Another Arctic Adventure Begins

Most people arrived at MV Fram between 15:30 & 16:30.  While the queues for checkin were a little long at times the process of checking in went remarkably quickly when you consider we received 200 guests all at the same time! Before too long everyone had been issued a photo I.D. card and were escorted to their cabin. The luggage had made it onto the ship before us and was already outside our cabin door by the time we arrived.

Before Fram left the pier we all participated in a mandatory safety drill.  When we heard seven short alarms followed by a long alarm we were instructed to assemble at our muster stations on deck five. We were then instructed on how evacuation and safety procedures would unfold should an emergency occur. 

Soon enough we were under way and headed for our first destination, the curious Russian coal mining community of Barentsburg.  We arrived at the pier at approximately 20:30 where we assembled in language groups with the Expedition Team and local Russian guides who would lead us to the key points of interest.

Barentsburg
Photo © Andrew Wenzel

Barentsburg Guide
Photo © Andrew Wenzel

Barentsburg is unique.  From the moment you step on the pier it feels like you have entered another country.  Mining for coal started here in 1916.  Ownership of the mines changed hands a couple of times but was resold to a Russian company in 1932.  The mines were nearly completely destroyed in WWII by the Germans but were rebuilt in the 50’s.  Through the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s work was sought after in Barentsburg.  It was very well paid and food was free.

Old Church in Barentsburg
Photo © Andrew Wenzel

Now Barentsburg is a community of 450 people.   The buildings are in various states of repair and disrepair.  Some were leaning at odd angles and were obviously unfit to be occupied.  Others had spiffy new exteriors and had been renovated.  Many of the buildings were typical Russian architecture.   Barentsburg has a feeling of a ghost town except people live and work there all year round. 

Barentsburg:  Statue of Lenon
Photo © Andrew Wenzel

We learned a little bit about what life might be like in a coal mine high in the Arctic.  All of the miners were on a two year contract.  It was obligatory for them to take two months off at the end of their contract after which they could sign on again and many of them did.

Gift Shop Items
Photo © Andrew Wenzel

At the end of the 30 minute tour we had time to explore the community on our own.   There was the brand new Red Bear Brewery and pub with a couple of light beers on tap.  There was the post office which featured a special Barentsburg stamp and there was a well stocked souvenir shop in the main culture house.

Gift Shop Items
Photo © Andrew Wenzel

The folk show began at 22:00 and was very entertaining with lots of traditional Russian folk music and dancing.

By 23:15 everyone was back on board the ship.

Akureyri and Grimsey Island



Akureyri is a pretty town of 18,000 people situated near the end of a long fjord.  As usual the harbour is located right next to the centre of town. It was a perfect day to drive through the Icelandic countryside.  Two motor coaches departed the pier area at 09:00 and headed inland towards Godafoss Falls. Spring time in Iceland means that all of the rivers and streams are swollen to capacity and that means there is lots of water tumbling down the fjord walls.  Beautiful waterfalls seemed to be everywhere but we were headed to one of the most beautiful and famous waterfalls in all of Iceland.

On route we passed through lush green farmland punctuated with old moss covered lavafields.

Godafoss waterfalls did not disappoint.  It is not the tallest of waterfalls but it is in a beautiful setting. We were able to spend more than 45 minutes at the waterfall and were able to follow a path along the river’s edge to a restaurant, café and gift shop where we rejoined our bus. Once back in Akureyri we visited the botanical garden which was rife with luxuriant spring growth.

Female Eider Duck on Nest

In the evening we went to the small but very charming island of Grimsey which is situated smack dab on the middle of the Arctic Circle.  It was wonderful to walk to the outskirts of the small town to the seabird cliffs.  En route you had to pass veritable clouds of Arctic Terns and large flocks of Kittiwakes.  Walking along the cliff edge you could easily see nesting Fulmars, Kittiwakes and the occassional Puffin.  The cliff top was literally riddled with Puffin burrows but it seemed that most of the diminutive birds were at sea or deep within the burrow.

Shortly after our departure from Grimsey we were once again visited by King Neptune who demanded payment for our having crossed the Arctic Circle.  What was the payment?  Ice cold water poured down the back of your neck of course.  Funny how that guy seems to follow us around.

We had a perfect finale to the day when Humpbach Whales were spotted at 23:00.  We stopped the ship to observe these leviathans of the deep.  Behind us we enjoyed a setting sun over Grimsey and in front of us we enjoyed watching several Humpback whales!

It's About The View

Ha!  No More pitching, rolling or slamming!  It is a sweet gentle ride today.  And the view.  What can we say about the view!  It is a designer view engineered to generate feelings of peace and harmony.  What can be more relaxing than to sit and watch endless fields of featureless grey while the gentle motion of the ship rocks one into a serene state of tranquility.  Recite your mantra and contemplate communing with albatrosses and  penguins, because just behind that featureless wall lies the Falkland Islands, home of the largest Black-browed colonies in the world and the extremely cute, crazy, crested Rockhoppers with their punk feather-cuts.
Like all sea days on board Fram, today was filled with lectures and documentaries about our destination.  We are prepped and ready to go on our various excursions or exploring on our own in Port Stanley tomorrow.  The next stage of our grand adventure is set to begin!

The Forecast Calls For: Pitching, With A Little Rolling And Scattered Slamming.

Boom! Shudder, shake shake shake. One moment I'm light on my feet. The next, oof!  Heavy gravity.  That's the feeling of going into heavy seas.  Riding down a big wave there is a feeling of lightness. Freefall. The stomach flutters. A lurching stop in the trough of the wave is accompanied by a feeling of  heaviness as the ship climbs the next wave front. The stomach sinks to the floor.  For those prone to motion sickness it ain't a tea party. For those that have no trouble with motion sickness it means extra dessert.  

Traveling from South Georgia to The Falkland Islands usually means heading into the prevailing winds.  If we were going in the opposite direction the ride would be much, much smoother.  Of course we would never arrive in the Falklands.  I'm not sure, but we might go all the way around the planet until we hit South Georgia again.  There isn't much in the way of land down here.

Today we are feeling the after effects of yesterday's storm.  The heavy seas meant some juggling of scheduled onboard activities.  The Franheim and Polhøgda lecture rooms were closed for much of the day and movies were rescheduled. But that did not stop our intrepid Expedition Team from delivering a full program. The lecturers showed their flexibility by giving their talks in the cafeteria and the Observation Lounge on deck seven.

Today was a fantastic day for seabirds.  They were soaring around the ship all day long.   The most numerous were Prions.  There were also Wandering Albatross, Black-browed albatross, Grey-headed Albatross, Southern Giant Petrels, White-chinned Petrels, Soft-plumaged Petrels and Wilson's Storm Petrels.

By mid-afternoon the sun had come out again. The air was brisk on deck but we could all see and feel that the waves were getting smaller and the wind was dropping. There was light at the end of the storm.

South Georgia Blew Us Away!

Worrying about the weather won't stop the wind from blowing.  True, we do check weather forecasts on a regular basis.  We do make contingency plans in case of inclement weather but the word of the day is flexibility.  We had planned on an early landing in Fortuna Bay. A stouthearted group was also going to hike the leg of Shackleton's arduous journey that went from Fortuna to the former whaling station at Stromness.  But, the wind had other plans.  Strong katabatic winds raged down König Glacier, howled across the glacial plain and then screamed on out to sea.

  Okay.  Flexibility.  Plan B.  Cruise by two former whaling stations in the area, Leith and Husvik and then check the conditions at Stromness, our landing site that was planned for the afternoon.  Stromness blew us away too.  Hmmmm.  Katabatics are very localized and sometimes somewhat brief.  More flexibility.  Back to Fortuna in the late morning.  Phew.  Calm seas. Sunshine.  Brilliant decision!
By 11:30 landing operations were underway and there to greet us was an unending, waddling, trumpeting band of King Penguins.  Throngs of Antarctic Fur Seal pups cavorted in the sea, on the beach, in melt water pools, on the glacial plain, in the tussock, actually... everywhere.  Many of the pups were curious.  If I sat quietly they would timidly approach and then sniff my boot or touch my bare hand with their nose.  I will never wash my hand again.  Other pups would attempt charges that were all bluster and bluff.  It was a bit like being threatened by a Chihuahua. A Chihuahua with very large flat feet.  Many adult female fur seals lay about.  Some were nursing their chubby pups.

A memorable walk along the beach and out across the glacial plain brought us to the King penguin colony. Their bugling calls echoed off the mountain walls.  Chicks at every stage of deveopment, from egg to first moult, were abundant.  Reindeer roamed amongst the penguins.  How bizarre.

It was hard to tear ourselves away from this landing, to leave this South Georgia Fairyland and go back to the ship.

Once back on board it seemed strange that the ship wasn't moving. We were getting used to heavy seas. But not to worry.  The seas built up again quickly.  The ship is now pitching with a little rolling and some slamming.  We are plowing into westerly winds and waves.  As  my keyboard skitters across the desk, I see that things are back to normal.

A Great Grytviken Day!

Our morning started off with high winds, low visibility, cold temperatures and cloudy skies.  Not ideal for cruising in Drygalski Fjord.  In fact, the weather was so poor we skipped Drygalski altogether and headed straight for Grytviken. By 10:00 there was a big change in the weather.  The sun came out.  The wind dropped.  It was gorgeous.

We started landing operations at Grytviken at approximately 13:00. Soon everyone was on shore.  Just about everyone paid their respects at Shackletons grave.  And then it was on to the museum, the church and finally ending at King Edward Point.

There was wildlife everywhere.  Large elephant seals lay on the beach and in the tussock grass near the cemetery.  Fur seals were present throughout the walk from the cemetery all the way around to King Edward Point.  Small groups of King Penguins wandered about.  South Georgia Pintail ducks foraged along the beach.

We all had an amazing three hours on shore.  It was ample time to see and do everything Grytviken had to offer.

Later in the afternoon the ship moved alongside the dock at King Edward Point. The move was in anticipation of Fram bringing Ernest Shackleton's cabin from his old ship Quest to the museum next season.  The Captain had to first make sure it would be possible to pull up alongside the pier. 

We invited all of the Station personnel on board for dinner which they greatly appreciated.

Tomorrow we continue in Shackleton's footsteps as we head for Fortuna Bay.

What's All The Fuss About?

15:30 and a delicious aroma pervades every deck of the ship.  Waffles!  M-m-m-m-m.  The Observation Lounge on deck seven has waffles.  Edgar, one of our bartenders is there with a trio of waffle irons, a large tub of waffle batter and all the fixin's; whipped cream, maple syrup, strawberry sauce. Wipe the drool from your chin and join the queue.

Here we are, enjoying waffles in the middle of the Scotia Sea, following Shackleton's footsteps.   I don't know what all the fuss is about.  The journey from Elephant Island to South Georgia doesn't seem so difficult. It's true to say that Shackleton didn't have a waffle iron.  That would be a hardship.

The wind continues to drop, albeit very slowly.  We still have big seas with 10 metre waves. The sea is following on our quarter stern which translates into a nice, rolling, comfy ride for us.  Ah, Ernest.  If you had only had Fram. The truth of the matter is, had I been on the James Caird with Shackleton and his five men I would not have survived.  Most likely I would've been thrown overboard for being a quivering mass of useless jelly. Me on the Scotia Sea without waffles?  Forget about it.

The Expedition Team is impressed with the stalwart nature of all our fine guests on board.  We are pleased that the lecture rooms are full even in these heavy seas.  We are happy that you are so attentive and have lots of great questions with which to challenge us.  It makes our job a pleasure, so thanks for risking  a few bruises in the lecture rooms!

Where Do the Crew Go To Relax?

We see our friendly crew hard at work every day.  In the dining room.  In the bar.  Prepping and cleaning cabins.  Working at reception and in the gift shop.  Working on deck. And  obviously they are hard at work behind the scenes too: in the galley, the engine room, on the bridge, etc. etc. But where does the crew eat?  Where do they go after hours?  Well, we have a very fine crew mess on board.  Our crew is predominantly from Norway and the Philipines and the food in the crew mess reflects that.  There is always a Philipino selection and a Norwegian selection plus a variety of beverages, salads, cheeses and deserts.  As you can see in the photo there is quite a relaxed and cheery atmosphere.  Right beside the mess is a crew lounge with a couple of computers with internet, a nice flatscreen television with a large library of movies, a foozball game and a karaoke machine.  You also might encounter crew members working out in the gym  on deck seven or having a game of ping-pong.

 Today we continued to follow Shackleton's journey as he went from Elephant Island to South Georgia.  It took the Shack two weeks in a cold, cramped, wet, small sailing boat to get to South Georgia.  It will take us two days in comfy, cushy Fram. 

We had a full program of briefings and lectures today. Once again the lecture halls were full despite the very large seas we found ourselves in.  The winds had dropped considerably from the hurricane force winds we had yesterday but the waves were much larger as we no longer had the South Shetland Island protecting us.   What a hardy bunch of seafarers we are!

Force Twelve

Hurricane force winds.  Almost as good as a landing! Certainly the excitement is there. Tell me, what are you going to get better mileage out of during dinner parties at home?  Flat calm seas with blue skies or the day you rode a hurricane while on the Bransfield Strait and the Scotia Sea and you calmy helped yourself to a second desert at the Italian inspired buffet? Of course not everyone on board shares my enthusiasm.  To some it is like a ride at the fair only the off switch is broken. Sheer hell.  Please make it stop.  For others it is one of the more effective diet systems in the world. 

I have worked on a lot of ships in Antarctica over a period of many years.  There are very few ships down here that would ride this storm as well as Fram.  True, we were not getting 15m+ wave heights like we would get in the open ocean.  Our sea heights were more in the neighbourhood of 8-10m.  We were still in the somewhat sheltered waters of the Bransfield. 

Despite the incredibly high winds, our lecture program was very well attended throughout the day.

Our main objective was to do some scenic cruising in the Point Wild area of Elephant Island.  We rode through the same stormy seas that Shackleton and his men went through on his tiny boat the James Caird but we were sheltered, comfy cosy and warm. We could only shudder and imagine their misery.  We had brief glimpses of Elephant Island but in this storm we were doing well to get close and to be there relatively on time.

Today's photograph was taken from the bridge and is of the view of the Able Bodied Seaman that is on watch every night. The bright lights are the three search lights that are always on during nocturnal navigation.

We're Here For The Chicks

It's my favourite time of year to visit a Gentoo penguin colony.  It's because of the chicks. They are hilarious.  They are in mid-moult, off the nest and very  inquisitive about their world.  They hang about in protective groups called creches waiting for one of their parents to return to feed them. Meanwhile they interact with one another. They play in melt water pools. They chase one another about. Sometimes, in a spasm of energy, they will stand and flap their wings furiously and then run around in excited circles  (LOL!).  They will sometimes watch snowflakes fall and then catch them (quite amusing to watch). And the best thing of all, during this brief moment in their lives they will very often interact with us.  Stand quietly and you might have a penguin pecking your boot.  Sit quietly and they might peck at your glove or finger.  I have seen them climb into someone's lap and then fall asleep. 

It was a perfect day to visit Cuverville Island, the site of the largest Gentoo penguin colony in the Peninsula region.  Over 5,000 pairs. We had cloudy skies with brilliant periods of sunshine.  It was also an opportunity to go for an Antarctic dip!

In the afternoon we turned our bow to Wilhelmina Bay. My nephews tell me that the word "awesome" is out and the word "epic" is in. Today Wilhelmina was epic in every way.  We saw at least a dozen Humpback whales.  We saw several Minke whales. Antarctic Fur Seals lolled about in the water and lounged on icebergs.

It was nigh on to impossible to take a poor photograph.  Trip with your camera and you would come up with a great shot.  Everyone was out on deck taking it all in, trying to preserve this postcard of a day forever in their memory.

Charismatic Megafauna

There are signs that summer in Antarctica is nearing an end.  The days are getting shorter.  Sunset was shortly after 21:00 this evening.  Some penguins have already left their colonies.  Most Adelie penguins have headed out to sea.  The gentoo chicks are fat, many of them are bigger than their parents.  Some of them now have their first real feathers.  The rest are in various stages of plumage.    There is however a lot of mega fauna around.  Whales are abundant.  Seals are ubiquitous.
We continued to be lucky with the weather today.  Our morning in Paradise Bay was completely overcast but it was mild with nary a breath of wind.  The Expedition team scouted the hill overlooking Paradise Bay.  It was determined that while the hill was safe to climb, the conditions were definitely not conducive for safe sliding. Several people made it to the very top where they enjoyed an amazing view.  We also went for a short Polar Cirkle boat ride.  One of the highlights of our Poloar Cirkle boat cruise was the Leopard Seal pictured in this post.
In the afternoon we set course for Wilhelmina Bay to hopefully do some whale watching.  Wilhelmina Bay has been known as an excellent spot for whales since the early days of whaling in Antarctica.
Well, we didn't have to go all the way to Wilhelmina to see whales. Shortly after we passed the Chilean Base at Water Boat Point (Gabriel González Videla) we encontered a group of surface feeding Minke whales.  They were exciting to watch as they frequently erupted out of the water with dramatic feeding lunges. Humpback whales were in evidence throughout the afternoon.  In fact we stopped and and enoyed a fantastic encounter with three humpbacks shortly after arriving in Wilhelmina.  It was a fantastic encounter.  The three whales came right up to the ship.  At times you could see the entire whale just beneath the surface.
By now the overcast sky had cleared up and we were once again bathed in brilliant sunshine.

The Expedition Team, working with the navigation officers on the bridge, continued to spot wildlife. A true highlight of the day was when the Chief Officer skillfully brought Fram right alongside an icefloe laden with Crabeater seals.  There were fifteen seals on the icefloe and another two or three in the water. Wow.

In the last blog photo you can see pretty much how our day ended.  Double wow.

Breakfast In Paradise

"We are travelling through some of the most dramatic scenery seen anywhere on earth... in the cool clear Antarctic air, it seemed that we could see forever.

Imagine yourself at breakfast in the spacious, bright dining room of Fram.  Looking out the large picture windows you watch three Humpback whales surface as the ship turns towards our first landing of the day, Cuverville Island.  Lots of penguins porpoise in the water.  Majestic mountains rise around you.  Icebergs are everywhere.  Could there be a better way to start your day?  I think not.

You don't realize the difference a sunny day makes until you've had a few days of cloud.  Here in Antarctica, on our adventure vacation of a lifetime, blue skies mean that we can see the snow and ice covered mountain peaks.  It makes a huge difference.  We are travelling through some of the most dramatic scenery seen anywhere on earth often much of it is obscured by clouds but today, in the cool clear Antarctic air, it seemed that we could see forever.

Shortly after 9:00 we started our landing operations.  Cuverville Island is the site of the largest Gentoo Penguin colony on the Antarctic Peninsula and perhaps the largest colony in Antarctica with approximately 5000 pairs.  It seemed as if penguins were everywhere.  That is quite typical for this time of year because the chicks are off the nest, wandering around. Penguins took up most of the beach on the west side of our landing area preventing us from going further along the beach.  Too many darned penguins!! An amusing challenge.  Instead of going along the beach we went up.  The climb wasn't too difficult and it was well worth the effort.  The view over the Gerlache Strait was magnificent. From our lofty view point one of the lecturers spotted a Leopard Seal hunting penguins.  With binoculars it was possible to see the seal successfully capture at least two penguins.  At first the seal was more intent on playing with its penguins than eating.  It was a very dramatic event to watch.  The seal was like a cat with a mouse. It is never easy to watch a top level predator at work.

In the afternoon we set our course for Port Lockroy.  Port Lockroy is a restored British Base and now serves as a small but very interesting museum and like museums everywhere, it even has a gift shop.  The money we spent in the gift shop goes to the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust which is the organization responsible for restoring Port Lockroy and other historic sites in Antarctica.

Our Good Luck Charms

An albatross following a ship used to be considered good luck by sailors, that is until the mariner in Coleridge's poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner shot one with a crossbow.  Fearful of the consequences of killing their good luck charm, his fellow sailors hung the albatross around his neck as punishment.  Regardless, the sailors in the famous poem all ended up dieing.
I suppose, depending on your point of view, an albatross can be seen as good luck or as bad luck.   All day long we had several Wandering Albatross and Black-browed Albatross following the ship.  How can anything so magnificent be anything but good luck?  They soared effortlessly over the sea using the mild winds we had today to stay aloft.
The Drake has been rolling by in steady swells throughout the day.  A calm Drake is an excellent way to start our Antarctic adventure.
After breakfast we joined the Expedition team on deck seven for wild life watching.  Occasionally those magnificent albatross would soar by the length of the ship having a look at all of us.  At around 21:00 we noticed a definite change in the outside temperature.  There is now a frigid chill to the air signifying that we have crossed the Antarctic Convergence.  We are now in Antarctica!
We had a full day of lectures and watched part of the excellent Blue Planet documentary series in the evening.
Tomorrow we hope to do our first landing at Half Moon Island.

We Paid The Price

We paid the price on the way down. We had a storm. It was rough. Lots of people were ill. But you know what? It made the next ten days all the sweeter. I bet that there isn't one person on board that would say it wasn't worth it.
We had a nearly perfect trip. Read back through the blog. We do our best to describe our adventures but words fail us. I think words would fail even the best of writers. Photographs cannot capture the reality. Words can't describe the experience. Besides, what I feel does not describe what the person standing next to me is feeling.

These Drake days are a chance to reflect on all we have seen and done. A chance to catch our breath after a whirl wind of unceasing exciting activity. Today our time was taken up with lots of interesting lectures, bridge tours and relaxation.

All day long the Drake has been dead calm with a gently rolling swell. It is very soothing. The motion lulls one to sleep. We deserve these calm seas after our bumpy ride down.

Tonight we enjoyed a sumptuous Captain's dinner. The Captain gave a very nice speech before dinner and thanked all of the departments on board for doing such an excellent job.

At 22:00 there was a spirited auction to raise money for various environmental charities. The prized item for auction is always the ship's chart showing our entire trip. In fact it was the very chart pictured here. The red arrows and labels were added in Photoshop.