Antarctica - Charlie and Judith`s web site

A S TUDY TOUR AND C RUISE
TO SOUTH G EORGIA AND ANTARCTICA
WITH
CORNELL’S ADULT UNIVERSITY,
FRANK R HODES AND HOWIE E VANS
DECEMBER 28, 2003 – JANUARY 16, 2004
“Glittering white, shining blue, raven black, in the light of the sun the land looks like a fairytale. Pinnacle after pinnacle, peak after peak, crevassed, wild as any land on our globe, it lies,
unseen and untrodden.”
Roald Amundsen
(After discovering Antarctica’s Queen Maud Range in 1911)
1
INTRODUCTION
This was our fifth study tour and cruise with Cornell’s Adult University (CAU) and what
an experience! Those of you who followed our itineraries for this trip, know we were to go to
Antarctica, South Georgia and then the Falkland Islands. The most important thing we had to
remember throughout this trip was that nothing was ever certain. Flexibility was the key word.
With that in mind, in spite of the Argentine/Chilean political squabble, which kept us from going
to the Falklands, the time was filled with magical experiences we otherwise wouldn’t have had.
High Country Passage organized the trip, working through Peregrine Adventures, an
Australian Travel firm. Frank Rhodes, Professor of Geological Sciences and President Emeritus
of Cornell University, and Howard Evans, Professor Emeritus of Veterinary and Comparative
Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, were our teachers and friends. In
all, there were five staff and wives from Cornell, three from High Country Passage (including
Peter Voll, Senior Vice President and Mary Mund and her husband) and 88 paying, congenial
passenger/student/adventurers, 15% of which were thirty-somethings, which added
immeasurably to our overall enjoyment. The expedition staff on the Akademik Sergey Vavilov,
the Russian research ship contracted by Peregrine, was outstanding: professional, spirited, highly
skilled and a great team.
Antarctica is a unique place; the most isolated continent on Earth. It provides a glimpse
of what our own continent must have looked like during the most recent Ice Age, which ended
about 11,000 years ago. Antarctica exerts a world-wide influence far beyond its own boundaries,
in terms of effects of oceanic circulation on global weather and possible consequences for solar
radiation.
Mountain ranges, glaciers, icebergs, whales, seals, penguins and sea birds were our
partners as we explored some of the most awe -inspiring places on Earth. Our South American
“bookends,” visits to Buenos Aires and Santiago, and several new “causes,” Save-the-Albatross
and a campaign to eliminate landmines, only enhanced this magical trip.
This journal is my account, my impressions of our precious experience. Some of the
photographs are Judith’s and some are mine, taken on our new Canon digital camera. As usual,
Judith has, thankfully, edited this tome. This isn’t just a trip log, but an effort to share our
passion for an unforgettable experience with our family and friends. Others can, if they like, find
this on our web site, www.charlieandjudith.com . If you only want a sampling, try January 10
and 11 and the Epilogue.
2
D ECEMBER 28 & 29
American Airlines did a good job of transporting us well into the Southern Hemisphere:
first to Miami, then to Buenos Aires. We’d resume our journey in twenty-four hours, but until
then, after faxing all my airplane work to New York, we were determined to make the most of
our time in Buenos Aires, our third visit to that city. We headed straight for Malba, the museum
of contemporary art, which is both innovative and a spectacular architectural showcase for
displaying surrealism, figurative and post-modern art. We were particularly impressed with the
current Jorge de la Vega exhibition. Malba offers some interesting sculpture and a very pleasant
environment. Next stop was a return visit to Recoleta, Buenos Aires’ most famous cemetery
(#2) and one of our favorites because of the extraordinary sculpture and monuments. As in so
many Victorian era burial places, the coffins are placed in mausoleums, rather than buried
underground. This time, instead of searching for specific memorials, like Evita’s tomb, we
aimlessly wandered over nearly the entire area photographing in the clear sharp light of late
afternoon. That night, we attended a CAU welcome reception and dinner at the Sheraton Hotel
San Martin, where we spent the night.
2
3
D ECEMBER 30
Buenos Aires gained its independence in 1816 and now boasts a city population of 3.5
million. Thirteen million live in its sprawling greater metropolitan area, compared to a
population of 38 million total in all of Argentina. We spent the morning touring four
neighborhoods of this stylish city. We traveled by bus; however, Buenos Aires offers five
subway lines, six railroad stations, and 42,000 taxis (the third highest number in the world). The
people looked healthy despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that the average Argentine has
reduced his/her animal meat consumption from 95 to 45 kilos over the last five years. We were
told that public school teachers are the poorest paid—about $200 per month, compared to the
average worker’s salary of $667 per month. We passed the stunning Opera House on our way to
Plaza de Mayo, where the Perons waved to the crowds from the balcony of Casa Rosa and where
mothers (and grandmothers) of the “disappeared” still walk in honor of the thousands who
“disappeared” during the recent political strife. The women wear white handkerchiefs on their
heads to identify their cause. Several of our group toured the Metropolitan Cathedral with its
magnificent paintings and Stations of the Cross. We were unable to see this great cathedral on
our last visit because of the restoration then being undertaken.
Argentina’s forty-five years of dictatorship, during which time they had thirty-two
presidents, ended in 1983. Still, they have had five presidents in the last two months! The term
of presidential office has been reduced from six to four years. Obviously, not many stay in office
that long! While inflation in Argentina from 1991 to 2001 was limited to 2% per year, it has
jumped 65% in the last year! Unemployment is currently 24%; 95% of the population is
Catholic (and conservative). There is a shortage of affordable housing; monthly apartment
rentals for the middle class start at $200, equivalent to one -third of the average pay. Soybeans
and sorghum are major exports. Agriculture and cattle-raising account for 80% of GDP.
Tourism has increased from 1.5 to 6.0 million annual visitors over the last five years.
Back on tour, we passed the site of the Sunday flea market, the largest in South America,
the city’s largest football stadium (seats 90,000) and Argentina’s most popular equestrian center
where polo and “bato” are played. La Boca (the mouth) is an Italian community where no front
doors face the street and most of the residents work at the port. We stopped in a very famous
street called “Caminito,” (#3, 4), where Judith “posed” with a gold-painted tango partner (some
photo op!), while the rest of us browsed the plentiful art for sale and admired the brightlycolored houses. We had lunch at the charming Lola restaurant, adjacent to the Recoleta
cemetery. On the way to the airport, we passed a large aluminum sculpture called “Monument to
the Flowers” with petals that open in the day, and close at night. One of the beauties of Buenos
Aires is the abundance of trees. Mombu trees (the only trees when the Spanish arrived), and
colorful mimosa and jacaranda trees abound. The national stone of Argentina is the pinkish
rhodchronite. Argentina’s national drink is mate, a bitter tea served with orange or lemon peel
and no sugar. So, fortified in heart and stomach, it was time to proceed with our southern trek
via LanChile to Ushuaia the southern-most city in the world.
4
3
4
There is a sign along the dock that claims, “Ushuaia – the end of the world; the beginning
of everything.” We began to think about what we should expect on our first trip to Antarctica.
5
While there are several definitions as to what is the Antarctic, the most common is that
area (continent and seas) to the south of the Antarctic Convergence, that narrow belt of water at
approximately 60 degrees south, where the cold, north-flowing Antarctic surface waters sink
below the warmer, south-flowing Sub-Antarctic surface waters. We knew Antarctica would be
unique, but I’m not sure we were truly prepared for our experience to this remote continent. It is
the earth’s last bastion: the coldest, highest, driest, most isolated, and most inhospitable place on
the planet.1 Despite its harsh, unforgiving nature, we expected it to be a place of majestic
beauty. This latter, we vastly underestimated. Nothing we’ve ever seen compares with
Antarctica’s beauty.
Antarctica is a roughly circular land mass covering 5.2 million square miles, about the
same area as the United States and Mexico combined. It is the fifth largest continent. The
highest point on the continent is the Vinson Massif, at 16,857 feet. About 98% of its surface is
covered by ice (15,669 feet at its deepest point). Its average thickness is over 7,500 feet; making
it the world’s highest continent (a mean height almost three times that of the other continents).
Ninety-percent of the entire world’s ice is contained within the polar ice cap and this comprises
70% of the world’s supply of fresh water. In spite of its covering of ice, Antarctica is the
world’s largest desert! There is an active volcano on Ross Island, from which a drifting cloud of
steam and gas can usually be seen. However, Antarctica has less earthquake activity than any
other continent.
Antarctica is an isolated continent, surrounded by a deep, turbulent, circum-polar ocean.
It is separated from the tip of the South American continent by 621 miles of some of the world’s
most turbulent seas, and from South Africa by 2,236 miles of open ocean. We were to cast off
from the southern-most point of South America. (Just six weeks before, we were at the southern
tip of South Africa!) Oh yes, Antarctica is 1,366 miles from New Zealand and 1,397 miles from
Tasmania. Isolation plays a major role in Antarctica’s character. The northern continents—
North America, Europe and Asia—surround a polar ocean basin, so the North Pole is located
within a deep, ice-covered mediterranean sea. The South Pole, in contrast, lies at the heart of a
land mass. Though both polar regions are characterized by extreme low temperatures and
prolonged periods of continuous daylight and darkness, they have little else in common. Even
the climates are different, with Antarctica’s being much harsher because the mass of the Arctic
Ocean has a warming effect which moderates the temperature. During the brief Arctic summer,
the Arctic ice melts around its margins, to be replaced by tundra, which supports a great variety
of plants and animals, as well as a nomadic Eskimo or Inuit population. The Antarctic continent,
by contrast, contains no true land mammals, fresh water fish, reptiles or birds. In general, it is a
frozen, barren desert; uninhabited, except at its margins by a few intrepid humans. With few
exceptions, Antarctic vertebrates – such as penguins and seals – are confined to the edge of the
continent and are essentially marine, spending most of their lives at sea. The same could be said
of our visit except our at-sea life was in a comfortable ship.
Notwithstanding the paucity of life on the land, marine life is plentiful around the
Antarctic continent. Only 40 or so species of birds breed south of the Antarctic Convergence,
but they are there in extraordinary abundance, thanks to the phytoplankton which thrives on
upwelling nutrients from the northerly latitudes. It has been estimated that there is 1,000 million
1
Quote taken from Frank Rhodes’ compilation prepared for this tour - p. 6
6
tons of phytoplankton in the whole of the Southern Ocean. The crustacean krill graze upon the
plankton and support virtually all the larger animals in the food chain – squid, fish, birds, seals
and whales – except for the carnivorous leopard seal and killer whale.
Who owns Antarctica? Seven nations are claimants, including Argentina, Australia,
Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway and the U.K. Their claims are variously based on first
discovery and exploration, primacy of claims, geographic proximity or propinquity, historical
right, and established bases and settlements. Under the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 (ratified in
1961), signed by 12 nations, consideration of all such territorial claims was deferred for 30 years.
The Treaty has no terminal date; but after 30 years, any of the “consultative parties” may request
a review of the provisions. The chief purpose of the Treaty is to ensure that “it is in the best
interest of all mankind that Antarctica shall continue forever to be used exclusively for peaceful
purposes and shall not become the scene or object of international discord.” About a dozen
nations now support some 40 year-round research stations. In any given summer, about 2,000
persons will visit Antarctica. The winter population is typically about 250.
Looking back, scientists now believe that Antarctica once formed the keystone of the
ancient super-continent of Gondwana, a land that also included what are now the separate areas
of South America, Africa, Madagascar, India, New Zealand and Australia. Some 140-160
million years ago, this super-continent began to fragment, and its component lands became
gradually separated as they “drifted” apart. New Zealand broke off only 80-85 million years ago
– just in time for our journey!
Looking ahead, we were very anxious to board our ship and get going. The Vavilov
(named for Sergey Vavilov, a Russian academic), sails with a Russian crew and captain. It was
contracted by Peregrine Adventure Company, whose motto is “The Spirit of Adventure.” The
Vavilov was built in Finland for the Russians in 1989 to do hydro-acoustical scientific research.
Had it been built earlier, its low-frequency receivers might have been used for spying. Only
recently has this “ice-strengthened” ship been re-fitted to also accommodate travel tours to the
Arctic and Antarctic in those continents’ summer months. While comfortable and gracious, it is
not luxurious or commodious. The cabins are small and most have shared bathrooms (just like
our recent residential quarters in South Africa!). It has a pleasant bar with great views on Deck 6
and a “presentation center” on Deck 1. Our cabin was #452 on Deck 4, very close to an outdoor
vantage point for bird watching and pictured taking. We had a few brief announcements and a
buffet dinner; it had been a long day. As we sailed, a little after 11p.m., we waved goodbye to
our dock neighbor, a huge floating “city” called, “The World.” It was just that: a ship with
apartments owned by people who wanted to sail around the world, joining their ship at whatever
port they cared to.
D ECEMBER 31
We woke up to an announcement by Aaron Lawton, our expedition leader, that we were
out of the Beagle Channel and into the Southern Ocean, that we were traveling at 16.5 knots with
good prevailing winds, and that the temperature was 42?F. I bolted out of bed in order to be the
7
first in our shared bath, where you shave and shower in the same footprint; Judith joined me for
the shower. Cozy and quick.
We snuck in a little pre-breakfast bird-watching; and after breakfast, we identified—with
a little help from Judy Clarke, one of our on-board naturalists—the black-browed albatross
(black wing and tail; white body), kelp gull, giant petrel, sooty shearwater and cape petrel
(painted wing, popularly known as “pintado”). Judy also saw a seal, but our eyes weren’t sharp
enough for that, yet.
At 9:30a.m., we met to discuss our itinerary for the next few days. OUR PROGRAM
HAD BEEN CHANGED (not for the last time!). We were headed east to South Georgia, not
south to the Antarctic Peninsula, a distance of about 1,100 nautical miles, requiring at least three
days of open ocean sailing. Our problem dated back to 1982 when Argentina invaded (i.e.,
occupied) South Georgia and the Falkland Islands, and Britain interceded. The United States
sided with Britain and supplied ammunition in a deal to avoid British mining of the harbors.
There’s no love lost between the Argentines and the Chileans, either. Over twenty years have
passed, and Argentina still limits or prohibits flights through its air space from the Falkland
Islands. Our trip was to end in the Falklands (Fort Stanley) from where we were to fly to
Santiago, Chile—over Argentina. At this time, negotiations are underway to permit charter
flights; but without any certainty, it appeared that we’d have to forgo the Falklands, sailing from
South Georgia to the Antarctic Peninsula and then back to Ushuaia. Welcome back to the days
of adventure on the high seas!
Captive as we were, we decided to be flexible so settled into our at-sea routine. First, we
went through the fire drill routine, which is required within thirty hours of boarding. We met our
Peregrine staff and explored the ship. After a great lunch and five laps around Deck 3, we took in
our first lecture, Birds of the Atlantic, by Judy Clarke. She addressed both visual and biological
features, starting with the penguins: emperor (largest, 3 feet and taller; breed on sea ice); king
(striking orange ear patch; found most commonly on South Georgia); Adelie (found mostly on
the Antarctic Peninsula; the classic “little man in evening dress”); chinstrap (an obvious
marking!); gentoo (slanty-black head with neat white bonnet and reddish-orange bill); macaroni
(golden crest which is joined in a broad band across the forehead, extending back over reddishbrown eyes and sweeping into splendidly drooping plumes; found mostly on South Georgia);
royal (found mostly in Scotia Arc) and rockhopper (vivid lemon-yellow crest with large
population in the Falkland Islands). Then, she introduced the albatross family: wandering (9 ft.
wing span, live to age sixty); grey-headed (South Georgia); black-browed (very plentiful; breeds
annually); and light-mantled sooty (grey-buff mantle and lower back with prominent dark head;
found in South Georgia), as well as several petrels characteristically marked by deeply grooved
and hooked bills, including northern and southern giant; southern fulmar; Antarctic (chocolate
brown); cape (“pintado”); snow (looks like a dove); white-headed (only petrel with whitish
head); blue; white-chinned; and Wilson’s storm petrel (conspicuous white rump and square tail).
Judy finished her winged review by describing the blue-eyed shag (or cormorant), Antarctic tern
and snowy sheathbill. In discussing the behavior of these birds, she described the albatross’
gliding and “landing gear” capacity and courting practices; the penguin’s diving capability up to
350 meters (their hunting is visual); the shag’s penchant to “bomb” people with their feet; the
salt glands on birds to extract salt from sea water; and bird molting variations. Inspired by all of
8
this, we raced outside to identify a wandering albatross (the largest seabird in the world), whitechinned petrels and Wilson’s storm-petrels. We learned fast!
Our afternoon lecture by John Rodsted, was on photography (color, black and white, slide
and digital), particularly as it related to our trip; very helpful. New Year’s Eve featured a cocktail
reception, dinner, champagne and a fairly heavy sea roll. Judith and I cashed it in before 11p.m.;
it had to be midnight somewhere!
J ANUARY 1, 2004 - Snow - Dum – Go – Dum! (Russian for Happy New Year)
Our new year began with 11? F air temperature and 14? F water temperature. We were
encouraged to come to the bridge for birding and sea viewing, but to stay off the lower decks due
to the heavy seas. After breakfast, Frank Rhodes lectured on The Architecture of the Earth. He
started with a quote from Tennyson: “To seek, to strive, to find—but not to yield.” In describing
the geology of Antarctica, he said that it was an area “conceived of before being discovered.”
Despite being the most isolated continent and consisting of 98% ice (as well as coldest, highest,
windiest, driest, etc!), it was “key to understanding the rest of the world.” He claimed that
Antarctica was the “mirror image” of the Andes (including the Scotia Arc). Rhodes told our
group that there were three kinds of rock:
•
•
•
Igneous – formed by heat, interlocking crystals;
Sedimentary – formed from fragments of pre-existing rocks; and
Metamorphic – contracted or squeezed so original form has been changed.
His “geology timeline” included the oldest rock at 3.6 billion years old; and oldest multi-cellular
fossil at 570 million years. Surprising to me, was Frank’s assertion that NO ocean floor is older
than 175 to 200 million years.
Later, Brian Shoemaker (retired Navy man) gave us his views on the Geography of
Antarctica. He started by differentiating between Antarctic Divergence, Antarctic Convergence
and Sub-Tropic Convergence; and then described Antarctica’s food-chain as the shortest in the
world. He told us there are more crabeater seals (15 million) than all other seals combined. No
one knows how this seal got his name. It doesn’t eat crab; but it does, however, eat krill (20 to
25 times their body weight per year). Winds average 40 mph in the Antarctic.
After lunch, Judith and I did another lap walk around Deck 3, before watching a video,
Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure. We got in a quick nap before attending Judy Clarke’s lecture
on Antarctic Resources Management. While the damage has been done in harvesting whales and
seals, new regulations (by CCAMLR) focus on fin fish (like the Patagonia toothfish or Chilean
sea bass) and krill. Judy discussed the nine different parameters in her own (Australia-sponsored)
project with Adelie penguins; 50% of these penguins die before age 5, but they can live to as old
as 20 years. One of the most interesting developments is an automated, solar-powered weigh
bridge they have devised to weigh the penguins going to and from the ocean. The krill
population, high in fluoride, is presently stable, notwithstanding its external demand from fish
farms, etc.
9
It had been a good day of education despite a rough sea (and some sick passengers); still,
we were ready for cocktails, dinner and our first night of gin rummy.
J ANUARY 2
We were awakened with the news that we only had 250 miles to go and blue storm
petrels had come to lead us to South Georgia. After breakfast, Howie Evans lectured on the
Anatomy of Whales. In addition to an excellent handout, he told us that the whaling fleets in
South Georgia had been very competitive, with the blue whale being the main catch. The
population was reduced to near extinction. He divides whales into two categories: baleen and
toothed. He claims that Cretaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) are very related to each
other, just like Artiodactyls or even-toed ungulates (pig, cow, hippo, antelope, camel, and deer)
are also closely related to each other. It appears from DNA analysis, that both of these groups
(Cretaceans and Artiodactyls) are closer to each other than to any other animal and these form a
monophyletic group or clade that shares a common ancestor. To put this in a time perspective,
the whale/Artiodactyls clade evolved about 50 million years ago and is thought to have diverged
in the Cretaceous Era, about 15 million years ago. So, why did the whalers want to eliminate the
nearest kin to a cow?
Whales can send signals underwater for thousands of miles (still a mystery to the navies
of the world). Right whales are in the baleen family and have a double spout. The killer whale is
quite similar, anatomically, to a dolphin. A whale’s tooth is all dentine (ivory) and is easily
carved (as there is no enamel). A southern right whale’s excrescences attract lice; kelp gulls eat
the lice and the whale’s blubber. Whales typically give birth in warmer waters after taking very
long voyages (e.g., Hawaii). Whales are born tail first (i.e., breach birth). The internal heat of a
whale is tremendous; in fact, the whaler had to take the meat within thirty hours, or it would
spoil. My final “fun fact” on whales is that an 89’ blue whale weighed 120 tons (including
baleen), but yielded only 27 tons of saleable (blubber, meat, and bone) oil worth only $6,000 (in
1950 dollars). That whale’s tongue weighed three tons, the lungs and liver each weighed one ton.
If you want to know more, you can borrow Howie’s notes or read “Of Whales and Men,” 1954
(Knopf) by R. B. Robertson, M.D.
To recover from the “dissemination and diffusion of knowledge” (a la Smithsonian),
Judith and I did extra laps around Deck 3 before attending John’s Photography Tips (“rule of
thirds,” back lighting, etc.) and having lunch. Still very much on the open sea, but hoping to
make South Georgia by midnight, we divided into two groups by port and starboard cabins, for
zodiak and “land behavior” mandatory instructions (required by IAATA, representing 43
nations). Antarctica is believed to be the “largest wilderness on the earth.” And so we were told
that our trips ashore could be “inhospitable, unpredictable, and dangerous.” Welcome to
Antarctica!
At 4:50 p.m., WE SAW OUR FIRST ICEBERG! It is hard to believe that for every foot
above the water, there is seven feet of berg below. The seas were heavier than ever, but our
minds were on setting foot on South Georgia. Bedtime came right after dinner, while visions of
the “wildlife wonder of the world” danced through our heads.
10
South Georgia (named for King George, III) is an isolated island. In 1675, a London
merchant, Antoine de la Roche, was blown far off course while rounding Cape Horn and took
shelter in a bay off a large island. His records have been lost, but it seems that his ship may have
anchored in what is now known as Drygalski Fjord. The island was next sighted in 1756 by a
Spanish ship; it was described by a French passenger Ducloz Guyot who gave it the name of Ile
de St. Pierre after the saint’s day (1 July) on which day it was seen. The first landings were,
however, made by British explorer Captain James Cook on his second voyage around the world.
On January 14, 1775, Midshipman Thomas Wills sighted land, now known as Willis Island at the
northeastern end of the island (visible as we approached from Ushuaia). Cook then sailed along
the northern coast. On the 17th , he landed in Possession Bay where he “took possession of the
Country in his Majesty’s name under a discharge of small arms.” As the expedition naturalist
George Forster wrote, this was “to the utter amazement of the seals and penguins, the inhabitants
of their newly discovered dominions.” Alerted by Cook’s reports, sealers were attracted to the
island and hunted the fur seal almost to extinction. Then, at the turn of the century, the whalers
arrived and established shore stations for a second destructive industry: whaling. After its
collapse, science became the principal activity on the island, except for an interlude in 1982
when South Georgia was briefly and illegally occupied by Argentine forces.
About 56% of South Georgia is covered by permanent snow and ice. The island is largely
composed of a thick sequence of volcanic rocks, sandstone and shale, termed the “Cumberland
Bay Formation.” A total of 163 glaciers are recorded on the island. Glaciations probably began
on South Georgia about 5 million years ago. About 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, the island was
buried by a deep ice cap estimated to have been 3,600 feet thick and reaching an altitude of
nearly 3,000 feet above the present sea level. The glaciers of South Georgia have been in general
retreat since 1925. Two mountain ranges, the Allardyce and Salvesen, form the backbone of
South Georgia.
South Georgia is a jewel to be treasured. It is so beautiful; no one can fail to be stirred by
the sight of the rugged grandeur of mountains and glaciers set in a sea that may be so calm that
the surface reflects every detail of the scene, or so rough that survival is the only thought.
Notwithstanding, the rough seas, our thoughts were to wake up in South Georgia. To add to our
anticipation, Frank Rhodes described South Georgia as the “Alps in the middle of the ocean;”
“displaced mountain range;” the “most beautiful glaciation.”
J ANUARY 3
Our morning wake up was at 5:15 a.m. Our progress overnight had been slowed to avoid
“heavy ice!” Our zodiak launch to Salsbury Plain was set back to 8a.m., so we’d have breakfast
first. Icebergs were everywhere! We solved all our long underwear (2 layers), extra stockings
and outer gear challenges, used the ship’s gum boots, processed through the ships “mud room”
(laden with backpack, camera gear, etc.), and made our way to the zodiak gangway. Our zodiak
voyage to the island and wet landing went without a hitch, but we had spectators! The world’s
population of king penguins (#5) is one million pairs; we would see 150 thousand of those pairs
on Salsbury Plain! We saw one lone gentoo penguin and thousands of fur seals (#6) (including
one blonde or leuchistic seal), not to mention skuas, kelp gulls, southern-giant petrels (one on a
11
nest). While king penguins migrate, gentoo penguins remain mostly on South Georgia Island.
You can imagine how floored we were with the sight of so many king penguins, as far as our
eyes could see, (#7) including what seemed and smelled like half the world’s guana! Most were
on land; some were swimming. King penguins are deep divers, feeding on lantern fish and squid.
They breed twice every three years; I think they need more birth control! They carry their egg on
their feet covered by a flap of skin and feathers. To get a better view (and maybe a photographic
advantage), I climbed a small hill. In coming down and over some water, I tripped, stumbled,
tried to recover and ended up prone in the penguin poop! What a mess, and nothing with which
to clean it off! Judith was wonderful; she could have just laughed and walked away. I really
smelled! (Editorial note – I first made sure Charlie was intact, wiped off the poop that was on
his face and glasses. Then, I laughed. See # 8—JMM.) We were told I wasn’t the first explorer
to go headlong into the “poop” and that someone had to “break the ice.” Well, anything for
science. Somehow, we got off the island and I got hosed off enough to go to our cabin to
shower. After lunch, we were back at it again after moving the boat to just off Leith Harbor in
Stromness Bay. Originally, we hoped to work in a visit to Albatross Bay; but when the staff
scouted out the island there were so many fur seals, there was no way we could have gotten
ashore to visit without beating these “residents” back. That didn’t seem to respect the
environment, so we passed on Albatross Island. At Leith, we were greeted by gentoo penguins
and reindeer. We took a long hike up a serious hill. We saw lots of blonde seals, nesting
albatross and two pintails. Back on our boat, we went to the bridge to see the whaling station of
Stromness (opened in 1912), where Shackleton ended his epic trek across the island. This
whaling station operated from 1904 to 1965. By 1920, humpback whales were nearly extinct.
The total kill of whales in South Georgia totaled 175 thousand! With the whales gone (the
predators of seals), there is more krill for the seals and their increasing population has become a
problem. In fact, there is a move to cull 2 million of the current 3 million fur seals on Albatross
Island. It had been quite a day; the sea was calm; dinner and bedtime came early.
5
12
6
7
8
13
J ANUARY 4
Another two wet landings-by-zodiak day: Gold Harbor in the morning and Moltke
Harbor in Royal Bay in the afternoon. Gold Harbor is at the eastern end of South Georgia, and as
far east on land as we would go. The original plan was to visit Grytviken, located on the north
shore between Stromness and Gold Harbor, but they were not prepared to let us land on Sunday
(frankly I had no idea it was Sunday), so we settled for the longer trip, realizing that we could
return the following day. As we peeked out our porthole, with the temperature a mild 44? F, we
were awed by the splendid tabular icebergs and majestic glaciers. There were also “bergy bits,”
the pesky smaller ones that can’t be seen by radar. Glaciations on South Georgia have taken
place for five millions years with lateral moraines. Ice erodes, deposits, and springs up. In the
sea, there are glacial ice and tabular bergs. Around the ship, we saw snow petrels and snowy
sheathbills. Are you getting the message about our “winter wonderland” in the summer?
Once ashore in Gold Harbor, we were greeted by hundreds of elephant seals (weighing
up to four tons) and a few fur seals, as well as hundreds of king and gentoo penguins, not to
mention, snow and sleet! However, the mission, at least for the hardier of us, was to climb a
mountain with the o bjective of spotting the nesting light-mantled sooty albatross. After wading
through a “swampy” area with growling elephant seals behind or on top of every tussock, we
climbed a slippery gravel summit on hands and knees, before getting into the serious hike.
Eventually, we slid down a precipice to take advantage of a great sighting area—and found four
nests with sitting birds. (#9)Talk about exciting and what a view! Up and down our trek, we were
hassled by squawking skuas, petrels and Antarctic terns, which threatened to bombard us as we
neared their nesting areas. Unintentionally, of course. Cold, wet, tired and muddy, we slid on our
backsides to return to the beach. And we loved it!
9
14
Our afternoon at Moltke Harbor was not nearly as strenuous. We visited a big rookery of
gentoos with hundreds of adorable chicks, and several small groups of king penguins—all with a
backdrop of mountains, glaciers and spectacular cloud formations. Our cameras couldn’t do
justice to those views, but I don’t think we will ever forget them. We also did a lot of walking,
had several sightings of reindeer, and enjoyed seeing some of our shipmates kayaking. Then, a
katabatic (gravity) wind came up. These winds are peculiar to the area and caused by a steady
flow of cold air from the continental interior towards the coast. They interact with frequent lowpressure cyclonic storms, to produce the windiest place on earth! In any event, the kayakers had
to resort to hanging onto kelp until they were rescued by our zodiaks. We land folk just got sea
sprayed on our way back to the ship.
J ANUARY 5
During the night, our ship anchored off Royal Bay on account of the weather, before
proceeding westerly to Grytviken. On our way, we had to dodge a recently sunken s hip.
Grytviken, a sheltered island and seat of the government, was the first whaling station in South
Georgia. It was established in 1904 by C. A. Larsen and his company, Compania Argentina de
Pesca, and is owned jointly by the British and Norwegians. As at all stations in the Antarctic, the
business of whaling was carried out mainly by Norwegians. This station was equipped to
undertake major repairs to ships, and later, upgraded with a dry dock.
Greeted by the usual cadre of seals and penguins, our wet landing put us next to the
Whaler’s Cemetery, where Sir Ernest Shackleton is buried. He died of a heart attack on a voyage
subsequent to the “Endurance.” His widow asked that he be buried in this land he had so loved.
Our backdrop was, as Frank Rhodes claimed, “the most perfect example of a volcanic
mountain.” (#10) It was likely formed 150 million years ago (the dinosaur period) by (1)
uplifting from below the ocean, (2) tremendous compaction, and (3) folding under. “The Alps of
the Southern Ocean,” Frank would proclaim.
10
15
After passing around enough “spirits” for a toast to “the Boss,” Rhodes led a salute to
Shackleton for his courage and endurance in his (failed) “first overland crossing.” I particularly
remember his quote attributed to Sir Edmund Hillary: “For speed and efficiency of travel, give
me Amundsen; for scientific discovery give me Scott; but when all hope is lost, get down on
your knees and pray for Shackleton.” A fellow passenger, Bernie Schapiro said the Kaddish in
Hebrew. It was a special spiritual tribute, like so many we experienced in South Africa less than
two months ago. We were all touched by the significance of Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure
as a “true triumph of human spirit over the bitter forces of nature.” On Shackleton’s tombstone
is inscribed below a nine point star (symbolic to the Shackleton family) is:
To the dear memory of
Ernest Henry Shackleton
Explorer
Born 15 February 1874
Entered Life Eternal
5 January 1922
The very day of our visit, was the 82 nd anniversary of Shackleton’s death.
On the back of his tombstone, is inscribed:
I hold that a man
should strive to the uttermost
for his life’s set prize
Robert Browning
From the cemetery, it was fitting that we walked around the village to the tiny Norwegian
church, which was pre-fabricated and shipped to Grytviken aboard the S.S. Ocean in 1913. It
seats 200 people and has a pump organ, which Judith played. There is a life preserver dedicated
to Sudar Havid of Cape Town (small world). There was a special small room of Shackleton
artifacts, a sculpture bust of C. A. Larsen, and Christmas decorations still very much in evidence.
They’re currently tearing down and burying most of the station, but expect to retain the footprint
of the buildings and much of the machinery
While some hiked to the post office, Shackleton Monument (a cross at Hope Point) and to
the active British scientific research center on the island, we visited the very informative
museum and gift shop. The museum had something for everybody:
•
•
•
•
•
Grytviken military presence (1982-2001)
Highlights of the village’s only four weddings through 1999
All kinds of posters, photographs and taxidermy of birds and mammals (South Georgia’s
pipit is endangered due to the introduction of rats)
Kim Robertson’s original watercolor commissioned by the last CAU visit in 1998
Endurance photographs
16
•
•
•
A 1960 poster from the Leith cinema advertising :
“Somebody Up There Likes Me,” starring Paul Newman as Rocky Graziano.
All the equipment of the trade of Einer Stand, blacksmith in South Georgia from 19201962 and said to be a “very popular character”
Copy of “Operation Paraguat” – The Battle for South Georgia, by Roger Perkin 1986,
Picton Publishing
Outside, there were more treasures:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
19th century sealers’ trypots – used for “trying” or cooking blubber to extract the oil.
These were discovered in 1902 by a Swedish expedition who gave Grytvi ken (means
“pot cove”) its name
Early bofors muzzle-loading canon (circa 1904)
Kongsberg muzzle-loading whale-canon
Kongsberg breach-loading whale-canon
Steam-powered bone saw (circa 1950)
Gjelstad claw, to haul up whales (circa 1930)
A replica of the James Caird that Shackleton used in his historic voyage from Elephant
Island to South Georgia
The gift shop was just as interesting, and more crowded. We bought “Antarctic Oasis—
Under the Spell of South Georgia,” by Tim and Pauline Carr, who own, curate and operate the
museum and gift shop, as well as gold penguin earrings for Judith. Most were buying postcards,
which would probably arrive in the “States” in a couple of months. Our final excitement was
watching while our ship’s staff gathered up the James Caird to float it out and load onto our
ship. Just like the original, this one also leaked. We were to transport it to Ushuaia, at the
request of the owner. This was the very same boat that had been used in the making of the film
about Shackleton’s adventure, starring Kenneth Branaugh.
Once everyone (including the James Caird) was aboard, we set sail for Elephant Island
(approx. 750 nautical miles) around the southerly tip of South Georgia. From the bridge, we
could see a “wall” of icebergs, through which we slipped, capturing some wonderful photo
opportunities. Suddenly, a storm came up; winds reached 70-80 knots. Our last glimpse of land
was at 6:35p.m. The seas were furious. Judith and I retired after a bowl of soup and our first dose
of Dramamine. Miraculously, we got a good night’s sleep.
J ANUARY 6
During the stormy night, we had averaged only 10 knots per hour, as we worked our way
across the Continental Shelf (meaning shallow water). We had to alter our westerly course at one
point by as much 30 degrees. Several days at sea let us return to our lecture series. Howie Evans
addressed The Structure of Birds. He told us that the albatross, 400 thousand years ago, existed
in the Atlantic Ocean; now, we only find fossils to confirm it. Howie, and others, have studied
the evolution of birds over the last 150 million years (from flying reptiles). Over that time, birds
17
have evolved to all having just three fingers. Bats are the only flying mammals. Bird feathers are
like a human’s hair follicle; take one out and another comes in. On a bird, there is a muscle at the
back of each feather, controlled by a sympathetic nerve. Every feather has two shafts. Feathers
are categorized as plumes or down. Most birds have a gland that secretes a “water-proofing”
liquid (to keep feathers from becoming waterlogged and limiting flight). Not only does the
wandering albatross have the longest wing span, it is the heaviest bird in the world. A bird
inhales air into a non-expandable lung (with blood vessels) and into an air sac.
Then, Howie got everyone’s attention with a review of the bird’s reproductive cycle.
While most birds mate o n land or at sea, some can mate in flight. Eggshells require calcium; so
some birds don’t fly during pregnancy as their bones are temporarily too fragile. Only the left
oviduct is used for fertilization. The ovary makes the yoke, which the chick inherits and feeds on
for up to five days. The reptile’s reproductive system is quite similar to a bird’s.
Evans continued with his bird-structure talk by telling us that a bird has a pectin structure
in its eye, as well as a third eyelid to clean the cornea. There is only one bone in a bird’s ear
(except for the owl), but a number of balance ducts. When one is accused of having a “bird
brain,” Evans claims it is a compliment. A bird’s brain is built like pancakes; and on dissection,
you can tell whether the bird is male or female. Howie showed us some bird-part skeletons, but
promised to dissect a penguin following our visit to Palmer Station! Final tidbits included the
fact that penguins swim with their wings and the albatross can sleep while it flies. How did I ever
get along without such information?
Next, John Rodsted, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer for his work on the scourge of
landmines, lectured on Albatrosses and Longline Fishing. John argues that albatross life is not
sustainable without change. If that change doesn’t rapidly occur, this legendary bird faces
extinction in 40 or 50 years. At present, longline fishing kills 200,000 birds (in total) a year;
including 17,000 albatrosses. It takes twelve years for an albatross to reach maturity and they can
live up to 60 to 70 years. The albatross breeds for life, always returning to the same nest and
taking 10 full months to raise its chick. The relatively slow breeding cycle adds to the imminent
threat of extinction.
There are two kinds of longline f ishing: surface and bottom (deep). In surface longline
fishing, they use about 1,000 baited hooks on lines that run 130 meters and as deep as 50 meters.
In bottom longline fishing, which is slightly more expensive, they use up to ten to twenty
thousand hooks and troll to a depth of up to 2,000 meters. In either case, the birds (including
albatross) attack the baited hooks as they hit the water. In this “feeding frenzy,” they become
hooked or entangled in the lines and are dragged down and drowned. They are recovered when
the lines are pulled up. Given that the fishermen are trying to catch fish, the longline attack by
birds is one of their greatest problems. To exacerbate the problem, it is estimated that 50% of the
fish brought to market around the world are caught by illegal (not registered, no flag) fishermen.
Mitigation of longline fishing devastation is sought in five ways:
1. Set longlines at night
2. Use flying streamers to scare sea birds away from the baited hooks
3. Add weight to gear (for quicker descent)
18
4. Set the longline underwater (this is the most effective, but the most expensive
solution)
5. Retain offal (remains of caught fish) on board, or expel it more discreetly
They are also experimenting with shortened fishing seasons. One of the largest markets for fish
is fast-food chains. Rodsted encouraged his audience to “take a position,” and challenge
restaurant owners—serving fish—who contribute to the cause. Birdlife.net’s fundraising arm is
“Save-the-Albatross Campaign.”
Before dinner, we met as a group to debrief our South Georgia experience and to discuss
what was next. We had not been able to stop at Cooper Island at the southeast end of South
Georgia (home of the macaroni penguin) because it is a protected zone; nor had we been able to
stop at Right Whale Bay because of the weather. We were currently crossing the Scotia Sea
towards the South Orkney Islands and Elephant Island. At this point, none of our landings had
been cleared: Elephant Island, Anvers Island, Deception Island or King Edward Island. It was all
up to the weather. For example, only one in twenty ships actually gets to land at Elephant Island.
It took Shackleton’s rescue team three attempts at landing before his men were rescued from
Elephant Island. We were anxious to get ashore as much as possible, especially to see U.S.
operated Palmer Station. Until now, we hadn’t realized we had some competition in visiting the
main sights of Antarctica. There were 34 ships visiting the area ranging from a 1,200 passenger
Princess liner to small research rigs holding as few as 36. Ships with 400 or more passengers
seldom do landings. Regulations limit the number of passengers ashore at one time to 100. We
closed this session with a Hugh Downs’ 20/20 film of his trip to Antarctica in 1982. He walked
around the world in 15 minutes by stepping once into each of the time zones as he circled the
South Pole. It’s no surprise that Hugh Downs was a Cornellian. The seas had calmed, dinner
was good, and our gin rummy competition did not keep us long from sleep.
J ANUARY 7
When we awoke, icebergs were playing peek-a-boo amongst the clouds and we were
making great time, 15 knots per hour. Some hourglass porpoises had been sighted; all we could
find on our morning walk on Deck 4 were pintados. Just as the purple jacaranda came to be my
favorite symbol for South Africa, the pintado, with its scattered white checkerboard blotches on
black wings, its sooty-black head and white under parts, has become my symbol for Antarctica.
It flies in a sequence of stiff flaps followed by gliding and is an enthusiastic ship follower. This
day, it was our only companion on our pre-breakfast walk.
Frank Rhodes presented our first lecture of the day, The Geology of Antarctica . He
developed his case for South Georgia’s not being an oceanic island, but part of Argentina on the
basis of tectonic plates and the rocks we can find today. Igneous rocks (formed by heat) are
found in the general Antarctic region, as well as in South Africa. Sedimentary rocks (fragments
of pre-existing rocks) are abundant, and metamorphic rock (squeezed or compacted) is prevalent
on South Georgia. There is great topographic interest in the ocean floor, with mountains as high
as 16,000 feet broken up by faults. The resulting pattern resembles the stitches on a baseball.
19
Antarctica is surrounded by a mid-ocean ridge. There are two geologically distinct parts of
Antarctica: Greater (old rocks) and Lesser (less stable).
Continents are made of tectonic plates which are constantly in motion. There are three
mid-ocean plates: Africa, South America and Antarctica. Over the eons, the oceanic crust folded
under in the Scotia Sea (in which we were sailing). The rocks of Antarctica are much older (over
one billion years), compared to the Antarctic Peninsula with rocks of 150 million years, about
the same as the rocks of the adjacent ocean floor. All southern continents have coal, lava and
Jurassic fossils. The separation of Gondwana (India, Africa, Madagascar, New Zealand,
Australia, South America and Antarctica) took place between 50 and 150 million years ago. The
super-continent, Pangaea, dates back 200 million years. The Ice Age took place 2 million years
ago, and as the world’s temperature continues to rise, scientists are divided as to whether this is
an interglacial period (and we are going back to an Ice Age) or whether the trend toward global
warming will continue, and the ice will melt raising the level of the ocean. Either scenario could
wipe out the importance of the Kyoto Treaty.
The first theories on plate tectonics were advanced by Francis Bacon during Tudor times.
In the 1900s, a German and a South African geophysicist introduced quite controversial theories.
After WWI, Harry Hess of Princeton made several important break-throughs, leading to a
substantial change in theories of plate tectonics in the last 40 years. Still, Rhodes continued, there
is much we don’t understand, as the theory has been inferred from our study of the ocean floor
using acoustic measurement developed by Hess. Oceans came from volcanoes and there were no
oceans before 600 millions years ago. In closing, and in response to a question, Rhodes told us
that the earth’s magnetic cycle (polarity) changes direction every 500 thousand years.
Under the weight of such “deep time ,” we went right to a lecture on Penguin Breeding
Biology by Judy Clarke, drawn heavily from her research with Adelie penguins. These penguins
breed on ice-free land in late October. They have to put on a lot of body weight as both male and
female will fast for the next month. The male returns first to build a nest of stones, always the
same nesting place and with the same partner. Penguins prefer a stone nest because of the
drainage it provides, so the eggs aren’t sitting in mud. Mating goes on for ten days with some
“social” disputes and lots of flipper flapping. Two eggs are laid three days apart. Then, the
female leaves to forage for food and the male sits on the eggs. Incubation takes 34 days, with the
female in charge for the last two weeks. The chicks hatch in late December; they are born with a
large stomach and tiny flippers. They need to be fed within three days; in the meantime, they
feed on yolk, which has been retained from birth. The feeding parent tries to separate the two
chicks for individual feeding; it also gives the chicks lots of exercise. We had watched this
behavior in Moltke Harbor with great amusement. Chicks lose their down in 8 to 9 weeks; then
go away to feed for up to 3 to 4 years before returning to mate. They can migrate to pack ice as
far as 1,000 kilometers, feeding on krill only during the day. Leopard seals are their biggest
predators. Emperor penguins breed in the winter and on ice. King penguins have an extended
cycle of 11 months, so breed every two years. Macaroni and royal penguins raise only one chick
(after producing one small and one large egg); the male sits on the nest while the female forages
for food. Chinstrap penguins are apt to chase Adelie penguins off their nests. Breeding success of
penguins varies widely: adults have an 18% per year mortality, fledglings 30%. The average life
span is 5 to 7 years.
20
With all of this penguin propagation data, we were ready for lunch. After our meal,
Aaron had some good news. We would reach Elephant Island on the 8 th in time for a prebreakfast (6a.m.) wet landing; then, sail on to the South Shetland Islands in time for an afterdinner (you guessed it!) wet landing. We would have four or more days in the Antarctic
Peninsula ending at Palmer Station (about 65 degrees longitude). Some pushed to go on to 66
degrees 33 minutes, the Arctic Arch (which represents the angle that the Earth’s axis of rotation
makes with its orbit). Aaron argued that that would take us through heavy ice, two added sea
days, and deprive us of some exciting landings. He also advised (prematurely) that we didn’t
plan to go to Deception Island, as other ships were already scheduled there.
Our final lecturer of the day was Howie Evans on The Structure of Fish. He started with
marine invertebrates, like starfish, soft corals, sea anemones, sea cucumbers and sea urchin; as
well as the sea spider and limpet. The shrimp-like krill is the most important of the teeming
hoards of plankton animals. Feeding on the phytoplankton, they are themselves the prey of
almost all the larger organisms in the sea, from fish to birds to whales. Howie then focused on
fish (which represent 43% of all the animal species in the world), telling us that there are 44
species of fish in the Antarctic, only four of which reside north of the Antarctic Convergence.
These fish are aided by glycoprotein (antifreeze proteins) in their blood and body tissues. Other
“fun facts” included: a fish uses its nose to find enemies or friends, not to smell food (i.e., its
olfactory is strictly “social”). Its taste buds are all over its body. A fish’s eye has two osicles. Its
brain is quite simple (until you dissect it!). There are three semi-circular ducts in the fish's ear,
just like people. And finally, after WWII, the U.S. Navy laid mines in the sea surrounding the
east coast to (potentially) fend off the Germans. It happened that these mines were tuned
(unwittingly) to the toad fish and kept going off, much to the consternation of our government!
Oh yes, in response to audience questions, we also discussed sex reversal in fish. What an
education we got!
At 3:30p.m., it was time for the Polar Club outing. All were invited for a swim in our
pool that the ship’s crew had filled that morning for just such a purpose (cold sea water, by the
way). Four men and four women jumped in several times with trips to the sauna to recover in
between dips. Most passengers took pictures and drank hot chocolate. Judith followed that with
a nap and a movie; I caught up on my journal.
Certificates were presented to the eight Polar Club heroes at dinner, after which we were
told that because of significant ice floes, we would not be able to make Elephant Island in time
for a 6:00a.m. zodiak landing, and that we would try for 9a.m. However, the delay would keep
us from traveling on to the Shetlands for an evening zodiak visit. Such is life, and uncertainty, on
the high seas.
11
21
J ANUARY 8
Our Russian word-of-the-day “Dobray-Dien” means “Good Day.” Not a bad omen.
However, my initial exploratory walk on deck before breakfast found only rain, lots of fog, and a
few pintados. Towards the end of breakfast, came an announcement “HUMPBACK WHALES
OFF THE STARBOARD” (#11). You never saw a room empty so fast!
The captain slowed the ship. We were still eight miles from Elephant Island, and we all
got good views of at least two whales. The male humpback can measure 49 feet in length
(females 52 feet) and weigh up to 48 tons. Their small dorsal fin sits on a raised hump with a
series of small bumps leading to the tail. Their most striking feature is the extraordinarily long
pectoral flipper, nearly a third of their body length. Both the flippers and the tail flukes are
irregularly scalloped at the edges. Not that we could observe such details! They tend to cruise
slowly (at 4 to 6 knots), but are powerful enough to leap clear of the water, frequently in
spectacular breaches. The blow is bushy and reaches as high as ten feet. We did see the blows.
Soon, we approached and dropped anchor off Point Wild at Elephant Island, completing
our 780 nautical mile journey from South Georgia. The first group was called to the zodiak
landing gangway. We had been divided into two groups: James Caird (Deck 3 and portside of
Deck 4) and Dudley Docker (Deck 5 and starboard side of Deck 4). It was raining hard, the
visibility was lousy and there was a very large swell (although little wind). Staff was sent down
to test the boarding conditions and all quickly concluded that it was not safe enough to proceed.
It would have been a tricky boarding and an even trickier landing. We could at least see the stony
beach where Shackleton had to leave 22 members of his party as he and five others attempted to
sail the James Caird to South Georgia on April 24, 1916. Miraculously, he would return to
Elephant Island on April 30, 1916, to rescue every single man from the “Endurance” crew. Not
one man was lost.
The Elephant Island group actually consists of two large islands, Elephant and Clarence
Islands, and five smaller ones. As we were below 60 degrees latitude, all land is internationally
owned under the Antarctica Treaty. Elephant Island, 24 miles long and 12 miles wide, rises
precipitously from the sea. Its name reflects the abundance of elephant seals which were found
there in the early 19th century. These islands form the northeastern tip of the South Shetland
Islands, and are made up mostly of metamorphic rocks. Having aborted our plans to land by
zodiak, our ship moved closer for all to take photos. There were icebergs surrounding the island,
mountains and glaciers. Very spectacular; very lonely. From there, we set sail from the north side
to the South Shetlands, roughly 210 nautical miles, through a combination of the Drake Passage
and Bransfield Strait. We used the time before lunch to watch an IMAX film of Antarctica. As
we traveled, the winds picked up and the sun came out. Our specific destinations for the 9th:
Aicho and King George Islands.
Aboard ship, it’s always time to eat; this time a “Mediterranean” lunch. An added feature
was the introduction of our two chiefs, Zack and Michael, Australian and Austrian respectively
and both new to the ship. They were a total of six in the kitchen and they fed not only our
“travel” contingent of over 100, but the ship’s crew of 42. We followed that with our daily six
laps around Deck 3 and were almost late for Frank Rhodes’ lecture on The Discovery of Time.
22
Frank started with a discussion on the most important scientific events that influenced the way
we think. While our group had lots of suggestions, Frank argued for:
1. Evolution – Darwin – 1859
2. Earth not center of the universe – Copernicus – about 1543
3. “Deep Time” – Hutton – 1785
Rhodes distinguished between Ionian theory (50B.C.) and the Greek’s concept of the “perfect
universe” (they saw no change in a perfect universe, so time must not be important). He then
developed the three ways civilizations have thought/learned: experience, cumulative data, and
inference (in reconstructing the past). From there, he developed civilization’s understanding of
time and specifically, the age of the earth; roles played by Darwin; the application of
radioactivity, etc., all of which has appeared in past journals of mine, as we have traveled with
one of the most learned men I have the pleasure of knowing.
Our last afternoon lecture, U.S. Antarctica Program, was by Brian Shoemaker. The U.S.
State Department’s “marching orders” are to maintain an active and influential presence on the
Antarctica continent and to advocate internationalism for scientific research. Proposals for
research are sent to the National Science Center. Roughly 90% of the cost is logistical; the
balance goes to support research. The largest cost component by far is fuel, exacerbated by the
fact that it takes two gallons of fuel to deliver one gallon. The United States operates in
partnership with New Zealand, with headquarters at Christ Church. Provisions and people are
mostly flown out of Port Littleton. Our principal base in Antarctica is at McMurdo Sound, where
they have a “floating” runway of six feet of ice, ten thousand feet in length. As it warms up, they
move to other runways. Our “work horse” aircraft is the C-130, which can take off on wheels
and land on skis. Under the Antarctic Treaty, all scientific bases are required to share their
research. The Treaty has a Scientific Committee to coordinate programs.
At dinner, one of our group announced the formation of the Reunite Gondwanaland Club
with a lifetime membership at $5.00. Proceeds were to support the Save-the-Albatross
Campaign. Philanthropy at work in the Antarctic! After dinner, we watched part of the
Shackleton movie (until Judith admitted we already owned the video). We went to the bridge
where we were fascinated with a seemingly unbroken line of ice, which we had to make our way
through. Good luck Captain Beluga!
J ANUARY 9
I had just finished shaving when the wake-up call came (6:44a.m.), announcing three
humpbacks off the bow and two off the starboard. I never showered and dressed so fast. Judith
didn’t even wait! We had wonderful views from the bridge. It was a golden photo opportunity as
we were treated to some spectacular breaching and blowing. It was colder (about 35? F),
relatively calm, but windy (15 knots). We were off King George Island with plans to go ashore at
Roberts Point, where there was a better chance of zodiak landings than Aicho Island, our original
destination. All these islands form the South Shetland Islands group, so named because they are
23
the same latitude south as the Shetlands in Scotland are north. They also form the southern
boundary of the Drake Passage. At issue, there were five ships in the immediate area, including
the large, and exclusive German ship, the Hanseatic.
By the time we had finished breakfast and donned all the cold-weather and wet gear, the
swell had increased, and it was snowing. The zodiak ride was rough and longer than usual (1.3
nautical miles). The island was lined with a big glacier that came right down to the water. There
were icebergs everywhere. With another wet landing behind us, we saw all kinds of elephant
seals, playfully and sometimes not so playfully fighting, and many southern giant petrels, (#12)
including a beautiful all-white morph version. Even though they look very docile nesting, giant
petrels are considered the “vultures of the Antarctic.” Their hooked bill is a powerful tearing
tool. Another defensive giant petrel tool is the ability to forcibly eject an obnoxious stream of
smelly oil as far as 3 feet; hence, the nickname “stinker.” We found several colonies of chi nstrap
penguins, and a few gentoos. That was our first sighting of the chinstrap, smaller and more
slender than the gentoos or Adelies. They have blue-black backs with white cheeks and white
under parts. A thin black line – the “chinstrap” – crosses the chin and runs back under the eye to
join the nape. Their food is almost entirely krill, which they get by diving. The terrain here was
tough, slippery walking; and while trying to avoid the seals and petrels, our friend, Mary Falvey,
stepped through the ice into a deep water hole with only her life jacket keeping her head above
water. We had been advised to wear our life jackets on shore this time both for warmth and to
avoid losing the jackets to the stiff wind that was picking up force by the minute. Our zodiak
return to the ship was very rough with waves as high as 3 feet. We all got drenched, but I sat in a
front starboard position and took the water first. Every piece of my clothing, all six layers, was
sopping!
12
24
After lunch, we were given a tour of the ship’s engine room, scientific research room (our
“mud room” for zodiak dressing), and the bridge. We had already learned that our ship, and her
sister ship, were built by the Russians for scientific research. The twin ships’ partial adoption for
tourism without compromising utilization for hydro-acoustic research, was undertaken when the
Russian economy tanked. The Vavilov (our ship) was equipped to receive; its twin, to transmit
data. Quiet operation was the most critical requirement (notwithstanding its 2-3,500 HP turbo
diesel engines). Two metal sails are used to navigate when noise and vibration can’t be tolerated.
The Vavilov is over 350 feet long; draws 6 feet of water and displaces 6,000 tons. She can (and
does) travel 20,000 nautical miles without refueling.
In the mud room, we checked out the “moon pool” through which they do all their deep
ocean exploration. They have the capacity to dredge down 15,000 feet. With submerged cables,
they can measure temperature, current and salinity. Towards the stern, we investigated
additional hoists and remote aft steering. The engine room was spotless. In addition to the two
3,500 HP turbo diesel engines, we were shown the variable pitch propellers, the two main
generators, and the ballast system. The separate master control room was surprisingly quiet. The
ship is waste-free; on Deck 1, they have elaborate treatment equipment for incineration,
purification and desalinization. They have diesel generators to produce all the ship’s electricity.
On the bridge, the crew explained all the main panels, including dynamic positioning (for
scientific research work), variable pitch propellers, stern and bow thrusters and storage tank
measurement. The ship holds 1,000 metric tons of fuel and 350 metric tons of fresh water. Daily
fuel consumption can range from 15 to 30 tons. There are port and starboard anchors with chain
lengths of 250 and 274 meters. Lifeboat capacity is 220. They have a separate yacht (mostly for
the researchers). Oh yes, this ship can literally turn on its own axis. It’s an impressive vessel and
a tribute to its Russian designers.
A little before 5p.m., we entered Whalers Bay at Deception Island, contrary to earlier
predictions. Roughly ten miles in diameter, with a flooded central volcanic caldera that provides
(happily) a sheltered anchorage. The volcano reaches a present height of 1,809 feet and is a
large, active basaltic shield volcano which collapsed to form a large interior basin. When that
was breached at Neptune’s Bellows, the sea flooded in. Volcanic rocks on Deception Island
reflect both the pre-caldera collapse and the post-collapse phases of its history. The older rocks
consist of pyroclastic tufts, pillow lavas, and related rocks. The volcano is still active, wi th major
eruptions in 1906-1912 and 1967-70. The latter eruption destroyed British and Chilean research
stations on the island. The island was discovered by Commander Henry Foster, R.N., in 1829,
for whom Point Foster is named.
Our wet landing went without incident. The beach is black gravel. There were only a few
chinstrap penguins, kelp gulls, and Antarctic skua to welcome us. We walked to the abandoned
research station to check out the remains of building operations of early explorers like Sir Huber
Wilkins and Lincoln Ellsworth. The chassis of an abandoned airplane attracted many photo
opportunities. At the other end of the beach was Neptune’s Window, a steep climb to see the
other side of the channel. We got side -tracked by the digging of a small swimming hole adjacent
to the sea, where some of the more hardy (spelled “younger”) members of the group would
undress (six layers worth) and plop in to the steaming hot water. A few hardy ones would then
run into the frigid surf and very quickly return to the ir spa. Towels and a zodiak were ready and
25
waiting for those brave souls. It must be mentioned that Ron Kramer (#13), a not so “thirtysomething” member of tour group, also took a dip, much to our unbridled admiration. There
were two small sailboats anchored in the caldera – French people sailing around the world. Later
they came on board and were given much appreciated fresh fruit and vegetables. The sea was
reasonable and we returned from a good walk—hungry again. As so often happens, a quiet game
of gin rummy rounded out the day.
13
January 10
I got up a little early to respond to a fax from my office. At 6a.m., it had been snowing
seriously. I was sitting quietly in the bar area writing when Aaron’s announcement came
through: “Good morning ladies and gentlemen, humpbacks off the bow.” The bridge is on the
same level, so I was there in seconds. We counted three, blowing and breaching; two more off
the starboard. Without a camera, I just watched in awe. It may be more fun that way. We were
approaching Cuverville Island, our destination. I could hear Aaron, our expedition leader, talking
to Explorer II, another adventure cruise ship. They were already anchored there! Aaron said,
“That’s okay, we’ll find another cove .” And then he wi nked at me. Our ship moved forward
another ten miles to Danco Island. The snow had stopped; the temperature was 35° F, and the
water looked like a mill pond. Once again, the zodiaks sped us off to another wet landing, but not
before passing and re-passing two or three humpback whales that put on a great display – right
next to our rafts! On shore, we visited with gentoo penguins, snowy sheathbills and one, we
thought, Weddell seal (if it wasn’t, it was a leopard seal). We could have climbed another
mountain in 5 feet of snow, while avoiding the penguin highways. We both chose to sit quietly
along the water and photograph penguins; unbelievable! Then, John (the photographer) took us
on a zodiak cruise of the harbor. We went right up to a (#14) leopard seal on an ice floe. “Leps”
are solitary mammals. We were as close (or closer) as you’re allowed to go to a glacier (closest
distance = height of glacier). The calving noises sounded like thunder. The “blue” color (#15)
phenomenon in the glacier was eerie and beautiful. We found and brought aboard “black ice,”
which is pure glacial ice with the air compressed out of it dating back as much as ten thousand
26
years! Our kayaking friends were on the water and then….more humpback whales-right beside
our zodiak! (#16) I could not believe what I was seeing! We couldn’t help but notice the
Explorer II, as they sailed off without having any such experience. We were supposed to be back
on the boat by 12:00p.m., but we were having so much fun playing with the whales that we
returned around 1 p.m. We were greeted by the most incredible barbeque on Deck 3. We had
steak, hamburgers, crayfish, calamari, chicken, ribs, veggie burgers, an amazing array of salads
and a wide assortment of beers and wine. Unbelievable—all with picnic tables and chairs—and
the most beautiful backdrop of mountains, glaciers, and icebergs. No, that’s not all. Swimming
beside us, blowing and breaching, were our morning humpback friends! It had been a whale of a
morning!
14
15
27
16
Our ship took a most scenic trip up the channel, with spectacular icebergs and glaciers
both port and starboard. The sun created all kinds of images and shadows. It was majestic. We
spotted a minke whale. Errera Channel led us to Neko Harbor, and our first Antarctica
continental landing. Judith and I have been very fortunate. Until then we had visited and
marveled at six continents, North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. This
day, we actually stepped onto Antarctica (i.e., The Antarctic Peninsula). To share this
experience, we had gentoo penguins, snowy sheathbills and a Weddell seal, one of the largest
seals with deep brown eyes and short whiskers (the natives call it a “blubberslug”). The weather
was perfect; in fact, I got a real face burn without a visor cap (at least I had sunglasses). After
visiting with the gentoos along the water, we took a cruise of the harbor, photographing the most
spectacular icebergs. Some of our group climbed a mountain at Neko. One attractive young
couple got engaged as they slid down. Believe me when I say Antarctica really gets to you!
Before dinner, we drank Chivas Regal with our black ice and later toasted the newly “engaged,”
Frank Rhodes doing the honors. It was nearly 10 o’clock and the lighting was brilliant. Many,
including Judith, went up to Deck 5 for more camera action under John’s tutelage. A perfect way
to close the day.
January 11
The closer we got to the South Pole, the better the weather. But, it didn’t start that way.
Our wake-up call came early so we could all be on the bridge or the bow as we entered the
Lemaire Channel. It was windy and bitter cold, the visibility was quite limited, and there was a
large iceberg apparently blocking our path! The channel is typically more than a half mile wide;
and at this point, just where the large ice berg decided to play, the channel was only 400 meters.
On the starboard was Booth Island; on the port side, the Antarctic Peninsula. All senior officers
of the ship were on the bridge muttering in Russian. It was tense. We were between two
incredible snow-covered mountains caused by faults where the “old” rocks (60 to 140 million
years old) were very resistant to erosion. The new rocks (10 million years old) were intruded by
granite. The result was a huge pouring out of volcanic rocks producing majestic topography.
28
Lemaire Channel is quite “mountainous” as well, ranging in depth from 200 to 400 meters,
changing by 100 meters more or less within minutes as we slowl y approached our ice-filled
dilemma. We did squeeze through, practically touching rock or iceberg on either side of the ship,
and headed south. We only saw one albatross in the Channel, but maybe we weren’t looking.
After breakfast, we boarded zodiaks and did a wet landing on Peterman Island off Port
Circumcision (allegedly named for its original discovery on the Feast of Circumcision, or
January 1). This would prove to be the southern-most point on which we would land. There were
thousands of Adelie penguins sharing their island with gentoo penguins, as well as skuas and
Antarctic shags (with a blue ring around each eye). The wind died down and the sun came out.
After lots of penguin watching, we took zodiak cruises among the icebergs. It was spectacular!
Icebergs take many different forms, not unlike sculpture…castles, animals, profiles…you name
it. We took photos around every corner. Incidentally, tabular icebergs (the ones that look like
tabletops) are chunks broken off from an ice field; other icebergs are broken off from glaciers.
The forms, shapes, and twists are unbelievable.
We found a colony of gentoo penguins sitting on an iceberg. They slid down an icy slope
to dive into the sea and then, miraculously, bounced back out of the water and waddled back up
the same slope. They provided much entertainment until a leopard seal swam into the area, and
the dynamics suddenly changed. The penguins that were in the water feeding, swam faster and
more warily. The ones on the iceberg kept walking back and forth following the seal. Gentoos
like to follow right behind the zodiak propeller because it stirs up the krill. At times, we’d have
over one hundred penguins churning the water behind us. The seal tried many times to catch an
unsuspecting penguin; but when we left, he hadn’t succeeded. We also saw kelp gulls and a lone
sleeping leopard seal. It was a glorious morning with ideal weather.
After lunch, we did the zodiak cruise thing all over again, this time around Pleneau
Island. In addition to the icebergs everywhere, flanked by glaciers and mountains, we saw lots of
sunning leopard seals and our first crabeater seal (#17). The crabeater is the most abundant seal
in the world (over 15 million). It has a dog-like face and is slim and lithe. They do not eat c rabs.
We saw only a few penguins and kelp gulls. Bathed in sunshine and with magnificent shadows in
every crevice, we could look down (which is hard to do with all that is going on above the water)
and see the bottom of the channel. It looked like it was only 3 or 4 feet, but, was, in actuality,
more like 40 to 50.
17
\
29
Cocktails on the topmost deck gave us the best view of the southern end of Lemaire
Channel, Booth Island; and at a distance, Anvers Island and Mt. Francis (9,400 feet elevation, the
highest on the Antarctic Peninsula). A few wispy clouds were “draped” across the mountains so
you could see both the top and bottom of these majestic ranges. As if we needed any more
excitement, minke whales played off our bow and port side. Another sailboat passed on our
starboard. The cocktail of the day was Bronny’s family recipe for banana daiquiris. Beethoven’s
Fifth Piano Concerto wafted on the breeze via the magic of stereo. It just doesn’t get much better
than that. After dinner, about twenty of our group took sleeping bags and tents and went ashore
to sleep under the stars. (Editorial note – Pretty funny when you think there are only a few hours
of darkness in this part of the world—JMM.) The “camp” was within view of the ship on Wieke
Island just inside Dorian Bay. The campsite was on side of a hill, so these intrepid adventurers
had to shovel into the snow and then stomp out level areas for the tents. It wasn’t too cold, but it
was windy. The night owls described a spectacular sunset around 11:30p.m. Few saw the sunrise
at approximately 2:30a.m.! The original plan was to camp out the previous night, but an
avalanche had trashed that site only days ago!
The last two days in and around the Antarctic Peninsula had been awesome. My
frustration was my inability to even begin to describe them, especially our “iceberg hopping,”
(#18, 19, 20) in this journal. Maybe there are no words that can adequately replicate our feelings,
our experiences and the spirituality of this majestic land. Andre Migot made this attempt:
“The beauty of this dreamlike architecture is enhanced by the sun, which floods its
whiteness with dazzling rays, tints it with all the colours of the rainbow, lights the cavern of ice,
dyes the broken edges of floes a deep blue or pale green, and makes hidden spurs shimmer
seagreen beneath the water.”
18
30
19
20
January 12
We awoke with the same “architecture” to greet us. So beautiful! The tired campers came
back some what bedraggled, but with lots of stories. Howie Evans brought a 45-legged starfish
(caught by the sailors the night before) to breakfast; he followed that with a gentoo penguin
dissection on the stern deck! (#21) As we set sail toward Palmer Station, down Flander’s Bay to
the shallow Bismarck Strait, there was a massive ice cap off the starboard. From the bar, we bid
farewell to Lemaire Channel and looked to the ocean. Our travel time to Palmer Station was only
ninety minutes as we sailed south, turned west and then, north, passing an Argentine shipwreck
on our way in. Five officials from Palmer Station joined us for lunch and gave a briefing before
guiding us ashore.
31
21
The National Science Foundation, part of the Executive Branch of our government, is
responsible for the U.S. Antarctic Program. The budget is a “highly visible” $235 million of a
total NSF budget of $5 billion. Created in the International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1956, the
U.S. Antarctic Program does research of all descriptions out of three principle sites:
•
•
•
Palmer Station – accessible by ships only; staff: 41 in summer, 17 in winter
McMurdo (see January 8) – accessible by ship and air; staff: 1,000 in summer, 180 in
winter
Amundsen Scott (at the Geographic South Pole) – accessible by air only*; staff: 240 in
summer and 70 in winter
*These are government planes; but for $25,000, there’s a charter company that will fly you in for
an overnight outdoor camping and photo op.
Raytheon is the prime civilian contactor in Antarctica and employs most of the people on
contract ranging from four to fourteen months. The science research undertaken has three
prongs: global processes, physical platform in Antarctica (e.g., for astronomy) and an interest in
the Antarctic environment (i.e. marine life, plants, etc.). Palmer operates two boats: the
Nathaniel Palmer (an ice breaker) and the Lawrence Gould (research vessel). Nathaniel Palmer,
at age 21, was allegedly the first American to sight the Antarctic Peninsula in the late 19th
century. The current Palmer Station was built in 1968-70. All operations and research are
conducted within a 2 to 3 mile limit; glaciers surrounding the station are considered hazardous.
They operate zodiaks and have divers to collect marine organisms. The day before we arrived, a
leopard seal had chewed enough holes in a zodiak that it sank—with all equipment on board.
Palmer Station has the equipment and staff to study chemical ecology, plant biology, plant life,
including flowering plants (southern–most research conducted), and such long-term ecological
research as bacteria growth rates.
32
Our afternoon was divided into three parts: we toured the station (including fish labs, gift
shop, and indulged in wonderful chocolate brownies!), did a harbor cruise and visited Torgersen
Island. The cruise was great as we had close-up views of a massive and actively-calving glacier,
which has been receding for the last decade or so. The water was full of ice bits (called brash).
We saw lots of elephant seals (including one colony of over 14), gulls and terns and nesting
skuas. Torgersen is operated by Palmer Station and is covered with Adelie penguins, (#22) as
well as nesting giant petrels and skuas. While these penguins appeared very healthy with
hundreds of chicks, their over-all population is in serious decline. From the penguin colonies, we
could see our boat, Palmer Station, Mt. Francis, and another sailboat. We didn’t want to leave.
22
As soon as we returned to the boat (we were the last ones), the anchor went up and we
were sailing westerly through Arthur Harbor. By the time dinner had ended, we had left the
Bismarck Strait behind and were in the Drake Passage. The wind had picked up; our boat was
rolling and the depth gage on the bridge registered over 500 meters. Our three consecutive days
of perfect sun, staff told us, were almost without precedent. Still, we had the Drake Passage to
navigate. With luck, we’d round Cape Horn by lunchtime on the 14th . In the meantime, it was
either “Drake Lake” or “Drake Shake.”
33
January 13
Overnight, we had made good progress, averaging 13.5 knots per hour in our 730 nautical
mile return to Ushuaia. The ocean was not too rough, but the ship was still swaying sharply.
From the beginning of our passage, staff cautioned us to “give a hand to the ship” (i.e., one hand
on the railing); this was “two -hand” going.
There were two lectures in the morning: The Antarctic Treaty and Global Impact of
Landmines. Brian took the first subject, and Judith attended while I worked on my journal. The
Treaty, signed in 1959 and ratified in 1961, is the first international treaty of its kind and
guarantees scientific access. Only seven countries (excluding U.S. and U.S.S.R.) have territorial
claims, 27 are consulting members and 72 countries have signed the treaty.
You might inquire as to the relevance of landmines in the Antarctic? It happens that John
has devoted his life as a photo journalist to capturing “communities at risk,” and specifically
those threatened by landmines, about which he feels passionate. Sixty-eight countries are
currently mine-threatened. There are more than 60 million mines deployed today. The U.N.
estimate sets that number as high as 110 million. More than 80,000 mines explode per year,
resulting in 54,000 deaths and 27,000 seriously injured victims. The obvious goal is to eliminate
their military use. Fortunately, in 1997-98, a U.N. treaty was created to ban production, use, and
stockpiling of landmines; 150 nations have signed the treaty. India, Pakistan, China, Russia, and
the United States are among those that have not. At least, this “big five” has agreed to no longer
export such munitions. The United States has not signed the treaty because of landmine use
between North and South Korea. John has gone all over the world making the case for
eliminating this permanent (military) legacy. He argues that landmines are no longer useful as a
military deterrent. For example in the first Iraq war, Saddam laid 20 million mines and the U.S.
forces “breached” them all. John works with NGOs (non-government organizations) in civilian
de-mining; but it’s slow, expensive , and dangerous. And you can’t easily detect plastic mines
except with dogs (the explosive does have a strong scent). John reported that the Falkland Islands
will never get rid of their mines. They’ve resorted to simply fencing off a large part of the
island. For more information, visit ICBL.org.
After lunch, Judith attended an Adobe Photoshop demonstration in the librar y, and I
checked out Howie Evans’ dissection of an ice fish in the bar. What an assortment of activities!
I tired of the fish work (and smell) in a hurry and went to Deck 5 to watch the birds, including
black-browed albatross, sooty shearwaters, southern giant petrels, Wilson’s storm-petrel,
southern fulmar, and my favorite, the cape petrel. Later, we both attended Judy Clarke’s
presentation on Life of a Field Biologist, centered on her work at Bechervaise, on the northeast
corner of Antarctica since 1989. Before dining, we had a Save -the-Albatross auction of ten items
raising $5,500. Great fun. Not surprisingly, “Lady Moore” won in her bid for a book and
miniature penguin. The book “Antarctica – the Blue Continent,” was written and signed by
David McGonigal (photographer on the sister ship of Vavilov) and Dr. Lynn Woodworth. It was
a spirited way to phase out of our Antarctica expedition. The swell was still with us during
dinner and our early-to-bed.
34
January 14
Our last day at sea! The bridge was quiet when I checked our whereabouts and ocean
depth (888 meters). It gave me a chance to talk to the two Russian officers on duty. After
breakfast, our luggage cases were returned to us for packing and bills presented. Because
Peregrine is an Australian company, we paid in Australian dollars (conversion rate: 72¢ to U.S.
$1.00). By 10:10a.m., we were over the Continental Shelf, with sea depth of 80 to 90 meters. Off
our starboard, we saw Isla Diego Ramirez with its shear cliffs as home to royal and grey-headed
albatrosses. There were several grey-headed albatrosses around our boat (our first sighting of
them), as well as the black-browed albatross, blue -eyed shag and sooty shearwater. We watched
part 2 of Shackleton and were late for lunch. What a powerful story—and movie. It means so
much more when you’ve seen and trod on the actual venues. Following lunch, there was a tribute
to Tom Pearce (1956-93) who founded High Country Passage. He died after a courageous fight
against cancer in May 1993. We had gotten to know Tom on earlier CAU trips and really
respected him.
A tradition of CAU study tours is a faculty review on the final day. Howie Evans kicked
it off by summarizing what we had seen: invertebrates (like crinoids, limpets, starfish, spider
fish, and soft coral) and penguins. Howie’s favorite penguin is the emperor (which we did not
see). In this species, the male carries the fertile egg on the top of his feet and keeps it warm in an
upside-down pouch that is formed (by overeating) of fat and skin. Howie reminded us that two thirds of the 45 species of fish found in the Antarctic waters are endemic. In response to a
question, Howie took us through the two -year life cycle of the krill.
Frank Rhodes masterfully equated our Antarctic experience to Beethove n’s Fifth Piano
Concerto, which had entranced us during daiquiris on top deck on the 11th . In his “earth song,”
he described Antarctica in “five movements”:
•
•
•
•
•
A restless planet (but beneath it, uniformity).
An ancient planet.
A blue planet (with water/ice everywhere).
A living planet (with mammals that can’t walk and birds that can’t fly).
A benevolent planet.
Rhodes referenced Carl Sagan’s “pale blue dot,” talked about the “assertion” of life in
Antarctica, and probed our thinking on the human experience and the future of this “magic
continent.” Frank then led a discussion on “stewardship of our home, our planet,” which led to
questions about global warming. Frank found the recent report on global warming
“disappointing.” He admitted that he shares the minority (some call it “heretical”) thinking in
believing that it’s still not clear whether global warming is human-produced. He reminded us
that there have been four full temperature cycles in the last 15,000 years and four huge
glaciations in the last one-and-half million years. In its present form, he is opposed to the U.S.
signing the Kyoto Treaty. In the Q&A session, we discussed how Antarctic behavior affects
changes in the eco-system. What is “natural” behavior in the Antarctic? How is the natural
balance affected by man introducing new species? How does man’s own existence in Antarctica
alter the balance? Rhodes argues (very much in the “natural selection” camp) that no species is
35
immune, that you can’t presume that all species will survive. Our discussion ended on the subject
of, “Why did we come,” which is covered in the Epilogue.
By 4:15p.m., we were approaching the “dreaded” Cape Horn. We were sailing west to
east, so our crossing was to be relatively calm. Cape Horn is a big rock. (#23)Chile operates a
naval station there; there’s a white monument near the top in tribute to lost sailors. We were still
in a channel 88 miles deep. At 4:45p.m., we did it! We crossed from the Pacific Ocean to the
Atlantic Ocean without even a bump: longitude 67°, 16.8’ and latitude 56°. Judith and I
celebrated with a kiss. It had to be a quick one as the next event was a “not-to-be-missed.” The
first International Iron Penguin Games were about to begin! (#24). Engineered, supported and
controlled by several of our more adventuresome group, but with staff officiating (Thank
Heaven!), this was real Olympic-style sport! Eleven contestants swam a lap around our plunge
pool, changed into wet clothes in the mud room, ran two laps around Deck 3, ate a cracker with
veggie-mite in the dining room, passed a science test in the Presentation Room, and drank a glass
of “bilge water” (orange juice, coca cola, and Tabasco sauce) at the bar. The winner – a woman
– finished on the deck just outside the bar in six minutes flat. Truly remarkable! Women won
the gold and bronze, and even a couple of 60-somethings participated.
23
24
36
Next on the agenda was our farewell cocktail party and the infamous Captain’s dinner.
Most people dressed up for a change, and our pre-dinner entertainment consisted of a selection of
four or five traveler’s digital photographs. They were sensational! Dinner brought the usual
toasts and recognition for jobs well-done all around. The Captain thanked us for “all our help on
the bridge .” Captain Beluga was joined by his first mate, first engineer, and doctor. All of this
was followed by the CAU Follies, affectionately known as the “Katabatic Winds.” This group of
fellow passengers presented satirical skits poking fun at the expedition staff. One more drink in
the bar watching our first sunset (remember, we’re further north now and the sun sets at a decent
hour), more packing, and the end of another great day.
January 15
While I got up early to take the last cramped shower, our first announcement was: “Good
morning, ladies and gentleman, its 6:30a.m. and a lovely day, slightly overcast. Tierra del Fuego
is on portside, Ushuaia on your starboard, with snow-capped mountains behind it. With only
three miles to go, we expect to dock at 7a.m. Please place your bags outside your cabin door by
7:00a.m.; breakfast is at 7:30a.m.” Once packed, we went out to check the birds (albatross and
lots of “dock” birds) and photo-record the ship’s tie-up.
After breakfast, buses took us on a brief tour of Ushuaia, which means “bay to the west”
(i.e. sunset). Ushuaia was founded by nomads, who were called Yamana, at least seven thousand
years ago, along what is, today, called Beagle Channel (after the famous Darwin ship). Mussels
were an important part of the diet of the natives. They piled the shells in front of their huts to
protect them against the weather. Captain Fitzroy was the first white man to set foot on the land
in 1830. Fitzroy took four natives back to England with him and returned with three of them and
Charles Darwin in 1833. An Anglican mission was established in 1869. Thomas Bridges headed
the mission from 1871 until he accepted a land grant from the Argentine government and was
required to become an Argentine citizen. After WWII, Spanish and Italians immigrated to the
area. By the late 1970s, Ushuaia’s population approached 7,000, 40% of which were Chilean.
Today, the population is nearly 50,000, 50% of whom are under age 18. Tourism is Ushuaia’s
largest industry. The weather is not great; there are more sunny days in the winter than in the
summer, when it is mostly windy.
After the tour and before being bused to the airport, Judith and I took a walk with one
shopping stop and a visit to the Muses del Findel Mundo, established in 1979. There we learned
that Ushuaia was declared the capital city of Tierra del Fuego in 1904, that Tierra del Fuego was
annexed to the Patagonia Province (whose capital city was Rio Gallegus) in 1955, and that Tierra
del Fuego National Territory was created in 1957 with Ushuaia being re-established as the
capital. Politics is alive and well, even at the end of the world! The museum also had a good
collection of stuffed birds. This was the third time we had said good-bye to Ushuaia, each time
convinced that we would never return. Oh well, until the next time…
The next twenty-four hours were like all international trips: wait, line-up, board, wait, fly,
eat, land—and repeat two more times. The one big exception was an unplanned tour of Chile’s
capital city. With a six-hour layover in Santiago, we decided to cont ract a driver and see as many
37
of the sites as possible. With 30% of all Chile’s population of 20 million living in this wonderful
city, Santiago is bigger than all U.S. cities except New York. We were very impressed with the
government buildings, parks and sculpture everywhere. The Metropolitan Cathedral (Catholic) is
beautiful, and we loved the “pedestrian way” where we ran into at least half the city’s
population. In general, the people were congenial and appeared to be reasonably prosperous.
Back in D.C., “the Capital of the World,” before noon on the 16 th , we could only marvel
at what we had seen, heard, and done. We had been blessed with great travelers (many of them
now wonderful new friends), superb teachers, great organizers, and a terrific, very professional
crew. We were fortunate to do this on an expedition ship, not a luxury liner. The essence of our
journey was, truly, the experience.
It will likely be months, maybe years, before I will be able to adequately assimilate this
experience. Without rushing that evolution, let me share my visceral impressions now, in the
form of an epilogue.
Epilogue – What am I doing here?
Many travelers to the Antarctic face this inevitable question. Was it just curiosity or was
there a purpose? Am I concerned with extinction of species or looking for escape from a chaotic
world? Is it the natural beauty or the challenge of the last unresolved continent? What is the
attraction: serenity, color, endemic species, geology, history of the unknown? What did God
have in mind in creating such a hostile, unlivable continent?
I know where I started; I didn’t really have a need to go to Antarctica. It was never on my
list of “must-sees.” But Judith did; and she wanted me to share it with her. Once I got past all
the important stuff I had going on in my office and the expense, I embraced Antarctica with an
inquiring mind. What was so special, so challenging about such explorers as Amundsen, Scott,
Shackleton and many more? I needed to have a better sense of these wild adventures. When
Shackleton was asked what it was like when he and two of his crew were desperately struggling
over the snow-covered mountain to Stromness, he said, “We always felt there was a fourth
person with us.” I found there is “spirituality” in the icebergs, glaciers, mountains and seas. You
can’t help but fall in love with the penguins, seals, and birds. We photographed them in their
own crazy environment everywhere we went. I’m reminded of Shackleton’s response when he
was arguing with Frank Hurley as to how many photographic plates would have to be left to sink
with the Endurance. It was days after they had struck their compromise when Sir Ernest
admitted, “Words are not always enough.” Well, we have our journal and countless photographs;
but what I really take away is in my mind, my heart. Antarctica is a magic continent . Its
discovery is breathtaking, even for those of us today. I marvel knowing full well that the real
discoverers of Antarctica did so in boats not as large and, certainly, not as sea worthy as
Vavilov’s lifeboats! (#25)
38
25
While I don’t expect to make any major contributions to new answers or new resources
for or from Antarctica (and they are sure to come), I do have a profound interest in this remote
continent ; and I’m still inclined to believe that God did have a plan when he pushed all that snow
and rock together. Thank you, Judith, for helping me see a new world, new colors, and create a
better sense of the order (or disorder) of this planet, our home.
“To anyone who goes to the Antarctic, there is a tremendous appeal, an unparalleled
combination of grandeur, beauty, vastness, loneliness, and malevolence – all of which sound
terribly melodramatic – but which truly convey the actual feeling of Antarctica. Where else in
the world are all of these descriptions really true?”
Captain T.L.M. Sunter – The Antarctica Century Newsletter
“Who would believe in penguins unless he had seen them?” Conor O’Brien
39