snowy Sheathbills.

In the afternoon we landed at the Argentinian base Almirante Brown. This was our only landing on the Antarctic continent itself, so was a hige thrill for everyone. People walked up the hill just behind the station and had a magnificent view of Paradise Bay. After a fun slide down the hill, we went for a boat cruise to see spectacular glaciers descending into the sea.

Arktowski Station and Half Moon Island

Today was a spectacular one- we had sunshine from dusk till dawn.

What added hugely to the day was the almost complete lack of wind. We hope the high pressure system that created such

amazing conditions stays with us for the next few days!

Our first landing was in the Polish Arktowski Station on King Edward Island, were a Weddell Seal gave us a warm but disinterested welcome. A Leopard Seal also decided to scare our boat-catcher at the landing site. We were close to the big Adelie Penguin colony at the end of the beach and could admire the comings and goings of these little creatures as they made their way from their landing site to the colony and back.

In the afternoon we landed at Half Moon Island where spectacular scenery got everybody's attention. The backdrop of Livingston Island was truly breathtaking. Besides the Chinstrap Penguins, there were other bird species breeding on this small, crescent-shaped extinct volcano, including Gentoo Penguins, Kelp Gulls, Antarctic Terns and Sheatbills.

As we sailed towards the Antarctic continent the fine weather stayed with us and the setting sun lit the ice-covered mountains of Livingston Island with a golden light- they reminded us of the look of whipped merangue.

Icy seas!

As we sail ever closer to the Antarctic Peninsula we have started to see extensive sea-ice and icebergs. However, this has not impeded the Fram's progress. On one of the icebergs we saw today, there were a dozen or so Chinstrap Penguins roosting, and nearby an Antarctic Petrel flew by- more hints that we are approaching Antarctica! It may interest people to know that large icebergs are given letter-number designations and are tracked through their lives (see www.polarview.aq/mapview.php)

A highlight today was the virtually constant accompaniment of the ship by many Cape Petrels. They followed us and took advantage of our movement to make their way south with us. The petrels wheeled in tight groups, almost like schooling fish as they escape a predator.

After three days at sea, our Fram passengers are ready to touch down on solid ground. There is much anticipation aboard ship for the experiences that will touch us when we arrive at the Last Continent. At this very moment we are passing by the remote Elephant Island, where Shacklton's men were left for several months, while "the Boss" with five of his men sailed to South Georgia in the James Caird in the first leg of their rescue.

Scotian Sea

We are in the middle of Scotian Sea, making our way against the wind and waves to Antarctica. A low pressure system is providing us with changeable weather- snow, sun, cloud- and intermittently the ship dips down into the trough of a wave and the fo'c'sle (forecastle) is covered with icy sea-spray.

The crew have regular safety training sessions and today they practiced their fire drill. Here you can see them dressed in their fire-suits and breathing apparatus.

Even though the weather has been changing quite dramatically from sunshine to snowstorm, the seabirds are still keeping us company in great numbers, and today we added only the second observation of the rare white form of the Southern Giant Petrel. These birds seem to revel in the strong, cold wind that is whipping up the ocean.

there she blows!

Today we steamed in a southwesterly direction from South Georgia towards the South Shetland Islands, adjacent to the Antarctic Peninsula. Seas were friendly and the sun shone for most of the day, interrupted only by a brief snow storm in the morning.

The seabirds continued to be with us as we sail (for example, Giant Petrels, Albatrosses, Cape Petrels, Snow Petrels) and we have an extra passenger in the name of a Snowy Sheathbill on-board. It is quite common for this species of bird to land on ships and he/she will no doubt have company soon, as we approach the Antarctic Peninsula.

A huge highlight of the day was to sail by an enormous tabular iceberg estimated to be 17 by 12 nautical miles in size! Icebergs this size are all catalogued and are give "names"- this one is called B15I.

We had a great whale watching day with several large whales (Humpbacks?) being seen to the side and behind the vessel. In one pod we counted at least 5 animals blowing. Another highlight today was the rare sighting of a Southern Bottlenosed Whale, and not only was it sighted but one of our passengers was able to make some images of the whale and its partner.

South Georgia- day 2

What a fantastic second day we had on South Georgia! Weather-wise, the snow and rain that we had yesterday passed by and we were treated to changeable but fair conditions all day. Seas were generally calm close to shore, which allowed for two fabulous landings.

In the morning we visited Moltke Harbour. The harbour was named after the German expedition ship which charted the area as part of the International Polar Year in 1882-83 (http://www.ipy.org). There we found a large elephant seal rookery with perhaps 2-3 beach-master males, lots of females and lots of pups. During the landing, strong winds from the glacier came up and down like a yo-yo, and with the winds came blowing snow and white-out conditions. Also on land we saw a herd of about 30 reindeer, King and Gentoo Penguins, and Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses circling the snow-clad, tussock hills behind us.

After returning to the vessel for lunch we repositioned to King Edward Cove and landied at the famous Grytviken Whaling Station. This landing provided something for everyone including history (for example, Sir Ernest Shacklton's grave), nature (seals, and various bird species including the endemic South Georgia Pintail), incredible scenary, photo opportunities galour, and even some shopping in the museum store.

We experienced virtually calm conditions during the landing which contributed to the peaceful feeling we got from this historic and rich location.

Now we have two more sea days before we reach Antarctica!

Getting to know the king

The king in question is King George III of England and today we have arrived at one of the most spectacular islands in the world, named for King George by Captain Cook, and called South Georgia.

Every landing you make on South Georgia is a huge accomplishment because of often severe weather and water conditions, so we can pat ourselves on the back that we made two landings today! In the morning we visited the area around the Strømness whaling station, and there saw reindeer, elephant and fur seals, Gentoo and King Penguins, and several other bird species. It snowed ALL MORNING but this did not deter us. All returned to the ship with smiles on their wet faces.

After a short reposition to Fortuna Bay we made a wonderful landing at the King Penguin rookery there. We saw a few dead King Penguin chicks (which is normal), and one was being scavenged by an adult Gaint Petrel. By then the morning snow had turned to afternoon rain and the long walk to the colony provided great views of elephant and fur seals (and in the case of the latter, strong smells of onion and garlic given off by the males). The Norwegian weather forecast (www.yr.no) we had for today was spot on and predicted the winds to pick up, which happened just as we were about to leave the landing site.