South Georgia appears in the mist

At 7AM FRAM was at the entrance to Drygalski Fjord, it was overcast and rainy but we could see the steep side walls of the main fjord. The main channel of the Drygalski Fjord follows an ancient fault line between two different rock types of different ages. The rocks on the north side of the channel are more than 200 million years old are granites and metamorphic rocks that once formed part of the super continent of Gondwanaland. On the south side of the channel the rocks are mostly volcanic and they formed about 140 to 170 million years ago on the deep ocean floor at a mid ocean spreading ridge. Mountain building and faulting pushed these two rock formations next to each other. Later a very active glacier enlarged this fault valley into a fjord. At present this glacier has melted and retreated and the fjord is filled with water. The whitish color of the water, glacial milk, results from very fine grained rock particles that are suspended in the runoff waters from the glaciers and snow fields that remain in the area adjacent to the main fjord.

Our first boats groups ashore at Grytviken were welcomed by a young elephant seal, numerous fur seals and a pair of King penguins. Many of us then paid our respects at the grave of Ernest Shackleton before walking on to photograph the rusting remains of the whaling station. Seeing the size and complexity of the boilers and the piping, one can only imagine the intensity of the work force when the whale processing operated 24 hours per day. On our walk through the whaling station we noticed two new helicopters. They are currently based at Grytviken as the first phase of a program to exterminate the rat population. The rats escaped years ago from whaling vessels and now they are an invasive menace to petrels and other small birds that nest on the island. Exterminating the rats should allow the native nesting bird populations to recover to sustainable levels.

Later in the afternoon the weather turned grim. The winds gusted to gale force and driving rain doomed a few cameras. The church, the boathouse (containing a replica of the James Caird that carried Shackleton to South Georgia) and the museum afforded us three refuges from the wind and rain. Museums vary, sometimes you get lucky to visit a museum where the information and exhibits far exceed your expectations. Clearly the South Georgia Museum is in that rare category of excellent museums.

As our visit drew to a close the wind strengthened and the rain blew by in horizontal sheets. But our passengers proved to be waterproof and good natured and our Polarcirkle boat drivers safely delivered us back to the FRAM, wet but smiling and looking forward to tomorrows adventures.

Playing the southernmost organ

in the world

 

Expectations and Pax Photos

We are heading northeast on the second day of our sea transit toward South Georgia Island. The lectures we have heard have heightened our expectations as we approach this remote island. The lecturers provided us previews of the landscape, the geology and the abundant animal life that awaits us. No doubt one of the highlights will the colorful and tall King Penguins.

Today we have decided to brighten the blog with photos of our passengers. Many passengers tell us that the folks back home follow our adventures via this MV FRAM blog. Take a few minutes and look through the attached photos for someone you may know and possibly they will be holding a sign with a message for you.

(if you click on the photos, you can enlarge them)

 

 



And finally... our staff also sends
some greetings home!



Guest writers from Port Lockroy!

 

Cape petrel

A clear and sunny day as the FRAM transits northward across the Scotia Sea in light winds and small swells left over from a past storm. Bridge visits and lectures filled our day. Today our blog is enhanced as we are fortunate to include some reflections by Helen Joannidi and Nicola Rickett who joined us in Port Lockroy:

“We (Hen and Nikki) are absolutely delighted to be travelling on board Fram, as she sails north to South Georgia. Following the visit to Lockroy by Anja, her team and guests, we were whisked away two days ago from our little Goudier Island. It has been quite an adjustment, as we had arrived at Port Lockroy in early November, and have become accustomed to the ‘simple life’ amongst the penguins. We had even become used to the smell of the guano!

Here, life is very relaxed and comfortable on board. Having running water and food cooked for us is a real treat. Life on ship is luxurious by comparison – we can hardly believe how much space there is on Fram – we are currently sitting in the lovely café where there is tea, coffee and sweet treats available around the clock! All this, after a delicious buffet lunch prepared by the talented chefs – with so much variety we have been spoilt for choice. And even though this is a ‘sea day’ there is so much going on – Anja has been updating us throughout the day with her tannoy announcements, and we have been learning about whales and cetaceans, as well as other historic background information thanks to the excellent expedition team’s presentations. This morning we were granted a ‘sneak peak’ of the Bridge, with a tour and talk by the Captain himself – fascinating!

In comparison with conditions as we were leaving Lockroy, the Scotia sea is calm and we are enjoying bright sunshine and blue skies – long may it last as we approach South Georgia. Neither of us has visited the Falkland Islands or South Georgia before, so we are incredibly excited about this opportunity, and have been talking avidly about the adventures ahead with our fellow passengers. We are looking forward to explaining more about life at Lockroy in a presentation that we will give to everyone during one of the coming sea days. Everyone is curious about how we came to spend four months on such a remote island, running a ‘living museum’ for the Antarctic Heritage Trust (www.ukaht.org) , and we have been delighted to share our experiences with newfound friends on board. It has been a truly wonderful four months that we have spent on the ice, and travelling back to Buenos Aires with Fram is a fitting end to our Antarctic adventures. Many thanks to Hurtigruten, Anja and her team, and the Captain."

Sunrise in the early morning



The Bluffs, the Bergs and Antarctica Behind

At breakfast the skies were blue and the winds were minimal. But that did not last for long. We were at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and the weather here often changes quickly and for the worse. Today was no exception. As we neared our intended landing at Brown Bluff the winds increased to gale force (25-30 meters per second or 50-60 miles per hour) and it became clear that a safe landing was not possible.

The FRAM motored past Brown Bluff and through the spume and rainbows we could see the volcanic lava flows and the ash deposits of the bluffs. We continued eastward but conditions did not lessen and finally the decision was made to come about and begin our 2 day transit to South Georgia Island.

Numerous large icebergs populate the waters north of the Antarctic Peninsula and today we passed by many. They break off the Larsen Ice Shelf in the Weddell Sea and are carried north and west by the ocean currents. When they break off the ice shelf they have the characteristic flat-top of ice-shelf formed icebergs. However by the time some of the smaller ones have drifted to the top of the Antarctic Peninsula the normal flat-top surface may be at a steep incline. This is the result of seawater melting them below the waterline and winds ablating some of the compacted snow and ice above the waterline. As a result of this differential melting and weight loss the bergs become unstable and roll or tip to unusual angles. Today we saw several where the former flat top surface is now inclined and the bergs appear as though they have been sliced through with a large knife. Some of the smaller bergs have melted and rolled several times, their shapes are indescribable but they are quite photograph-able.

New sights and animals are ahead as our next stop will be South Georgia Island. Antarctica is now behind us but the vistas, the penguins, the whales, the seals and the stations will always be locked in our memory bank.

From sunshine to storm

 What a day! We woke up very early this morning as the FRAM headed south through the Lemaire Channel. Because of its scenic beauty this area is also named the “Kodak Channel”. The sky was clear blue and there was hardly any wind. Therefore, the snowy peaks were illuminated by the golden rays of the rising sun and these were beautifully reflected in the water.
It was an amazing experience for many of us. The Fram headed ¬southward through the channel then we turned around, reversed direction and headed back northward through the channel (eriameL) toward our next stop, Port Lockroy.

Our landing began under blue sky at this famous little base which is today a museum, shop and post office. Here we had another opportunity to observe Gentoo penguins. They were being given a hard time by two skuas attacking the chicks and trying to separate one of them from the scared crowd.

During our stay, the wind increased and it was amazing to see how fast the fog and clouds masked the mountains. We all returned to the ship plus we have 2 new passengers. We have been joined for our travels northward by two of the 4 staff that operate Port Lockroy for the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust.
The foul weather did not let up and our planned tour of Wilhelmina Bay was cancelled as we motored through fog and constant rain and snow squalls. At dusk the weather cleared a bit and we encountered several groups of humpback whales and they cruised with us until they lifted their tails and waved good-by as they dived deep into the sea.

Regardless of the weather, this evening, our spirits will brighten as the always popular Fram fashion show gets underway.

Glaciers, penguins, stations…in one day!

We are on an expedition cruise and this means that not always everything can be carried out as previously scheduled. This is exactly what happened this morning. At our planned landing site the swell was too heavy and a safe landing was not possible.

But there is always a plan B and in our case it turned out to be fabulous. The FRAM just continued its way south and we managed to go ashore in beautiful Neko Harbor a small bay surrounded by impressive glaciers. Neko is a continental landing and now we have all been on Antarctica as such! Here we could walk up a snowy hill towards a very scenic viewpoint or we could simply stay with the hundreds of gentoo penguins scattered along the shoreline. Curious chicks approached some of us to have a closer look at these funny big blue penguins!

In the afternoon we visited the Chilean station Gonzalez Videla, with its small museum and souvenir shop. We could also climb up a little tower on the roof of the main building. And of course there were more penguins all over the place! The Chilean base commander told us that they counted more than 3,500 chicks this season.

Snow algae produce beautiful green and red colours

The day concluded with the FRAM cruising through Paradise Bay, again in dramatic light conditions (incredible, how many shades of grey there are!) and as darkness fell, we could see another station, the Argentinean Almirante Brown.

Our first glimpse of Antarctica

Yes, we made it! Tonight we crossed the famous convergence which separates the Antarctic ecosystem from the rest of the world. Now we are in Antarctic waters.

Just before lunch we first spotted land in the distance: the South Shetland Islands. And another thing that caught our attention: were the many rafts of penguins jumping in the water!

Our ship sailed through the Nelson Strait towards Livingston Island. Our destination was the tiny little Halfmoon Island where our first landing took place. Luckily, the landing site was sheltered from the strong wind and the swell was calm today.

Despite the rain we were very excited about setting foot on Antarctic terrain and exploring the area. Interesting rock formations are one of the main features of the place, together with the abundant wildlife. Two species of penguins (gentoo and chinstrap), snowy sheathbills, skuas, kelp gulls, Wilson’s storm petrels, fur seals and elephant seals – all on our first day!

Now it is getting dark outside, but as the daylight fades we can watch a beautiful sunset and the dramatic clouds that are very typical of this area.

Smooth Sailing

Early birds were rewarded with a beautiful sunrise

During the night it was a bit bumpy, but by breakfast time the FRAM was riding smoothly with following seas in bright sunlight. In the morning and afternoon we attended introductory lectures on Antarctica, its climate and ice conditions. In the afternoon our German speaking passengers received their IAATO briefing addressing proper behavior and boat safety procedures for our upcoming landings in Antarctica.

IAATO stands for International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators. All members commit to follow common guidelines in order to preserve the pristine wildlife and nature of this unspoiled place. For example minimum distances of 5 meters must be kept when observing penguins and boots must be washed and disinfected before each landing.

On deck in the morning and later in the evening our photographer Simon showed us how to take advantage of the features built into our cameras. We should now be able to take action photos of the birds gliding alongside the FRAM as we head south.

Welcome on board!

Today, our new passengers had a hard time to reach Ushuaia. This was due to a strike and all flights were delayed. Therefore, everybody arrived later than scheduled on the ship. However, most of the guests were quite relaxed, and despite the trouble came on board maybe a little tired but in high spirits and good mood.

Many of them even did the excursion to the beautiful Tierra del Fuego National Park before embarking and had the opportunity to enjoy the Southern Beech forests typical of this area.

As usual, once on board, cruise accounts were opened and jackets picked up before everybody went to have dinner in the restaurant.

We had the mandatory safety drill and straight afterwards a short welcome from our captain Arild Hårvik who introduced his team and then Anja Erdmann, our expedition leader introduced the members of the expedition staff.

Now FRAM is heading east in the Beagle Channel and most passengers are heading for their beds and a well-deserved good sleep.