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| Neko harbor rokery Photo by Anke Timmerberg |
During our visit to Neko Harbour the visibility was unrestricted. From the granite knoll above the landing site we had clear and unlimited visibility for 360°. The Fram looked relatively small from our rocky vantage point and in the far distance we could see Mt. Francais (2700m or 9,000ft) on Anvers Island. Sounds drifted up our way from the squabbling of the gentoo penguins below and the glacier to our right grinding and cracking as avalanches and calving took place.
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Gentoo parent and chicks
Photo by Anke Timmerberg |
The gentoo rookery was an active place with 100’s of nearly full size chicks clamoring for more food. Clusters of skua gulls loitered near the rookery waiting for the opportunity to isolate one of the chicks.
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| Port Lockroy rookery - occupants Photo by Anke Timmerberg |
The perfect weather conditions continued as we motored through Paradise Harbour on our way to Port Lockroy. The site of Port Lockroy was explored in 1904 by the first French Antarctic Expedition led by Jean Baptiste Charcot. He named the site for a French politician who helped obtain funding for the expedition. The site and the adjacent islands have had an interesting history: first whalers used the locale for flensing their catch, then later during WWII the British built several building and established a base to monitor enemy shipping in the region. After the war the buildings were used for geologic and biologic field studies and atmospheric research by the members of the Falkland Island Dependency Survey, later re-named the British Antarctic Survey. The Port Lockroy site closed in 1962 and was not restored and re-opened as a museum until 1996. At present the facilities are operated and managed by the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust. The Trust is responsible for the restoration and maintenance of Antarctic historic sites. Funds for his purpose are generated by the profit margin realized from the sale of books, clothing and stamps sold in the Museum store. We did our part for future restorations and we tried to stay out if the way of the gentoo chicks clamoring over the rocks in search of any parent who might have food for them.
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| Port Lockroy boathouse in the foreground Photo by Anke Timmerberg |
