Strømness and fashion show

Strømness is all about two things, history and furseals.

We started the morning with a historic cruise in and around the Strømness bay witnessing the former haydays of whaling. The buildings are not to be entered for safety reasons, but we could get close enough to acquire a sense of what it must have been like.

We made a landing on the long shore of Strømness and it was literally packed with furseals. 

After photographing the absolutely cute pups on the beach, we pointed our nose towards the plain behind and then the waterfall, which Sir Ernest Shackleton and his two companions came down by. It took us about 40-50 min to get there and on the way we past the Gentoo colony up on the hill.

We got up on the slope next to the waterfall, to get a view over the bay and what a view it was, beautiful wrapped with the folded rocks in the background.

Back on the beach again, we watched the furseal bulls fighting and the cows trying to protect the young ones from any possible danger.

After this great landing, it was time to say goodbye to South Georgia and aim for Antarctica. Once back on M/S Fram we ate a well-deserved lunch and the afternoon was spent enjoying the last sceneries of South Georgia from the panorama lounge on deck 7.

Later in the evening we gathered once again on deck 7, but this time to watch the crew fashion show, presenting the clothes and gifts from M/S Frams onboard shop.

Christmas day

This day would be packed with adventures so we got of to an early start with hikers landing at 06.50 in Mayviken. With perfect weather we had a beautiful hike over the mountain and down to Grytviken. In Grytviken there was a ceremony in the 101 year old whalers church to celebrate Christmas. After the ceremony there was plenty of time to explore the old whaling town and get a first meeting with the wildlife of South Georgia. Specially the Fur seals seem to make a big first impression.

With sun shining from blue skies and the most beautiful nature on earth to explore there was no time for rest this Christmas day. After a nice lunch back on the ship we were soon ready for landing number two: Fortuna Bay. In Fortuna Bay the guests got to hike up to a huge King penguin rookery. Here they could spend time watching the busy life of the penguin family. Is there anything cuter than a penguin baby? I think not…

For 26 brave guests the afternoon would be spent walking in the footsteps of Shackleton himself. From Worsley we made our way up to Crean Lake and continued over the mountain pass following the exact same route as Shackleton and his men did. From the top we got an amazing view down to the whaling station in Strømnes. After an exiting descent into Shackleton valley we were soon back on the Fram in time for dinner. All in all a perfect Christmas day. 

Christmas Eve is coming

After another great day at the Falklands, we had two sea days ahead of us, sailing towards South Georgia. But the arrival in South Georgia demands some preparations: IAATO briefings and vacuum cleaning our outergear & clothing, Kajak briefings, hiking briefings, pre-landing briefings and so on. Beside all this practical information, they were also lectures taking place, all kind of topics were covered, from Shackeltons adventures until seabirds in Antarctica.

BUT, of course it was also the days before Christmas Eve! All the days now, we could see here and there a bit more Christmas decoration on MV Fram and on the evening of the 23rd, it was time, to decorate the Christmas tree – with our own handmade decoration, everyone who felt like, created in the Cafeteria the days before  hangers and ornaments, Christmas tree balls, ribbons, stars, hearts – there was no limits for creativity.

And while Myles played Christmas songs on the piano, we all on board MV Fram decorated and sang around the tree. What a lovely evening. And then, finally Christmas Eve arrived. Up in the Panorama Lounge – with our own and unique Christmas tree, we sang Christmas songs, listened to the story of Betlehem and guess who arrived on MV Fram? Yes, Santa Claus was coming! And he brought a huge bag with him. He delivered the gifts to young and old, guests, staff and crew. It was a joyful, heart-warming atmosphere up in the Panorama lounge, and even when we all were actually far away from home, this evening we felt the Christmas spirit around us, happy to be on this very special voyage. 

Stanley

After two very successful landings on New Island and Carcass Island, our passengers enjoyed a day in Stanley. We were once again lucky with the weather and only had 10 minutes of rain. Like they say here in the Falklands, “if you don´t like the weather, just wait a few minutes”. 

Passengers were able to hop on free shuttle buses that drove to the city centre and back every 30 minutes. They were able to enjoy the landmarks and museums and went for some shopping. Even our crew went on a last Christmas gift hunt.

Besides the normal landing, our guests were able to join excursions to experience Stanley and the surrounding areas even further. They were able to choose amongst the following:

-                      The Falkland Nature Walk:

This (approx.) 3 hour walk was a great success. About 20 people joined the excursion that took them on a beautiful nature path through the stunning landscapes of the nature surrounding Stanley. Peter and Louise (the local guides) kept telling us this was the perfect moment to do this walk as the many plants were flowering. We saw at least 5 of the 17 endemic flowers that call the Falklands Home and got to taste some of the legendary plants like the Scurvy Grass that is high in Vitamin C and prevented people from getting scurvy. We also saw the famous Diddle-dee, the Devil Strawberry and the Tea Berry. The wildlife was very abundant as well. We saw many flightless Steamer Ducks, Crested Caracaras and Magellanic Penguins in their nesting holes and on the beach at Gypsy Cove.

-                      Stanley Highlight Tour:

The tour allowed participants to see all the highlights Stanley has to offer and see these extra things you wouldn´t see when you visit on your own. It was the perfect way to get a good inside view and knowledge of what this city really has to offer and experience the rich history this place has.

-                      Scenic Air Tour:

Four of the passengers joined a (approx.) 45 minutes flying excursion over Stanley in a twin engine Britten-Norman Islander aircraft with war pilots. We were able to get unique views of Stanley and its surrounding areas and learn a lot about the town. We got a real taste of the mountainous terrain, wild landscapes and natural coastal beauty. During the flight we got to see places like Gypsy Cove, Cape Pembroke, the lighthouse,  Lady Elizabeth shipwreck, Kidney Cove, Port Louise, Mount Tumbledown, Longdon, Two sisters and Harriet, Stone Runs, Fitzroy Farm and Bluff Cove Lagoon.

–             Bluff Cove Lagoon:

This beautiful privately-owned farm with a pristine white wilderness beach is home to over 3000 Gentoo Penguins, and a small growing colony of King Penguins. We were only able to reach the site by four-wheel drive vehicles on a very exciting (in a bumpy way) safari! We did this with small groups of 4 people per car.  We were greeted by the rangers who quickly informed us about the site and took us to see a very rare Leucistic (partial albino) Gentoo penguin.

After tea/coffee/hot chocolate and over 15 sorts of home-made cookies and cakes with Diddle Dee, we were ready for the wild ride back to the ship or the town, depending on the guest's wishes.

–                    Bird Watching in Falkland Islands:

This (approx.) 3 hours walk aloud the passengers to witness the beautiful nature and spot birds with the help of local guides. On this excursion they got to see the following birds:

- Rufous-chested Dotterel

- Magellanic Snipe

- Blackish Oyster Catcher

- Turkey Vultures

- Upland Goose

- Flightless Steamer Ducks

- Southern Giant Petrel

- Rock Shags (cormorants)

- Ruddy-headed goose

- Long-tailed Meadowlark

- Correndera Pipit

We left Stanley at around 4 PM and got to see a few nice beaches with penguins on the way out. Once on sea, our ship was surrounded by many birds like the Wandering Albatross. A great start to our journey towards South Georgia!

The Falkland Islands

After one and a half day sail from Ushuaia, The Falkland Islands laid before us.

New Island invited us with great weather, Black-browed Albatross, Rockhopper penguins and Imperial Cormorants (blue-eyed shags).

On the way towards the colonies, we passed by the museum at the shore front to have a look. Here we got to see the old wreckage of the beached Canadian Navy minesweeper Protector as well.

Well at the colonies, there was a stunning view over the cliffs where they were nesting. There was literally penguins, albatrosses and Imperial Cormorants everywhere and it was all there for us to enjoy.

We trod carefully around in the Tussock grass, not to step on a penguin, albatross or a Cormorant. The happiness was complete when we saw the albatross chicks under the bellies, as well as the Rockhopper chicks.

Carcass Island lies to the NorthWest of the Falkland Islands archipelago and takes its name from the HMS Carcass which visited in the late 18th century.

At present there is only two all year residents and a few more in the summer, it is the present owners Rob and Lorraine McGill who have lived on the island for about 30 years.

We started off with a long hike along the shore line, towards Leopard beach.

After an hour or so, well at the beach, we were rewarded with a amazing view of all the Magellanic and Gentoo penguins and ONE King penguin, yeaihh!

After this meeting, it was time to walk back…..but no grumpy faces here thou because we all knew what was waiting for us, a table full of pastries, cookies, tea and coffee at McGills house.

In all and all, an absolutely fantastic day!!

Preparation day

All great adventures start out with important preparations, the same is of course true for our voyage. Today our dear guests have all got their matching blue jackets and proper shoes for all the challenging conditions we might meet further south.

The great sea around us has been almost totally flat with the sun shining from blue skies. Around the ship the Albatross calmly glides on the wind and we even had Dolphins alongside the ship for a while.

Tomorrow we have a big day so now its time to relax in the Sky lounge and listen to our great musicians beautiful music.

The start to a new adventure

Today we started off in a new adventure: we set sail towards the Falklands, South Georgia and the Antarctic continent! At about 16.00 the first passengers arrived on MV Fram. It was busy like in a bee house on all the check-in desks: cruise accounts were opened, luggage distributed to cabins, cruise cards handed out, additional excursions were booked and yeah well, everyone just “settled in” onboard the ship, with which we will sail into 2015!

And before we left Ushuaia all of us had to attend a mandatory safety briefing. So the General Alarm set off and we dressed warm and got outside on deck 5 to our muster station to follow the briefing.

After a very nice dinner buffet in the board restaurant (we hope everyone tasted the fantastic brownies for dessert…), it was time for the Captains Welcome cocktail! We got to know the officers, our international expedition team, and last but not least, learned some useful information about our own cosy cabins. And full of expectations and excitement we fell into our beds – a very good night everyone!

The end is the beginning

As we approach the southern tip of South America, on our way to Ushuaia, our outstanding cruise is coming to an end. There is a general feeling of both elation and sadness as we pack and prepare for our flights home tomorrow. Although this is the end, it is a beginning as well. Visiting the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica is a life-changing experience. This perhaps sounds cliché but IT REALLY IS LIFE-CHANGING! You could say after you have done what we have done, tomorrow is the beginning of the rest of your life.

One other point your faithful blogger should mention is the weather on this and the previous two trips. Never, have we witnessed such calm conditions for such a long period. It made our crossings of the Scotia Sea and Drake Passage much easier and more pleasant, and almost all our landings were achievable.

If we talk about highlights for the trip, for your faithful blogger it has to be the landing at St. Andrews Bay in South Georgia. Please refer to a previous blog to gain an impression of what I mean. The viewpoint from the 50m hill we climbed, of about hundreds of thousands of King Penguins was truly awesome (in the real sense of this oft miss-used word). Other aspects of the location such as the scenery, rivers lined with moulting King Penguins, and the Elephant Seals on the beach really added to our experience. The South Georgia Heritage Trust is mounting the final phase of its South Georgia rat eradication program and St. Andrews will be treated. If you want to contribute financially to this effort please have a look at their website: www.sght.org.

Tomorrow we will be in Ushuaia and will gain an eager set of new passengers who will stay with us over Christmas. Most, maybe all don't know that their lives will too be changed by the end! And how could they (?) for no description, television program, book, or image can every really do justice to this place. 

Base A and our southernmost point

During operation Tabarin in 1941, the British set up a base here to keep an eye on enemy shipping and destroy old fuel dumps. Base A on Goudier Island (maybe more known as Port Lockroy) has become on off the most visited place in Antarctica, and today it was our turn.

Calm weather and sunny skies welcomed us to this historical place, which took us back to the 40´s and 50´s.

Here´s also a museum, kept much as it was in the 50´s, as well as a post office and a souvenir shop, so there was history, shopping and mailing postcards on todays “to do list”. In addition to all this, we had Gentoo penguins, Snowy Sheathbills and cormorants to greet us as well. After a couple of very interesting hours, it was time to leave and we said goodbye to the helpful and cheerful staff that stays here during the Antarctic summer.

We continued towards the strikingly beautiful Lemaire Channel, which was first sighted by German whaler Eduard Dallman in 1873. This eleven kilometre-long and 1.6 kilometre-wide channel was full of ice floes and burgy bits, so the traverse through went in a slow and easy pace. Many of us went out on deck to photograph and enjoy the stunning scenery of the steep cliffs and glaciers around us.

                                     

The second landing for today would be our last and most southerly point of our expedition, Petermann Island at 65°10´5 S / 064°07´6 W. It is perhaps more famous for its 1909 resident Jean-Baptist Charcot, who wintered here in a tiny cove which he named Port Circumcision.

Here we had Adélie penguins, imperial cormorants (blue-eyed shags) and the world’s southernmost Gentoo penguin colony and it was all there for us to enjoy. When afternoon became evening, it was time to leave and the captain pointed his ship towards Ushuaia, Argentina.

Later in the evening we all joined in the Panorama Lounge for the famous M/S Fram Crewshow, which was absolutely fabulous.