Port Stanley

I must say that Port Stanley has my favourite welcoming committee. Energetic Peale's dolphins greeted us as we entered the harbour.   Later in the day they frolicked around our lifeboats as the AB's (Able Bodied Seamen)  ran maintenance checks on safety equipment. They even chaperoned one of our morning nature walks!

Port Stanley in the sunshine is a cheery place.  Sparkling white houses with bright red and green roofs created a rather gay atmosphere. It was warm!  Everyone was in a festive mood and hell, they should be!  The Falkland Island group is a remote, romantic, exotic destination.  It has an interesting history and loads of amazing wildlife. We've come a long way to get here, bashing through heavy seas and thick fog. We're on an adventurous vacation on a beautiful ship. If you can't get excited about a place like this on a day like today then you have no romance left in you.

In town, Southern Giant Petrels glided down the sidewalk.  Upland Geese grazed on lawns.  Fat Flightless Steamer Ducks foraged along the water front.  Rock Shags nested on a broken down old pier.  Turkey Vultures spread their wings on roof tops, luxuriating in the warm sun. Happy blue-jacketed people scampered from shop to shop.
There were lots of things to do while in Port Stanley.  We offered a variety of excursions, most of which were full. If you didn't sign up for an excursion it was easy to explore Stanley and area on your own and an absolutely perfect day for it.

(By the way.  It's going to get even better tomorrow.)

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.

A Short Photo Essay Of Our Day

We decided to try a different approach to the blog today.  We are going to describe our day with images and a paucity of words.  As you will see in the photographs, we had a fantastic day.  Our morning was spent at a former British Base called Port Lockroy.  It is now a beautiful small museum with the one of the southernmost gift shops in the world.  The white birds are Snowy Sheathbills.
As you can see we had some dramatic weather both at port Lockroy and during our afternoon landing at Almirante Brown/Paradise Bay.  Those of us on the ship will have to go online to see all of the images.  For you at home, please click on the images to enlarge them.

Deception Island

Slowly throughout the day the Drake lay down.   It was a relief to get in the more sheltered waters around the South Shetland Islands.  It was exciting to see our first icebergs today.  Within short order we had also seen our first penguins in the sea and our first whales.  Humpbacks! This only helped to build our excitement level for our first landing at Deception Island.
At 5pm we cruised through Neptune's Bellows which is the dramatic entrance to the hidden caldera of Deception Island (the reputed southern base of Captain Nemo and the Nautilus).
The cold overcast day added to the heavy atmosphere of Deception.  There were even a few snowflakes in the air. It was wonderful to stretch our legs again.
On shore to greet us was a rather large gathering of Skuas lounging around a small fresh water pool.  One of the expedition team told us it was the "Skua Spa" and that there is always some Skuas there in the summer. Down the beach was a large sleeping Elephant Seal. At the other end of the beach was a bachelor group of Antarctic Fur Seals, lots more Skuas and a flock of Kelp Gulls.

Our expedition team enthusiastically pointed out the hundreds of Salps in the water - small, clear, gelatinous barrel shapped tunicates.  At one point during the landing, thousands of dead krill washed up along the shore.  the Skuas and Kelp gulls had a short lived feast until the Krill washed back out again.

Everywhere there was left the signs of former human occupation: old whaling artifacts and buildings from a British Base.

Our first landing had a little of everything.  History. Geology. Wildlife. Snow.
What will tomorrow bring?

Drake Dance

We hit a storm in the Drake Passage, and a quite serious one to be true. When Sir Francis Drake discovered this infamous body of water in the 16th century he was thrown into it by a mighty storm and he did not even want to be here!! Now, we have come here out of our own free will, but the weather is not exactly making it enjoyable for us. Everyone on board was trying to hold on to something and a lot of people were using many more steps to get from one place to another than they would usually. It was nice that there were some places where we could just sit back and relax like the fireplace with its soothing atmosphere of natural calm...

because outside, the elements were having their way and large waves and strong winds were our constant enemy today. 

The only ones who seemed to enjoy this day tremenduosly were the albatrosses and the petrels who found ideal flying conditions in these winds. Today we began to understand why the sailors of centuries gone by considered the albatross to be a sign of good luck. There is something curiously reassuring about the quiet and peaceful way in which these majestic birds soar in the trough of the winds of the southern ocean and do not seem to be affected by them at all!

The Adventure Begins

For Fram it is the last time in Ushuaia for this Antarctic season but we will be ending our Austral summer with a bang!  The South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula! Elephant Island and South Georgia!  The Falkland/Malvinas Islands (or is it Las Malvinas/Falkland Islands)!  Regardless, yippie! This is going to be one fantastic trip.  I can't wait.   Whales, seals, fur seals, penguins, albatrosses. Blubber, fur and feathers.  Two different oceans.  Ice everywhere - glaciers, icebergs.  It will be non-stop adventure.  It will be incredible scenery and amazing wild life encounters.  And tonight our grand adventure begins.

We boarded Fram at 17:00 and were quickly and efficiently checked in.  We received our room keys/picture IDs and were escorted to our cabins where our luggage was already waiting for us.  The staff and crew were very friendly and we were certainly impressed with the excellent buffet at dinner.
At 20:00 we had a mandatory safety drill which was immediately followed by the Captain's welcome speech and cocktail.

Now we are in the sheltered waters of the beautiful Beagle Channel on our way to the open sea. Soon enough we will be plying the waters of the notorious Drake Passage.  The Captain cautioned us that there may be some motion to the ocean tonight and tomorrow.  We shall see.