I have had the good fortune of traveling far and wide – and visiting over 100 countries around the world, but one continent had, until now, eluded me: Antarctica. Given no desire to go into space, I decided that 2009 would be my year to conquer the White Continent!
After researching several companies which offer excursions to Antarctica, I decided on Lindblad Expeditions, based in New York City. I was particularly impressed by their association with the National Geographic Society, and felt assured that the guest lecturers and naturalists on the cruise would be top-notch. I would soon learn that I was not to be disappointed.
Chilean Stopover
Our group was to convene in Santiago, Chile on Thursday, Dec 17, 2009. I flew in a day early to relax, get my bearings and enjoy summertime Santiago. The gorgeous outdoor pool complex at the Grand Hyatt proved to be the perfect antidote to Vancouver wintertime blues, and I eagerly soaked up Santiago’s summertime rays. I was also pleasantly surprised to see that the beautiful Jacaranda trees were still in their full purple bloom – always a late-spring/early summertime treat to see in the southern hemisphere.
On Friday, Dec 18th, we boarded our LAN Airlines charter flight for a 3.5-hour nonstop trip to Ushuaia, Argentina, at the southern tip of South America. Upon arrival, we were whisked away in tour buses for a ride through Tierra del Fuego National Park, where we boarded catamarans for a lunch cruise of Beagle Channel, back to Ushuaia. Embarkation on our ship, the National Geographic Explorer, commenced around 5pm, and soon our passenger count of 140 and crew of 80 were underway for Antarctica!
Smooth Sailing
Drake Passage is the body of water between South America and Antartica. The Drake has a long-standing reputation of offering some of the roughest waters in the world known to sailors. This is due to the convergence of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through this fairly narrow gap. However, Poseidon decided to look favorably upon our voyage, providing safe and comfortable passage. Crossing the Drake typically takes some 48 hours – with seasoned and unseasoned sailors tossing their cookies along the way. We had favorable tailwinds out of the northwest, and completed the crossing in under 36 hours, a near record according to the crew. We were off to an auspicious start on our Antarctic adventure!
Deception Island Lives up to its Name
Buoyed by our speedy crossing and eager to make landfall, we headed for Deception Island, just northwest of the Antarctic peninsula. We were met with gale force winds over 50 knots and had to abandon an excursion to shore via zodiac. Then, once inside the horseshoe-shaped island (formed by volcanic activity), we had to abandon another shore excursion because the winds didn’t let up and a snow squall ensued. Later on, the winds died down a bit, and some brazen passengers ventured ashore for a Polar Plunge at the shoreline where natural hot springs percolated up to the surface to merge with the icy Antarctic waters. More power to them! I had no desire to catch pneumonia during my first day in Antarctica!
Beyond my Wildest Dreams!
December 21, 2009 turned out to be one of the most amazing days of my life to date. Tim, our expedition leader, announced that we would venture into the Weddell Sea (to the east of the Antarctic peninsula). The crew reckoned that the strong northwest winds of the previous couple of days had blown a lot of the pack icebergs out to sea, and we would venture as far south as the ice flow permitted. Our desired destination: Snow Hill Island and its resident colony of Emperor Penguins – the northernmost such colony on the continent. The day started out quite favorably with crystal blue skies, warm sunshine and glass-like calm waters. As we meandered around the floating icebergs, we caught glimpses of seals, Adelie penguins and even some Orcas. Soon after, we spotted a few Emperor penguins and the amateur photographers rushed to the ship’s bow for a closer look.
It’s important to disclaim that Emperor penguin sightings on a typical Antarctic voyage are very rare, due to their preferences for breeding colonies deeper south on the continent, and the Weddell ice shelf. However, the further south we ventured, the more Emperor penguins we saw! After 100 Emperor sightings, the naturalist guides on our expedition gave up counting – clearly flabbergasted by our insanely good fortune. After having snapped a multitude of pics from the ship, our adroit captain nudged the ship’s bow into an ice flow and we ventured ashore for a walk along the ice shelf. Once ashore, we were astounded to encounter a number of penguin parades, usually numbering 6-8 penguins per pack. They seemed to be returning inland to the colony after foraging for food at sea. They did a series of sledding and wobbling across the ice – at times looking like slick, plump black-and-white butterballs slides across the icy surface. We took another multitude of pics, as the curious penguins edged within several feet of us awestruck and camera-cocked onlookers. What an amazing, incredible, unique experience! My own personal March of the Penguins! Undoubtedly one of the most exciting days of my life.
Adelies
The next day, we anchored in the harbor of Paulet Island, adjacent to a huge colony of Adelie penguins. One naturalist estimated over 200,000 in the colony. It was another beautiful day in the northwestern quadrant of the Weddell Sea. This was our first opportunity to walk among a colony of penguins, and despite the nasty smell of penguin guano, it was an amazing experience. Took a number of close-up pics as we walked within feet of the penguins, which seemed unphased by their new (tall) visitors. It’s something akin to the Galapagos Islands, as the penguins have no natural fear of man. Their only predators are leopard seals and orcas in the water. No land predators are present.
Eau du Krill
After leaving Paulet Island, we sailed back to the western coastline of the Antarctic peninsula and continued southwest. We passed through the Errera Channel, flanked by glaciers on both sides and made our morning landing at Neko Harbour. This excursion provided us with our first opportunity to step foot on the Antarctic mainland. (Step foot on all seven continents – check (√).
We set out on a zodiac tour and saw a number of Gentoo penguins and crabeater seals on the floating icebergs. In terms of birdlife, we saw a number of Skuas, gulls and Antarctic terns. Halfway through the zodiac tour, a naturalist radioed-in that he had spotted a couple of humpback whales, so we zoomed over to take a look. Got some great views of their dorsal fins and arched backs. No flukes at that point. The exhale of their breath through their blowhole yielded a nasty scent of krill (shrimp-like creatures). Onshore, after the zodiac cruise, we meandered around a colony of Gentoo penguins and got a number of close-up pics. In the afternoon, we anchored along the Danco coast, and broke out the kayaks and zodiacs for some more exploration. The treat was even greater interaction with some humpback whales, observing them feeding on krill in the bay.
66°33’ South Latitude
On Christmas Eve, we started the morning by crusing through Crystal Sound and made landing at Detaille Island. Later in the afternoon/early evening, we marked a significant milestone, by sailing south of the Antarctic Circle! Fortunately, the iceflows had broken-up enough for us to venture that far south. The evening was peaceful and call (think Silent Night, Holy Night), and our southernmost point on the cruise provided us with 24 hours of light (no sunset!) Incredible experience, and amazing views as the midnight sun sank low on the horizon, but never completely set.
Christmas proved to be a low-key and relaxing day, as everyone enjoyed each other’s Christmas cheer. In the afternoon, we stopped at Vernadsky Station, a Ukrainian research center, staffed by a few Ukrainan men. They boast the southernmost bar in the world, where they serve up their homemade vodka (what better to do during the long, dark Antarctic winter than to watch the potatoes ferment!) And it was obvious that they enjoyed the company of our visit.
The next day we stopped at Port Lockroy, a former British research center which has evolved into the de facto souvenir shop and post office for the region. That was our final landing before heading back to the Drake Passage for our homeward voyage.
The northbound crossing of the Drake proved to be much rougher than the southbound crossing. There were no storms, but the swells were strong, and I quickly found that the most comfortable position to ride out the experience was laying flat in my bed. I never got seasick, but motion had me down for most of the day. On Monday, December 28th, having crossed the Drake, we sailed past Diego Ramirez Island and Cape Horn, viewing the Chilean-owned southernmost point of the South American continent. We then proceeded back to the Beagle Channel for a safe return to our homeport in Ushuaia, Argentina.
Patagonia
After disembarking from the cruise, I took a one-hour domestic flight to El Calafate, in the heart of Patagonia. During my three-day stopover there, had the opportunity to visit Torres del Paine National Park and Perito Moreno glacier. I was particularly surprised to see Chilean flamingoes thriving in the relatively cold and barren Patagonia landscape. Flew back to Buenos Aires for a 2-day weekend stopover before returning home to Vancouver. In all, the 20-day trip was an amazing opportunity of a lifetime. Truly one of the most unique experiences of my life.
Some websites that were helpful in planning this trip include:
Lindblad Expeditions
http://www.expeditions.com/Itineraries45.asp?Expedition=128&Destination=283
Torres del Paine, Patagonia
http://www.torresdelpaine.com/ingles/index.asp
Perito Moreno Glacier
http://www.interhabit.com/el_calafate/glaciares_national_park_486.htm
Happy Travels!
Mark
Saturday, February 6, 2010
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