Double whammy!

We woke up this morning in the caldera of Deception Island, and since the weather was terrific (= calm and sunny), we gave a second try this season to hike to Bailey Head. Bailey Head is home to 10,000s of pairs of Chinstrap Penguins which spend the austral summer there, breeding. The "usual" beach landing at Bailey is on an unprotected beach on the outside of the caldera, and is very difficult. A fortnight ago, we had tried to get there, and were stopped and driven back by a blizzard. Not so this time around: we were able to reach the crest of the mountain, and get a spectacular view from there. In fact, we were able to look across the Bransfield Strait and make out the Antarctic peninsula - just like Davis and others did in 1820, the first documented sighting of the white continent.


From the top of the hill, some 200m above sea-level, we descended towards the colony at Bailey Head - and when we got there after a strenuous but very pleasant walk, we were treated to the wonderful spectacle of thousands of chinstrap penguins, sitting on their nests, crawling up the slopes on their way back from the sea, shouting to greet their partners; i.e., being chinstrap penguins. The place itself is beautiful, as the wall descending from the hills that are the head proper, are covered with very green stripes of moss.

On the way back from the hike, we explored the interesting ruins found at Whaler's Bay. And after so much activity, we were very happy to visit the restaurant onboard Fram!

The double whammy was that in the afternoon, we landed on Walker Bay, a beautiful spot on Livingston Island. The pleace was teeming with interesting life: massive elephant seals; hovering giant petrels; soaring light-mantled sooty albatrosses; gentoo and chinstrap penguins; and peeking from below their parents and still sporting their eggteeth, the first penguin chicks of the season! What a wonderful day...

Jekyll and Hyde

The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was a novel written by George Louis Stevenson and published in 1866. It tells the story of a friend of the main protagonist who suffered from split personality. Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Drake Passage had a split personality today. In the morning we enjoyed the gentle side of the Drake Passage with light breezes and smooth seas. The sun shone as well which added to the soft feeling of the crossing. Albatrosses and petrels of various sorts followed the ship and flew to one side or the other, gaining advantage in the lee of the wind.


Then, as the day progressed, the winds picked up and by the time mid-afternoon arrived we had 25m/s or 50 knot winds and high waves. Dr. Jekyll had transformed into Mr. Hyde! Later, as we approached the South Shetland Islands, the wind and waves calmed down but we were left in no doubt about the nasty side of the Drake.


This morning we crossed the Polar Front, that is, we are within the cold waters surrounding Antarctica and south of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current – i.e., we ARE in Antarctica! And after attending the mandatory IAATO briefings, our passengers are able, and very eagerly looking forward, to landing in this fabulous continent.

Although we have not been buffeted by high winds, we have all day long been exposed to a light breeze, which is nice because it has brought birds with it. This day we were accompanied by 5 elegant and graceful light-mantled sooty albatrosses, which followed the vessel for a couple of hours – and allowed photographers to give it a try to capture that most difficult and elusive beast: the bird in flight. Here are some of the shots we managed to get.

Dreadful names; wonderful places!

Yes; it was an early start, BUT we managed to land on Cape Horn this morning at 6:00 am! To many of our passengers this might seem trivial; not so to the crew on board Fram, who flocked to the car deck, trying to get on the Polar Cirkel boats to go ashore. They are aware that some years, we have not been able to land here a single time during the whole Antarctic season! Seafarers as they are, they also know that being able to visit this almost mystical place is a must (and our Captain was no exception).

So, stepping onto this southernmost bit of South America, to look into the vast, sometimes violent expanse of the Drake Passage from under one of the most photographed lighthouses on the planet; or to wander to the albatross monument and think about the many ships that have sunk just a few miles away from it is a very intense experience. Many of our passengers also felt the special experience this is. After the visit, Fram rounded the Cape, traveling from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean; we thus officially can call ourselves Cap Horners, and could, if we wanted to, pierce our ears to, in pirate-fashion, tell the world we had successfully rounded this infamous nautical feature.

A further place whose mention inspires fear in many people is the Drake Passage. Onboard Fram, we know these waters stretching some 1000 km between South America and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula can be anything between two extremes: Drake Lake or Drake Shake. Today, the seas were rather closer to the gentle version, and we enjoyed a light westerly breeze and soft waves. Riding the waves were five different species of albatross, as well as several agile petrels, fulmars and other wonderful seabirds. 

So, despite its fearsome reputation, we were treated to the kind side of these temperamental waters.

Cruising the Beagle Channel

Today we returned to the Beagle Channel on our way to Puerto Williams, Cape Horn and eventually Antarctica. We started our transit with a detour down the Seno Garibaldi. This spectacular, high-sided fiord ended in a beautiful glacier, which we approached to a close distance. After turning "on a dime" using our bow and stern thrusters we sailed back down the fiord and out once again into the Beagle Channel. On our way out we spotted a small colony of Imperial Cormorants.

A little later we passed the "country glaciers" all named for different countries participating in a scientific expedition to observe the transit of Venus across the face of the sun. These glaciers run down U-shaped valleys from the 2300 sq. km ice field atop the Chilean Cordillera  Darwin, the highest point of which is over 2000m above sea level. These glaciers are like a living textbook of glaciology showing clearly all the main physical features of glacial action. One of the glaciers showed a dramatic torrent of water flowing down the ice-scoured rock below the ice. They must have looked quite different before before the relatively recent warming trend that is causing most of the world's glaciers to shrink.

After some stimulating lectures we arrived at Puerto Williams in the late afternoon. This naval community is the most southerly town in the world. Surrounding Puerto Williams is the beautiful southern beech forest characteristic of this area of extreme southern Tierra del Fuego. We took advantage of this by making a couple of hikes to see the vegetation, animals and general scenery of the area. From midway up the hills behind Puerto Williams, we had a spectacular view of the Beagle Channel; and the afternoon was so bright and clear, that we were able to spot Ushuaia, on the other, Argentine side of the channel. In the forests we were lucky to see Gavilea lutea in bloom; one of the three southernmost orchids in the world, all of which grow here. After our different walks around the hills and forests on Isla Navarino, we had all developed a rather healthy appetite, which we satiated back on Fram, where our cooks had organised a delicious and abundant Chilean food feast.

Southern Chile Fjords

This morning we attempted a landing on Magdalena Island, where a huge colony of Magellanic Penguins makes its home. The expedition team was ready at the landing site shortly before 6:00 am and was literally sandblasted off the island a while afterwards! The island is made of fine, poorly consolidated sandstone and blows away in the wind. The wind picked up even more, pushed MV Fram off its mooring site, and reached gale force. Obviously, the landing had to be cancelled. This was unfortunate but is the essence of expedition cruising- "you just never know" down in these parts. The time gained by not landing was used to good advantage later in the day when for the first time ever Fram entered the spectacular Seno Angostini.

Quite surprisingly, strong winds continued blowing in the channels and fjords we traversed this day. In fact, whilst we were cruising in the normally calm Gabriel Channel, we were treated to hurricane-force winds: gusts of up to 140 km/hr caused the vessel to heel to one side. The storm was nevertheless a spectacular thing to watch – particularly from the comfort of our cozy panorama lounge on deck 7!

The afternoon treated us to calmer seas, and we were able to enjoy the sight of the many glaciers cascading down the imposing mountains flanking the Seno Agostini. The day slowly became night, and all the while we continued sailing through the beautiful, complex and immense maze of islands, mountains, inlets and bays known as the Chilean Fjords.

Excursions from Punta Arenas

That sums up what we did today. We arrived in Punta Arenas late yesterday afternoon and cleared customs by 1900h. We enjoyed a nice evening in this city of 120,000. Some of us went off in a bus to the spectacular Torres del Paine National Park for an overnight and day there. Today folks went their various ways on excursions to Punta Arenas (city tour), the Magellanic forest, an estancia, and the Seno Otway Magellanic Penguin rookery.

At the Estancia Olga Teresa we were hosted by the wonderful family who owns the property. Yvonne gave us a guided tour of the sheep ranch, including a sheep shearing demonstration and a sheepdog roundup. Then we were then treated to a traditional cordero asado de Patagonia- lamb roasted over an open wood fire. The air was fresh and our appetites keen so we were ready for lunch!

Our bus ride to the Otway Magellanic Penguin rookery took us through dry steppe habitat where we saw the famous Lesser or Darwin's Rhea, AKA Ñandu. These birds are close relatives of the ostriches of Africa and Emus of Australia. The Magellanic Penguins at Otway were a delight- young ones mingled on the beach with older birds and several were ambling up to their burrows from the water.


The city tour went around the various parts of the town- from the half-collapsing houses made out of old containers to the posh neighbourhood of the rich family of the Nogeiras. The cemetery in the city is said to be the prettiest one in Chile, something we all can confirm. A visit to the local museum showed us the lifestyle of the early settlers of Punta Arenas, the explorers through time, and the life of the indian tribes - the yagans, tehuelche and all. The tour ended at the main square, with green trees and the Sunday parade of police/military, singing their national song and greeting the flag of Chile.

The hike excursion began with a scenic walk into the hilly backdrop of Punta Arenas, where vast Patagonian forests extend as far as the eye can see. The rains of last week had given the path a bit of a muddy surface in some spots, but that didn't keep the brave hikers from scrambling up and down the mountains in the fresh morning air, earning every bite of their lunch that they ate, a bit exhausted but with a big smile.

Those that traveled to Torres del Paine National Park, spent the night in Puerto Natales, some 250 km north of Punta Arenas. Early, a bus picked us up to travel a further couple of hours to the park. On the way there we were lucky to see several condors, flamingoes and an eagle; all of these on the bird side of things, of course. We also came across several groups of guanacos, the camelid animals, cousins to the llamas, vicuñas and alpacas. When we first arrived at the park, it was pouring down and the wind was howling - nothing we were very happy about. But luckily, the weather cleared shortly afterwards and we were able to see the Cuernos del Paine in their full splendor; it was an incredible sight, considering these formations are the poster children of the park, and quite rightly so!


On the way back from the park, we stopped at the famous and interesting Cueva del milodón, the cave where the gigantic, fossilised sloth was found at the end of the 19th century. It was a good finale for a very exciting day.

In Darwin's wake

All last night and all day today we have been following Charles Darwin’s wake: we have navigated the full length of the Beagle Channel, named after HMS Beagle, the vessel on which the famous British naturalist explored these waters in the early 1830s. Darwin was a towering intellect and would have been quite at home discussing evolutionary theory today, with all our modern advances in this most exciting science. In the 1800s he was unparalleled and is remembered as the greatest biologist to have ever lived.

And like Darwin described in his best-selling account of his adventures “The voyage of the Beagle”, we have navigated all day between high, steep mountains separated not by valleys but by seawater. Some of the mountains are covered by dense, almost impenetrable forests; others are completely naked, stripped bare of their vegetation by glaciers. Winding our way through snaking waterways, in the early afternoon we arrived at a much wider expanse of water: the Straits of Magellan.

This globally significant waterway connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and is used extensively by ships of all sizes. Indeed, even the gargantuan Nimitz US aircraft carrier has transited the Strait. Chile controls the waterway and requires pilots to be onboard from one end to the other. There are some tricky narrows with strong currents that have to be navigated at the Pacific end of the Strait. There is a cost to using the Strait which depends on ship size but this cost is usually offset by the savings in fuel and time compared to rounding the Horn- the only other alternative at these latitudes (farther north the Panama Canal serves this function, and even farther north, the Canada's Northwest Passage connects the two oceans). 

In the early evening, we arrived at the port of Punta Arenas, where most passengers stepped onto Chilean ground – some to travel to Torres del Paine National Park; others to take in the sights of the place, and why not, some of its gastronomic offerings.


And, finally, timing is everything as they say, and our Swedish friend and colleague Olle Melander left the Fram too early! As we approached Punta Arenas today, we passed the famous Swedish icebraker "Odin" lying off the harbour. The Odin was built in 1988 and was the first non-nuclear, surface vessel to reach the North Pole. She is currently conducting research in Antarctica.

Coming and going

That's how you could describe this our busy "turn-around" day in Ushuaia. We arrived in the most southerly city in the world early this morning, after picking up a pilot the evening before. Our passengers said their goodbyes starting at 0645h and by 0830h, all had left the ship and went on to their next life adventure. Then, like busy bees, the crew, officers and expedition staff made ready the Fram for another voyage to start this evening.

Ushuaia is a stunning place in any weather, with the backdrop of the Andes mountains behind and the Beagle Channel in front. We all feel lucky to be here. Our new passengers flew in from Buenos Aires and had some time to appreciate this place before boarding the vessel. Ushuaia is now THE starting point for Antarctic cruising.

Once on board, passengers acquainted themselves with the Fram, and were given their all important expedition jackets. These are not just beautifully bright blue jackets, and a great souvenir of our trip, but also very handy to have when exposed to the wet and windy conditions that we can encounter in these latitudes.

After setting sail, passengers attended a mandatory safety drill on the cold outside decks; and were later treated to a glass of champagne, to welcome them on board and to make them regain their internal heat. So, cruising along the scenic Beagle Channel, we begin our voyage with great expectations.

Thrown to the end

We felt the mood of the Drake throughout the night, only to awake to a southwesterly gale.  The temperature had risen to about 7 degrees Celsius (45 F) and the bridge crew had made a lot of headway throughout the night to minimize the amount of time passengers had to be exposed to the elements.

The day started with bridge tours, during which captain Hårvik explained the main instrumentation found on the FRAM.  People learned about the propulsion system and the state of the art mapping computer that allows for great and crucial improvements in bathymetry around old and new landing sites.

The afternoon in the Beagle Channel was spent with packing and other preparation for the way home, yet many were drawn to the last several lectures on Shackelton, Geology, Arctic Treaty and Climate Change.  The latter was followed up by some very interesting and thought provoking group discussions ranging from individual actions to economics and the role of government.

Our last evening onboard ended with our traditional quiz, a fun opportunity for many to see how much information they have accumulated by diligently sitting through the many lectures provided throughout the trip.

And so, our second trip that included gales, storms, hikes, camping, whales and thousands of birds, marine mammals, and fascinating places has come to end. Very sadly for us who are staying on, some of the expedition team members are also leaving. They will continue to follow the adventures of the FRAM on this very blog throughout the season, albeit be it from afar.

A lazy day on the Drake

After a busy time in Chile and Antarctica, we took advantage of our first of two sea-days on the Drake Passage by relaxing, attending lectures and generally catching up. Sea conditions were rough when we entered the Drake last night but calmed down later. Still a significant swell persisted all day and made conditions uncomfortable for some on board.

In the morning, crew, expedition staff and officers had a farewell gathering for Captain Arnvid Hansen, who is moving on to captain the Hurtigruten ship MS Finmarken. Captain Hansen was captain on the Nordnorge and Fram for several seasons in Antarctica and had the adventure spirit so necessary in these waters. He will be missed.

In the evening our new Captain Arild Hårvik hosted his first Captain's Dinner in Antarctic Waters, a tradition on the Fram for one of the last days of the cruise.

After the dinner we had our also traditional fund raising auction which supports several nature and heritage conservation charities in related to the Southern Oceans. On the auction block tonight are 2 highly desirable items- the master navigation chart for our voyage and the Hurtigruten flag that flew flapping against the wild southern winds for the last 14 days, and signed by officers and expedition staff.

A perfect ending to our day was the much anticipated and famous Fram Crew Show.

A very special place

Not many on the earth have visited Turret Point, on the extreme eastern end of King George Island, South Shetlands, Antarctica. We were the lucky ones today. We steamed up through the Antarctic Sound and crossed the Bransfield Strait overnight, and were placed off Turret Point and Penguin Island in the early morning. These were to be our two landing sites for the day.

Turret Point is named for its high rock stacks which are actually volcanic plugs. These are formed when molten magma hardens in a volcanic vent. The rock, so formed, is harder than its surroundings, which erode away leaving the plug behind. "Turret" is a very rich, Antarctic oasis. Antarctic hairgrass, terrestrial algae, mosses and lichens abound, their growth promoted by relatively warm conditions (for Antarctica!), and adequate supplies of moisture and nutrients. Animals abound as well.

Elephant Seals were hauled out at several locations- young males play-fought as practise for future, more serious encounters when they grow up. We also noticed their yaps, barks, snorts, and growls as the wallowed together in small groups. Adélie and Chinstrap Penguins were seen in a few places, as were Blue-eyed Shags, Antarctic Terns, Wilson's Storm-Petrels, and Kelp Gulls.
The highlight of the fauna for many was the breeding Southern Giant Petrels. Despite their aggressive, scavenging habits, they are actually quite sensitive to disturbance at the nest so we maintained our distance (50m).

Our plan was to return to the ship, have lunch and come back out to the adjacent Penguin Island but Zeus had other plans.
We could see the weather deteriorating quickly, and by the time we were due to land, the wind had picked up significantly, as did the sea-swells. This forced the cancelation of our last landing of the voyage. However, Turret was still fresh in our minds and eased the disappointment as we lifted anchor and headed north into the Drake.

The table is set

Overnight we sailed from the relatively ice-free waters of the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula north and through the Antarctic Sound. Quickly we started to notice the large icebergs ahead of us, many of which were tabular (= like tables) in nature. Then we started sailing by iceberg after iceberg, all of which were spectacular in different ways.

Some were the temporary home to small numbers penguins roosting in often impossible places. Tabular icebergs have smooth, flat tops and are chunks of ice shelf that have broken off. Ice shelves are portions of the Antarctic icecap that flow down into a bay and float on the sea while being supported by land on each side. Climate change and warming on the Antarctic Peninsula has caused several portions of ice shelves to break off catastrophically, producing icebergs so large that they are given unique names (numbers and letters) and called "ice islands".

Later in the day we arrived at Brown Bluff which was to be our landing site for the day. Brown Bluff is part of the mainland of west Antarctica and lies  on the Tabarin Peninsula. The ash-tuff cliffs with embedded volcanic "bombs" rise up behind the beach and tell the story that this is a volcano. The site is home to nesting Snow and Cape Petrels, Gentoo and Adélie Penguins, and Kelp Gulls.

This was the first large Adélie Penguin colony we had visited on our expedition and it did not disappoint! Large numbers of Adélie Penguins had already laid their two eggs and were comfortably sitting on them. The beach slopes towards the sun and loses its winter covering of snow early. Penguin like this because they can start breeding early and be finished before winter arrives.

We noticed quite a few broken penguin eggs on the beach, a sign of active skua predation. Huge coloured boulders encrusted with lichens were strewn around here and there, and had clearly broken off the high cliffs above.


After our landing we sailed back through the Antarctic Sound and again had great views of several spectacular tabular icebergs.