Antarctica
Almost 98 percent of Antarctica is covered with ice. Opposed to the Arctic, which has no land below its ice cap, Antarctica contains ancient bedrock with mountain ranges up to 9,850 feet above sea level. Although ice averages 1-1/2 miles thick on top of the rocky terrain, it is one of the driest places on earth--only snow equivalent to about a ¼” accumulates over much of the interior. However, about 75 percent of the world’s fresh water is stored as ice, and 90 percent of that ice is in Antarctica.
Explaining the plate tectonics theory, geologists believe that Antarctica was once part of the continents of Africa, South America, Greater India and Australia some 543 million years ago. The Antarctic Peninsula was formed afterwards by volcanic activity. Since Antarctica’s separation from South America about 25-30 million years ago, the Southern Ocean circles the continent allowing the winds to be unimpeded. Eastward-bound low-pressure systems circle Antarctica in a never-ending succession like procession of spinning tops. Antarctica, the fifth largest continent, is the windiest (speeds up to 200 mph) and coldest place (recorded as low as -129 degrees F) on the earth.
Even with such harsh conditions, Antarctica is the home of a large variety of extraordinary wildlife. Wildlife in Antarctica is most active in the southern hemisphere summer months. During this time, seals, whales, penguins and a large diversity of other seabirds migrate to the continent to breed and feed on the virtually unlimited supply of krill, crustaceans and fish. One of Antarctica’s most familiar wildlife--penguins--is considered by many to be the continent’s signature species. They spend over 75% of their lives in the sea where they are most agile and comfortable. Incidentally, there are no polar bears in the Antarctica.
There are few places on Earth where there has been never been war, where the environment is fully protected, and where scientific research has priority. But the whole of the Antarctic continent is like this. A land which the Antarctic Treaty parties call a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science.
When I told people that I was planning this 2005 expedition, I got two responses: Wow! or Why? I believe that those reactions typically separate the worldly-wise people from the insular ones. In 2003, I got the same reaction when I told people that I was planning an East Africa safari. My Antarctica expedition was February 4 ~ 17, 2005.
After taking a 9-hour flight from Dallas, we landed in the morning at Santiago airport where an Abercrombie & Kent (A&K) representative met us and transported us to the Hyatt hotel. Checked in, freshened up and in the afternoon a group of us went on a city tour. On the next day, the A&K Santiago Antarctica group boarded a charter for Ushuaia, Argentina.
After a three-hour flight from Santiago, we had a Patagonian lunch with entertainment of folkloric dances and short walking tour of Tierra del Fuego National Park in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. I first visited the park in 1999.
The ship departed at 6 p.m. for a two-day passage through the Drake Passage southward to the Antarctic Peninsula. The sky was mostly cloudy with temperatures in the 30's.
I found the ship comfortably appointed with two bars, a dining room and buffet restaurant known as the Verandah. The library was exceptionally stocked with plenty of reference books and many other subjects. The gift shop was adequate for this size ship. The main lounge was spacious for educational lectures and entertainment. In my room, two twin beds were combined into one. The bed had wooden side barriers to prevent one from being tossed onto the floor in rough seas. Although there was plenty of room to move around, the room included two desks, sofa, side chair, ottoman, and two end tables each with lamps. Closet space was modest. It was definitely designed for minimum luggage. The bathroom was a little on the small side. However, the shower/bath tub was convenient. Upon closer inspection of furniture in my room and common areas throughout the ship including the main dining area, one can see chains and other fasteners securely holding the furniture to the walls and floor. The expectation of rough cruising is visible. The Explorer II has an ice-strengthened steel hull and is well equipped to handle the rough open-water cruising and icy channels of the Antarctic seas. Her stabilizers and bow thrusters give her the power, stability and agility to withstand the turbulent sea conditions. Although comfortable, the Explorer II should not be expected to be as luxurious as the new mega cruise ships.
Monday - Tuesday, February 7-8 - The Drake Passage. Seas were moderate with some side-to-side motion of the ship. We were told that the cruise preceding ours had very rough seas. On February 8, we saw whales and a lone iceberg. Attended all the interesting enrichment lectures. Some 650 miles separate South America's Cape Horn and the Antarctica peninsula. Days were mostly cloudy in the 30's.
Wednesday, February 9 - Antarctica. In the morning we entered Paradise Bay. Some 180 passengers were divided into two groups. The first group departed on zodiacs (10 per boat) at 8 a.m. On this day I was in the second group that left at 10 a.m. The temperature was about 32 degrees with low lying clouds and no appreciable wind. Eventually, the sun came out which we were told is a rare occurrence. However, we were dressed warmly in layered clothing with our parkas (supplied by A&K), waterproof pants and rubber boots. The bulk of this clothing, a backpack (also supplied by A&K) and life vest was sometimes restrictive and uncomfortable. We toured the bay by zodiac. What a spectacular sight. Tall (some 9,000 feet above sea level) sheer-sided black mountains with ice patches majestically greeted us. Glaciers everywhere. The ice ranged in colors from white to blue. The white color ice is a result of air bubbles trapped in it. Blue ice is void of air bubbles and where the ice absorbs all colors of the spectrum except reflecting blue.
Birds observed were the Arctic Tern who migrates from the Arctic (the world’s longest bird migration) to Antarctica for the southern hemisphere summer. I had the most fun with the Antarctic Skua, a large heavy brownish black gull. One of them spotted my furry fox hat and made a dive for it three times. While ducking, I am told by my fellow passengers that he almost landed on my shoulder. My only regret is that my fellow passengers didn't capture this scene by their cameras.
In the afternoon of our first Antarctic day, we cruised into Neko Harbor and for the first time set foot onto the Antarctic continent. At Neko Harbor, I opted to take a guided long hike up the mountain overseeing our ship anchored in the harbor. The sun was bright and warm. During the strenuous hike uphill, I had to stop many times for rests and shed my coat and top shirt because I was sweating. The snow was slushy and slippery. Some folks opted not to make the climb. However, the view at the top of the rock outcropping was worth it.
Many rooks of Gentoo penguins were not only seen but heard and smelled. At the shore there were many Gentoo penguins carrying on. Our presence didn't seem to disturb them. The footing was wet and stinky from the bird droppings.
Thursday, February 10 - Antarctica. In the morning our ship cruised the Gerlache Strait to Port Lockroy on Wienke Island. Our group disembarked early at 8 a.m. Our zodiac landed us at the harbor of the former British station, now a museum of how life was from 1944 to 1962. Only open during the summer, this site operates as a post office and souvenir shop containing a limited supply of articles including post cards, T shirts, patches and baseball hats.
Gentoo penguins were all around the site and their close proximity gave many opportunities to observe and photograph their behavior.
After the shore visit, we cruised the bay looking for more wildlife. Our schedule was changed from visiting Damoy Point to that of zodiac cruising Borgen Bay because of windy and rainy conditions in the afternoon. Since Antarctica is known to be the driest continent in our beautiful world, it only rains infrequently. Again, our experience of rain was supposedly uncommon here in Antarctica. Saw new species of Leopard Seal and a lone Adelie penguin. We heard the caving of ice from the glaciers. Air and sea temperature were still in the 30's.
Friday, February 11 - Antarctica. Arrived at Deception Island (a recently active volcano) and entered Neptune's Bellows--the opening into the sea. The center of the volcano is filled with sea water. The cliffs surrounding this flooded caldera displayed volcano ash and iron deposits. An extremely strong wind was blowing 40-50 mph. At first it was cloudy but the sky cleared later with bright sunshine. We were told that we were lucky for the sunshine which was exceptional. In the Whalers Bay area inside the donut-like shape island with a small bite taken out of it, we observed an old whaling station. Also observed was a Spanish research station.
Due to the extremely cold wind and choppy seas, the captain skipped the next scheduled stop at Pendulum Cove where geothermal springs traditionally invite some brave hearts to dip into the warm water. Instead our ship headed for Telefon Bay. The water was somewhat calmer for zodiac excursions to shore. I decided that it didn't offer any unusual experiences and instead watched a National Geographic video about whales.
At about 5 p.m. we rendezvoused with the freighter Ushuaia that brought 11 pieces of missing luggage belonging to some guests of the Explorer II. Apparently, a baggage handler in Santiago decided to store 11 pieces of luggage that looked suspicious to him and then went home for the day. The remaining luggage was loaded on the A&K charter aircraft (Airbus 320) and found us in Ushuaia before the Explorer II sailed. With the 40 mph winds and high waves with white caps, two zodiacs braved the elements to retrieve the luggage from the other ship. Immediately upon receipt of the luggage and stowing the zodiacs, we exited Deception Island.
Saturday, February 12 - Antarctica. In the morning we were told that winds exceeded about 70 knots or about 80 miles per hour (considered to be hurricane strength winds) while we were sailing around the peninsula through the Antarctic Sound. Then we entered the eastern edge of the peninsula into the Weddell Sea. However, I slept well only feeling the ship movements from side to side. The captain warned us to anticipate rough seas because the ship's stabilizers had to be withdrawn to protect them from ice bergs.
The four aerial photos on my website of the Waddell Sea were taken in January 1999 when I took an Antarctic over flight from Ushuaia. Although our 737 aircraft flight at that time over the Antarctica Peninsula only lasted less than 1 hour, the weather was sunny and clear as compared to the blustery weather encountered on February 12, 2005.
Arriving at Devil Island, the scheduled landing was cancelled because of pack ice and strong winds at about 40 mph. However, the first group went on a late morning zodiac cruise. Our group was scheduled to be next, but the captain cancelled our expedition due to increased sea waves while we stood in line waiting to disembark with all of clothing and equipment hung over our bodies. We understand that some of the passengers on the earlier morning zodiac expedition had a difficult time transferring from the zodiac to the ship's ladder platform when returning to the Explorer II. Also in the morning the ship went to Vortex Island for observation from the ship. We saw misting water spouts similar to the dust devils on land. Strong winds continued.
At lunch, the captain began sailing to find a calm harbor to visit. Finding one next to Crystal Hill, we disembarked for a shore visit. On our way to the beach, we saw a pack of Crabeater seals relaxing on an iceberg. The species of Crabeater seals were seen relaxing on floating bergs. Erroneously named by early explorers, the Crabeater seal does not eat crab but feeds on krill and other crustaceans.
We inspected the different rock formations that were volcanic rock mixed with sandstone and some granite. The onboard geologist thought the granite was carried here by glaciers from another area. The sea was calm and air temperature was in the lower 40's. One lone Adelie penguin perched high on top of the rocks.
Sunday, February 13 - Antarctica. Smooth sailing last night. Slept well. Arrived at 7 a.m. at Brown Bluff, near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Landed on shore a little after 8 a.m. We mingled around hundreds of Gentoo and Adelie penguins. They didn't seem disturbed about our presence. Also saw some Antarctic Fur seals at close range.
A huge brownish mountain majestically rose from the beach. Many layers of sediment were exposed. Thankfully, the sea was very calm and contained various shapes and sizes of ice bergs. We noted a number of huge tabular ice bergs (the type that have a flat top and are the largest type of berg). Supposedly these bergs were from the Larsen Ice Shelf some 200-300 miles south. The overcast windless day was expected to change rapidly during the day. The current calm atmosphere was the result of us being in the center of a very low pressure area. As we returned to the ship after about an hour the wind began to pick up. Once aboard, it began to rain and low clouds began moving in while the second group was on shore. The afternoon schedule zodiac cruise of Kinnes Cove was cancelled because of high winds. High winds of 50 miles per hour caused tall waves.
At one end of the beach laid a huge napping Southern Elephant seal, who never raised his head during our presence. Of course, we kept our distance from this male which can weigh as much as 5 tons and is reported to have a grouchy disposition.
Watched a pair of South Pole Skuas at close range.
During the evening hours of Sunday, February 13, it was difficult to walk around the ship. When retiring, the pitch and roll of the ship knocked down my two desk chairs and slammed hangers together from side to side in the closet causing loud slapping noises throughout the night.
Monday - Tuesday, February 14-15 - The Drake Passage. The seas during the return passage were much rougher than at the beginning our journey. At times it was difficult during meals where the pitch and roll of the ship tossed eating utensils, plates and glasses to the floor. However, I did not see anyone who was sea sick. Unlike the passage over to Antarctica, barf bags were placed in areas of the ship. Attended enrichment lectures.
We saw South America islands and land on Tuesday at about 2 p.m. High winds and overcast skies were our welcome back to the South America continent. Giant Petrels gracefully glided behind our ship looking for any food that would have been stirred up the ship's propellers. We spent the night at the restful Ushuaia dock and disembarked in the early morning for a short city tour and charter flight back to Santiago. My flight from Santiago back to the U.S. was scheduled for 11:50 in the evening.
My overall experiences and impression of this expedition was that of pleasure of being in the Antarctica. The weather was usually cold with temperatures around 32 degrees and high winds which make it seem colder because of the wind chill. Typically the seas were choppy with overcast days except a very few sunny days. The Explorer II was more upscale than I had anticipated. The food and dining service was fair to good. The German captain and international crew were very friendly and helpful.
| Name |
Comment |
Date |
| Mike |
Loved the Photography |
Sep 20, 2007 |
| Larry |
Fantastic presentation! |
Aug 21, 2007 |