Seventh Heaven

Oh, and northbound through the Lemaire yesterday evening? More humpbacks, minkes, a dozen crabbies snorting and puffing around our boats, and one of the leopard seals vocalizing audibly with a trilling whistle as we approached…are you kidding?!?

Almirante Brown Station, Paradise Bay. For many this was No. 7, the Seventh Continent, our first footsteps on Continental Antarctica. Today we would be treated not to brilliant sunshine, but to dramatic metallic skies that parted in timely fashion to allow heavenly sunbeams to radiate selected mountains and glaciers. The contrast in light and texture was glorious, all the more so as the setting was Paradise Bay.

For the ultimate view we clambered and crawled
Up the steep slope to the height.
We ooohhed and aaawwed,
Took a seat and yee-haaawed,
And slithered back down without fright!

To ply the waters of Wilhelmina Bay is another highlight of any Antarctic expedition. We spent the afternoon here in the company of humpbacks and seals, glaciers and shipwrecks, before returning to the Gerlache Strait and sailing north for tomorrow’s adventure in Antarctic Sound.

Antarctic Riviera

Another stunning day. You just can’t ask for better weather, especially when you are sailing through the legendary Lemaire Channel. Early this morning our 5 Polar Cirkle boats sped off ahead of the Fram southwards through the strait. It was a visual smorgasbord of crabeater seals, spectacular ice, a leopard and two humpback whales. The views from the ship were equally as majestic, running the gauntlet between soaring glaciated peaks. The prize at the end of the run was Petermann Island, which never disappoints. Some of the most difficult terrain we have yet encountered did not prevent us from visiting the blue-eyed shags and Adélies, nor from hiking up for a peek into the mesmerizing ‘Iceberg Alley’.

A warm greeting by the Ukrainian personnel at Vernadsky Station (erstwhile British Base Faraday) rounded out the afternoon, and a fascinating tour of the base finishhhed with a tashting of the tashty locally dishtilled vodka. And then we cruised, big and small, northwards back through the Lemaire in dramatic evening light.

I am a Polar Addict – Polar history, Polar wildlife, Polar beauty. We are half way through our voyage, and surely there are 244 additional addicts on the MV Fram!

BIG SOL (Sun, Orcas & Leopards)

Welcome to Paradise. The day was stunning from start to finish, with unbelievable weather and amazing wildlife. Sailing under brilliant morning sunshine, as Anja made her wake-up call she spied a large pod of orca swimming near the vessel.

We scrambled out on deck to take in the action of more than a dozen killer whales in the Gerlache Strait, porpoising high out of the sea. Those who had grabbed a camera instead of a jacket were none worse for the wear – in this bright sunshine and without a whisper of wind, a light sweater was all that was necessary. Not a bad start…

The weather upheld for our morning at Cuverville. The staff noted that, unbelievably, the chicks had yet to hatch at this large rookery this year. Due to the enormous winter snowfall some of the rookeries are late in their annual breeding cycle, and we wondered how many Cuverville chicks would survive, hatching so late. We walked the shores and hills for splendid views into the Errera Channel and over Rongé Island and the Peninsula, while some paused to watch a small group from the French yacht snowboarding. The end of our landing was sensationalized by a hunting leopard seal that made quick work of one unfortunate gentoo. Much to our amazement, as the staff was ready to leave the beach, the same leopard lunged out of the sea at our Expedition Leader’s legs – close call!



After lunch we were out on deck to drink in the lovely scenery across the Gerlache and through the Neumayer Channel. The atmosphere was hushed as we enjoyed the sounds of the Fram pushing through brash ice, and the seas lapping at her steel hull. We anchored at Port Lockroy on Goudier Island to visit the little museum situated within the old British base. Two new species were spotted this afternoon – snowy sheathbills and showy shoppers (also with bills). It was a relief to finally find some gentoo chicks, which occupied much of our visit. Back on the vessel and joined by the base staff, the sun came down upon a wonderful day, a glowing orange light bathing the frosty glaciers before slipping down behind the jagged peaks of Wiencke Island. What would tomorrow bring...?

Windy Welcoming

We awoke to decidedly stormier seas today, but having found our sea legs we all managed pretty well with the wobbly-two-step.

The bridge tours were conducted at a perfect time as our first giant iceberg loomed on the horizon straight ahead of the ship. By midday the South Shetlands were in view so there was plenty to see, in addition to all the petrels, once we wrapped up and headed out on deck.

As we approached our planned excursion at Half Moon Island it was clear that we would not be able to go ashore. The winds were gusting up to fifty knots here and there was a heavy swell on the landing beach. No fear – we repositioned the ship over to Yankee Harbour on nearby Greenwich Island for a second attempt. Although the winds continued to rage, this second option proved possible, and we made our way to the boot room in anticipation of our first Antarctic landing.

Yankee turned out to be a beautiful blustery affair, plentiful in penguins and seals. There was quite an array of species for our first landing – skuas, gentoos, chinstraps, Weddell, elephant and fur seals – and the dramatic skies highlighted 360 degrees of spectacular scenery. A gorgeous sunset backlit Livingston Island as the Fram sailed for Deception after dinner.

We knew that we had come to the windiest place on earth. As the day drew to a close, we suspected that we just might have come to the most wonderful place on earth as well.

Smooth Southern Seas

The Drake Passage treated us kindly. Gaining our sea legs was not much of a challenge for most as a calm following sea pushed the Fram southwards towards the South Shetlands.

The faces at breakfast looked bright and well rested, and many confessed to enjoying the gentle roll of the ship during the night. The Drake opened geologically about 22 to 30 million years ago, and connects the Atlantic with the Pacific Ocean south of Tierra del Fuego. It played an important role in 19th and early 20th century trade prior to the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914, but it is the storms that rage through this passage that lend it an unsavoury reputation.

We were truly blessed on this our first full day at sea. Not only was the Drake a smooth ride (Drake Lake!), but the winds were strong enough to support a bevy of seabirds around the vessel. Perspective is always difficult to judge when at sea, and from the dainty storm petrels to the massive wandering albatrosses it was difficult to assess the true size of these avian wonders. The greatest sights from deck were the wandering albatrosses soaring near the ship. These, arguably the largest flighted birds on the planet, would accompany us throughout the day, and usher us along into the chillier regions of the Deep South.

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Embarkation Day

This is it…Embarkation Day! We arrived in Tierra del Fuego with great anticipation of our upcoming adventure to the frozen Deep South. Much of the day was passed exploring this picturesque town, while at the pier the MV Fram crew and staff were making preparations for our arrival and imminent departure.

Ushuaia, or “bay that penetrates to the west” in the indigenous Yaghan tongue, is a flourishing duty-free port with a fishing industry famous for its southern king crab (centolla). The rugged spine of the Andes stretches the entire length of the South American continent, coming right down to meet the sea here in Patagonia. With a rapidly growing population of 55,000, Ushuaia is one of the most southerly cities in the world, and also the most popular jump-off point for travel to Antarctica.

Coming on board we were greeted by expedition and hotel staff and after checking in to our cabins we began to check out the ship, admiring this beautiful vessel that will be our home for the next nine days. A glorious rainbow spanned the harbour as the last lines were thrown at 19.00. The Fram’s bow turned southwards and we were on our way down the Beagle Channel, past the verdant shores of Patagonia, past the last greenery we would see for some time. We are headed south, far south, to the land of ice, to the most wonderful, pristine place on this planet. We are headed for Antarctica.

Drake Passage

As we make our way northwards across Drake Passage we have time to pause and reflect upon the incredible journey in which we have partaken.  We have truly been lucky with the elements but not for nothing is this the peak season for visitors to Antarctica.  The most important thing weather wise was that we have had very little wind which has made every landing successful.  We had to dodge around ice here and there, but that is to be expected from time to time.

 We have seen many fantastic things.  For many people it was a dream, perhaps a dream of a lifetime to visit Antarctica and now that dream has been realized.  We have made new friends.  We have had many new experiences.  It is difficult to summarize such a trip in just a few words.  It will be a challenge for you to describe your experiences to your friends.  One thing is certain, your enthusiasm will shine through. Flip back through your photographs and revisit this blog and your memories will come alive.

We have learned a lot.  We have learned about Antarctic history, wildlife and geology and as we  continue across the Drake we keep on learning - starting with a quiz this evening that promises to be fun!

The journey is not yet over.  The Drake is a famous passage of water that has been the wreck of many a poor vessel.  But Sir Francis' namesake is treating us kindly.  We have light winds with calm seas once again. Cape Petrels and a host of other sea birds have been following us throughout the day including Antarctic Prions, Wilson's Storm Petrels, Northern and Southern Giant Petrels, Grey-headed Albatross and Light-mantled Sooty Albatross.

A Kiss Without A Squeeze

Antarctica without sunshine is like apple pie without cheese or a kiss without a squeeze.  It's just so much better on a sunny day.  The sea becomes a giant reflective surface mirroring snow-peaked mountains, glaciers and icebergs.  The colours of the landscape become more saturated. You can see the tops of mountains and it seems that you can see forever.  A little sun warm's the body and soul and lifts everyone's spirits.  Such was the day we had today.

Brown Bluff is a magnificent precipitous cliff that rises almost from the water's edge.  Both Gentoo and Adelie Penguins nest along a narrow strip at the bottom of the Bluff.  Large glaciers border both ends of the cliff.

Many people chose to hike up the edge of the moraine on the west side of the landing site.  While it was a struggle to go up the steep slope, the view was well worth the effort.  From the top we could see even more adventurous souls braving the freezing temperature of the Southern Ocean and going for a swim!

In the afternoon we enjoyed cruising through the Weddell Sea.  Gigantic tabular icebergs were abundant.

In the midst of this awe-inspiring marine-scape came another pod of Killer Whales!  It was a group of eight animals and were Type B Killer Whales once again.   It was fascinating to watch them spy-hopping various ice floes.  It is well documented that Type B Killer Whales seek out seals resting on ice floes.  The leopard seal pictured below was taking a siesta on an ice floe large enough to provide a safe haven from hunting Orca.

Whalecome to Whalehelmina Bay

Our day started a little earlier this morning.  We began our landing at the Argentina base of Almirante Brown in Paradise Bay at 07:00.  No one minded getting up a little bit earlier than usual.  It was a beautiful day, almost a carbon copy of yesterday's weather.  Much to our surprise there was a light on at the base and an open door.  Someone was home!  We soon found out that there were seven men there to do some renovations and some maintenance work.  They invited us to visit with open arms.  We landed bearing gifts  of fresh fruit and vegetables.  

 For many people it was there seventh continent and a very special reason to celebrate this landing.  Most of us  made the 90 metre climb to the top of the hill just behind the base.  There was a lot of fresh snow which made it safe and fun to slide back down the hill! 

Near the end of the landing at 11:30, five killer whales came cruising right by the landing site!  It was fantastic.  In Antarctica there are three different groups of Killer Whales recognized.  They are very imaginatively called Type A, Type B and, you guessed it, Type C (aka Ross Sea Killer Whales).  These were Type B's.  They look very different from all other Killer Whales with the exception of Type C.  In the austral summer Type C are found in the Ross Sea area, they are also much smaller, so we new these must be Killer B's.  

How is their appearance different from other Killer Whales?  The green arrow in the photograph shows a dark dorsal cape and if you look carefully, you can also see a line that delineates the cape.  Only type B and Type C have this dark cape.  The yellow arrow shows the huge white eye patch common to Type B's and the red arrow shows the grey body colour which is unique to Type B and Type C.

In the afternoon we headed for Wilhelmina Bay in the hopes of doing some whale watching from the ship. There were so many whales in the bay that we thought we might change the name to Whalehelmina Bay.  We saw at least eight Humpback Whales and two Minke Whales.  It seemed like just about everyone was out on deck enjoying the incredible scenery, the sunshine and the whales.  

Now we are on our way to the Weddell Sea and hopefully a landing at Brown Bluff.

The Lemaire Channel

Phew! It has been a long day but a very fulfilling day.  We were up and out on deck before 7:00 as we were just entering the north end of the famous Lemaire Channel.  there were scattered high clouds with beautiful light beaming down the Channel.  Perfect for a thousand pictures.  In fact the Lemaire Channel at one time had the nick name of Kodak Crack.  But that was back in the days of film.  Remember film?

We arrived at Petermann Island at 08:30 and began our Polar Cirkle boat operations at 09:00.  The beautiful weather continued to hold.  You really needed to slather on the sunscreen today.  

Our eagle-eyed ornithologist Manuel spotted a Chinstrap on the nest with a chick!  This may be the first recorded Chinstrap at this colony!  That made all three of the brush tail penguins nesting in a rather small area.  The Adelies have been declining on this island for the past  fifteen years or so and the Gentoos have augmented their numbers.  Now the arrival of the first nesting pair of chinstraps.  What does it mean?  Hard to say.    Climate change?  Changing food supply?  No one knows for sure but the it sure is interesting to observe.

We were able to get a nice long walk on Petermann.  The views to the south end of the island were really spectacular both at Iceberg Alley and beyond..

In the afternoon we stopped in at the Ukrainian base Vernadsky.  It was Christmas Eve in the Ukraine so everyone at the base was in very good spirits.  There has been a long standing tradition at the base which started when it was the British Base called Faraday.  Any woman that left her bra at the bar was entitled to a free drink of Vodka.  At least two bras were donated.  The tour of the base was terrific.  We learned that the hole in the ozone layer was first discovered here.  After several vodkas we loaded back into the polar Cirkle boats for a short cruise.  We encountered several Crabeater Seals and one Leopard Seal before returning to the ship.

Forty lucky passengers went on a Polar Cirkle boat cruise in the Lemaire channel at 20:00.  We offered this special outing as an optional extra excursion.  But whether you enjoyed the Lemaire (this time north bound) from the ship or from a Polar Cirkle boat - it was a magical cruise and a beautiful evening.

By 22:00 we were all back on board Fram on and our way to our next destination:  Almirante Brown.

Cuverville Island and Port Lockroy

Today it was pure luck again-even though it was overcast most of the day, we were extremely lucky not to have any wind. We do not mind rain, snow or low temperatures- but when it is very windy, there is no chance to go ashore. But not so today! The clouds made a dramatic background, the Gentoo penguins at Cuverville Island were still sitting on their eggs. We did not see any chicks here this time, which seems a bit late for the season.

After Cuverville we went back into the Gerlache Strait towards the Neumeyer Channel for Port Lockroy. At least that was the plan! But suddenly the biologists went crazy! And once the announcement came, everyone on board was just racing to the decks: ORCAS! I mean- not one or two or three- but it seemed that the entire Gerlache Strait was filled with them! Our Safety officer Andreas Johansen did a fantastic job in bringing us into the right position. There was quite a drama happening in front of our eyes as the orcas were chasing penguins… You saw the little birds trying to escape - but against the tactics of the orcas they were nearly all sooner or later disappearing… It was an extraordinary sight, that is for sure…

The late afternoon we spent at Port Lockroy. Since its restoration in 1996 by the Antarctic Heritage Trust (AHT), the former base became a museum. Much is like it was in the 1950s- and especially the post office and the museum shop were quite populated during our visit. We anchored overnight and enjoyed a great visit from the base staff that joined us for dinner. In finally- for the first time really during this trip- the clouds lifted and the mountain tops appeared in the evening light.

And You Thought You Were Here To Relax. HA!!!

Here was our day in a couple of sentences:  Our 07:30 breakfast was followed by bridge tours starting at 09:00 for groups 1, 2, and 3 where we met the Captain and learned about some of the technical aspects of navigating Fram after which we all felt we were ready to pilot the ship ourselves but first we had to vacuum our clothes as a preventative measure to introducing alien species to Antarctica but our very busy  morning was not over as we were compelled to attend IAATO briefings on how to comport ourselves in Antarctica which was followed by lunch.  Phew...

In the afternoon we attended a photography workshop and then finally, after having been fully prepared for Antarctica by attending yesterday's lectures on wildlife, history and geology and today's briefings and workshop we landed at 15:00 at Half Moon Island where the scenery was scintillating, the Weddell Seals were wonderful and the penguins were predominantly pygoscelids as we saw all three species of brush tails; Chinstraps, Gentoos and Adelies and one magnificent Macaroni but even though it was hard to tear ourselves away from Half Moon Island we were back on board Fram by 18:35 which was just in time for a bountiful buffet replete with sumptuous sushi which we ate while marvelling at the lovely landscapes slipping by the dining room windows as we plied our way to Deception Island and once we got to Deception we navigated right inside the caldera which is geothermally active and the only thing hotter than the caldera was the evening's entertainment put on by the ship's crew in the Observation Lounge at 22:00. 

Whoa!  And you thought you were on a beautiful ship to relax.  HA!

One More Sleep

It was a beautiful morning.  High level cirrus and cirrostratus clouds allowed warm rays of sunshine to filter through.  These cloud types are typically found at elevations greater than 20,000 feet and are mostly composed of tiny ice crystals. But as what often happens when warm air and or warm sunshine meets cool surface ocean waters, large pockets of sea fog began to coalesce.  Throughout the afternoon we cruised in and out of fog.  In some respects it reminded me of many New Year's days.

There was hardly a breeze with the result being very calm seas.  A further consequence of low wind was a distinct paucity of sea birds.  Of the few birds we saw, the larger sea birds seemed to struggle to stay aloft. The albatross and petrels are built for soaring not for flapping.  Windless days are flap-full days and if you are an albatross that means lots of extra energy spent whilst foraging.  A bit unusual today were the large numbers of Blue Petrels in the morning.  

The lecture halls were full pretty much all day long.  It means that we have a ship of keeners!  Everyone was eager to absorb as much as they could about the geology, history and wildlife of Antarctica before our scheduled arrival tomorrow afternoon.  For us lecturers on board, it warms our hearts to see so many people eager to learn!

And so we ply our way slowly but surely to the south.  Our adventure in Antarctica lies deep below the horizon.  Tonight we will sleep with visions of penguins, whales, seals and ice dancing in our heads.  One more sleep.