Last day on the Drake

Our last full day on the Drake Passage and happily for our peace of mind (and stomachs), we enjoyed much calmer weather than yesterday. It was a wonderful relief -- nothing capsized in the dining room and we didn´t stagger around the ship as if we were drunk. It was a quiet day, a day to reflect on what we have seen on our voyage to Antarctica. We did last minute shopping in the gift shop, began to pack our bags for the journey home, and thought about what we would tell our friends and families about our adventures in the land of snow and penguins. Birds flew around the ship, and a large pod of pilot whales put in an appearance as we approached land. The islands of the South American continent appeared on the horizon – from here we will meet our pilot who will guide the vessel through the Beagle Channel into the port of Ushuaia.

From the gallant captain, his loyal officers the hardworking crew and the expedition staff on board the MV Fram, we all wish you safe travels and happy memories! It has indeed been our pleasure sailing with you. May you always keep Antarctica in your minds and hearts.

PS. And so, the writer of this daily blog wishes you farewell!

Storm on the Drake!!

Crash! Bang! Smash! Hang on! Instead of the Drake Lake, we experienced the dreaded Drake Earthquake. Awoke to a Beaufort 9 storm – large waves battered the ship, causing us to stagger and sway down the hallways as we tried to maintain our balance. The order for the day was ONE HAND FOR THE SHIP! Seasick bags were placed strategically around the ship for our convenience. This was our farewell to the frozen continent, a thunderous goodbye of fluffy foam and watery spray as we make our way across the Drake Passage bound for the port of Ushuaia. Albatross and pintado petrels following the ship were not affected by the wind, but rather soared overhead in graceful defiance of the storm.

A smiling and confident Captain Hansen was standing on the bridge with lovely company ready to answer our questions concerning the steering, navigation and general workings of the MS Fram. As usual, he posed for photographs as well. We were very impressed how modern our trim little ship is. The view from the bridge, however, was like riding a rollercoaster up and down with no way to get off. More Crash! Bang! Smash! Hang on! Grab onto the rails! Big waves hurled their liquid summits against the bow of the Fram, throwing up curtains of spray.

The lecture program continued throughout the day, with a guest lecturer discussing the Nature of the Atmosphere. The storm increased in strength throughout the afternoon – it was a continued challenge to remain on our feet. A short nap was a welcome respite from our Drake Dance. The day ended with the Captain´s dinner and his speech where he reminded us to remember the University of Nature, and our unique and rewarding voyage of discovery to the bottom of the world.

Paradise Harbor and Wilhelmina Bay

Today was one of the best days that Antarctic could offer. We landed at the Argentine base of Almirante Brown, in Paradise Harbour, on the mainland of Antarctica. One passenger commented upon coming ashore, that she felt like she was living in a dream – but a wonderful dream. People climbed to the top of a hill overlooking the glacier-filled bay ringed by snowcapped mountains. A quick descent was made on nylon-clad bottoms – some people spinning around like tops and ending up in a pile of snow and laughter. Some even repeated the slide. The landing at Paradise ended with a short cruise into the bay, where we observed leopard seals basking on ice floes. The leopard is a formidable predator, with a large jaw possessing sharp teeth.

The next destination was whale watching in Wilhelmenia Bay. We knew we would encounter whales, but not the great number we finally saw. Almost everywhere we looked we saw whale spouts. If this wasn´t enough for one day, a large number of Orcas appeared. The Captain maneuvered the Fram into position, but the Orcas obliged us by literally posing for photographs as they swam very close to the ship. It was an amazing encounter with nature, one that we will not soon forget. The day ended with soft lighting effects on the mountains and icebergs. A wonderful day down south!

Vernadsky station and Petermann Island

Another amazing day in the Antarctic. A spectacular early morning cruise through the narrow confines of the Lemaire Channel brought us to our first landing – the Ukranian base of Vernadsky. The base personnel were very hospitable and everyone was impressed with the living quarters and scientific programs being conducted. Once a British base called Faraday, it was handed over to the Ukranians in 1996 and still maintains a very English flavor. A pub is the main center of attraction, and ladies who offered up a bra were then given a free shot of home-made vodka. All told, it was a fun experience spending time at Vernadsky base.

Continuing our journey, the afternoon found us at Petermann Island, home to gentoos and our first adelie penguins. All the penguins were tending chicks, many of the babies were quite large. Blue eyed shags (cormorants) also had babies. Many of us climbed a small hill to view the aptly named Iceberg Alley, and enjoyed a wonderful panoramic view. Several private yachts sailed past while we were on shore. The weather was slightly overcast but the sun occasionally broke through the clouds, offering us great opportunities for pictures of penguins and polar scenery. We were back to the ship in time for our Argentine buffet.

Cuverville Island and Port Lockroy

¨Good morning, ladies and gentlemen and welcome to Cuvervile Island and a beautiful day. It does not get any better than this,¨ were the first words spoken this morning by our fearless leader Anja. Our first landing of the day was at beautiful Cuverville Island, home to a large colony of nesting gentoo penguins. Penguins were moving to and from the water, tending their newly-hatched chicks or chasing away skuas that lingered at the edge of the rookery site. Several skuas attempted to eat Manuel´s hat. A leopard seal made a brief appearance cruising around offshore. Every so often, there was a loud cracking sound as an iceberg split or dropped off pieces into the water.

We sailed through the stunning Neumayer Channel and took a lot of photographs. Some Orcas cruised past with several young ones. The afternoon found us at the British Base of Port Lockroy on Goudier Island. This was a double landing, with a short landing at nearby Jougla Point, home to more gentoos and nesting cormorants with babies and several whale skeletons. The base offered a small gift shop where we were able to spend our money on souvenirs, including t-shirts and hats, books and maps, and other Antarctic related materials. The four ladies manning the museum were more than happy to answer our many questions about what it was like to live in Antarctica. It was also like stepping back in time, to realize what it must have been like to actually live at a working base circa the 1940s.

Half Moon and Deception

After braving the Drake Passage, we arrived at the South Shetland Islands -- icy outposts of the Antarctic Peninsula. The vessel sailed between two snowcapped islands, Nelson and Robert, passing several impressive tabular icebergs. Penguins appeared around the ship, porpoising through the water with amazing agility. We had made such good time crossing the Drake we were a little bit ahead of schedule. After IAATO safety briefings, the passengers were more than happy to leave the comfort of the Fram and experience Antarctica face-to-face.
We arrived at Half Moon Island, home to numerous chinstrap penguins. Many penguins were tending fluffy chicks or sitting on eggs. The noise of the rookery was impressive, almost as impressive as the unique odor of penguin poop! A wayward visitor appeared -- a lone macaroni penguin waddled up to stand amid the chinstraps. White sheathbills, small scavenger birds, nimbly made their way between the nesting penguins.

Voracious skuas patrolled the skies overhead in search of unattended chicks. The light changed throughout the landing, and the wind increased ever so slightly to put a noticeable nip in the air.

The day ended with our ship entering through the narrow gap of Neptune´s Bellows into Whaler´s Bay at Deception Island. Deception Island is a circular-shaped piece of land – the shape was created by the remnants of a collapsed caldera that flooded with seawater thousands of years ago. The island is still volcanically active, the last major eruptions occurring in 1967 and 1969. Many pintado petrels nest amid the volcanic rocks around the island. Our first day in Antarctica was a memorable one.

The Drake

We spent our first full day at sea in the Drake Passage, named for that English Corsair Sir Francis Drake, who first navigated these waters in 1587. All day long, waves sculpted by wind and current thumped the side of the ship. Curtains of spray were thrown up from the bow. The wind increased until we had some weather that rocked the ship, compelling the passengers to do the Drake Dance as they negotiated their way around the vessel. Several albatross, however, used the wind to their advantage and soared around the Fram all afternoon. Beautiful, large birds, the wandering albatross may have a wingspan of 10 to possibly 11 feet in length.

We began our comprehensive lecture series today, with discussions about biology, history and geology of the Antarctic region. We also encouraged people to get out on deck to observe the birdlife as well as take in the fresh air combined with a little rain. For the most part, it was a quiet day. We attended lectures, read, ate and slept.

Music and singing on deck 7, the panorama lounge, ended our first day at sea.

Ushuaia, Argentina

Windy, rainy weather in Ushuaia, Argentina – considered by some to be the southernmost city in the world. The passengers arrived on board the Fram, and after formalities of checking in and locating cabins we set sail down the Beagle Channel en route to the Drake Passage. Mandatory lifeboat drill was conducted just after departure. Each boat carries 150 persons, as well as several rafts fully equipped with lifesaving gear.

Our expedition leader Anja then introduced the officers and expedition staff on deck 7, in the panorama lounge. The staff includes ornithologists, biologists and historians, among other experts in their fields. The skies were grey, with low clouds shrouding the mountains, but there was no wind. And so the adventure to the southern continent of Antarctica begins!

Drake Passage, Cape Horn

Today we continued to enjoy the gentle face of the Drake Passage; although there was a bit of swell and fog, we had a smooth ride. Mid-morning, Captain Hansen unveiled a little surprise he had up this sleeve: considering we had made excellent progress due to the calm seas, he had set the vessel on course towards Cape Horn! We were excited to get within a couple of nautical miles of the southern tip of the American continent. As we sailed past this place steeped in respect and mystery, a fitting memorial to sailors lost at sea, we thought of the many ships that have rounded the Horn in days of yore.

Karin, our expedition leader, and Miguel are going home after some weeks on board MS Fram. They certainly are happy to be on land, but they -and quite possibly several of our passengers!- concur with Fritdtjof Nansen:

“Strange. There is always a sadness on departure. It is as if one cannot after all bear to leave this bleak waste of ice, glaciers, cold and toil…”

We wish you smooth sailing and safe voyages!

Drake Passage, northbound

After a bit of shake, rattle and roll during the night, the weather calmed down and we had relatively smooth sailing during the day. After our extremely busy days of landing, getting into and out of our boots and jackets, and various adventures ashore, we fell back into our shipboard routine on board the Fram. The lecture series continued, with talks about seabirds and penguins, polar history, and geology. We also had time to take a nap and prepare ourselves for re-entry back into the ‘other world’ where there are no penguins or icebergs or whales. The day ended with the Captain’s dinner.


In memories we were rich. We had time to reflect on our unique experiences in the Southern Ocean, the Falklands, South Georgia, South Orkneys, and the Weddell Sea. Indeed, who can forget the multitude of penguins at Baily Head? Gentoo penguins nest building or tending their chicks? Leopard seals chasing after penguins? Large tabular iceberg looming on the horizon? Graceful albatross following in the wake of the ship? The hardy inhabitants of Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, or the rugged snowcapped beauty of South Georgia Island? All of this, in addition to the many friendships we have made on board with our fellow passengers from many countries around the world.