kayaking log - Oceanwide Expeditions

KAYAKING LOG
CUVERVILLE ISLAND
Well, we fourteen survived our first experience lowering kayaks and paddles to the safety
zodiac, patiently waiting below at the stern… we would soon find out how much fun it
would be to play with the rudders and gain boat control. We were surprised how
comfortable it would be below the spray skirts, it wasn’t so cold after all! Maybe it was a
good idea to keep moving.
We soon found our way along the route around the island… going counter-clockwise
brought us straightaway to the little rocky island with a water boat atop and a huge iron
chain, remnants of the early whaling era a hundred years earlier. We heard our first
thundering glacier calving and were amazed at the volume of sound as well as ice.
One chinstrap penguin was visiting in a mixed colony of Gentoo penguins and blue eyed
shags (Antarctic cormorant)…our first! Without warning, as we watched, a skua swept in
and snagged a helpless Gentoo chick by the tiny neck in its beak… instant breakfast. We
were told that’s why two chicks are born… one generally doesn’t make it, for a variety of
reasons.
Conditions were calm and with low cloud cover we had a quiet and subdued environment.
STATION BROWN
We fourteen again set out on a course that would take us away from the ship and the other
passengers into a quiet realm of huge jagged mountains, covered with numerous massive
glaciers, one running into the next.
As we approached a small hidden cove we heard over the radio our swimmer, Bhakti, was
now in the water and had begun her world-record cold water swim. Christian shared with us
the footage of a small portion of her effort. We found some nearby grounded glaciers and
spent a bit of time staring at one glacier face, willing it to calve, while Louise visited with her
friend Phil, a guide aboard the Icebird, down here to climb some of these huge mountains.
Our kayaking skills, comfort and confidence levels were gaining by the minute.
After spending some time on shore with the other passengers and a good leg stretch of a
climb up to a beautiful lookout, with logistics aboard the ship taking care of Bhakti’s swim,
we were given some free time so we went off on our own zodiac cruise out to view some
gorgeous icebergs.
NEKO HARBOUR
Four now quite confident paddlers went out and spent a couple of hours working our way
through enormous brash ice fields… it was to become a trip entirely about ice… and a few
penguins. We saw our first “jade” ice and some beautiful small bergs with gorgeous blue
colours… and clear, too. After a bit we came upon a small berg with several penguins
perched atop, not seeming to be in a hurry to go anywhere. We watched them watching
us… it never gets old!
We sat quietly and watched as a large raft of penguins swam by, looking at us, feeding on
the surface, and generally looking around… it was interesting to note the majority of the
crowd were Gentoos led by a chinstrap and then an Adelie. They seem to blend fearlessly,
apparently feeling more secure in a group. Safety in numbers.
It was a special treat being in the distant bay, away from the crowds… alone in our own
thoughts.
PORT LOCKROY, WIENCKE ISLAND
Leopard seals on ice, whale skeletons, glacier watching, viewing penguins zoom around
underwater, whales bones littering the bottom, dozens of salp floating on the surface of the
water, shallow water with great clear vision to the rocks on the bottom, skirting ice cliffs (at
a safe distance, of course!)… these features made up our wonderful outing, with eight
kayakers enjoying another wonderful day of quiet paddling. We were brought to shore then
given the ‘day off’ from lifting kayaks as the barbecue would be waiting for us. Imagine!
Eating ribs and salads out on deck in the freezing cold!
Bill shared the great news with us that he and Katie were now engaged! They’d landed on
their seventh continent and now were moving on into bringing their lives together. We were
thrilled for them!
PETERMANN ISLAND
We started our morning with an extended visit from an extremely friendly Minke whale! We
kayakers were treated to the best view of all… first, from the stern, watching the Minke
gently and slowly making its way around, under and beside the zodiacs of Christian and
Sandra… they’ve graciously shared their video footage with us, while we shared our photos
of the scene with them.
But the Minke wasn’t finished with us yet… there was more Minke love in store as it then
went for the kayaks strung out behind the safety zodiac…!
First it went between them, then looking at them as it glided beneath them. Then, suddenly
and ever so slowly it went under Louise’s kayak and lifted it out of the water!
She knew what we were then thinking so on the zodiac ride to our starting point Louise
mentioned that if we should see a whale of any species the trick would be to ‘raft up’ then
let the whale do as it wished… with our stability it couldn’t capsize us… we eight paddlers
felt better then, but noticing we were headed toward shoreline for our launch we knew the
waters would be too shallow for a whale visit. Still, we had thoughts in our heads of another
visitation.
On our way around the island we slipped into a tiny hidden cove, protected and fun as we
got to see a medium sized iceberg bobbing away in the swells. Penguins were nearby (as
always!), we sat and quietly watched their coming and going in and out of the water. As we
left we spotted a partially submerged Weddell seal, checking us out. Its eyes were huge but
it seemed not to fear us, just sharing a mutual curiosity.
When we made it to the halfway point around the island we were stopped in our tracks by
an impenetrable wall of massive icebergs. We’d have to turn around and head back. We
didn’t mind. Conditions were calm and we enjoyed the small, widely spread apart swells
coming in off the Drake Passage. We knew they wouldn’t be a problem as the outer islands
and huge icebergs break up the intensity, rendering them small and spread out, making for
easy paddling.
Louise found us a small iceberg with a cleft in it and allowed us to dart quickly through it.
What was required was excellent boat control and by now we had it all figured out. Each
paddler lined themselves up and made a dash for it… straight through without nicking the
ice. Even if it had broken apart it was of a small enough size not to cause problems.
With the snowy weather, low cloud ceiling and easy sea movement we enjoyed the serene
aspect of this amazing environment. Some said it filled their souls with wonder and peace.
PLENEAU
Cold, snowy, ‘quartering’ out into a 9.2 kn wind, surrounded by massive icebergs, leopard
seals on low ice floes (one of them, very large), a brief visit from a Minke whale… these were
the highlights for this group of eight very confident and strong paddlers. In all we would
paddle over 6 km on a venture that took us well away from the ship. Returning to the ship
would be delightful, riding on a tailwind.
DANCO ISLAND
This enticing climb would take some of our compatriots away, leaving five of us to paddle in
dead quiet waters along the ice cliffs flanking Danco, making a beautiful backdrop.
We came upon a rocky spit at the far end of the island and watched as a hundred or so
penguins stood packed together, taking a break from feeding. In a rock pool at their feet
was one very sleepy Weddell seal, blinking hard in the morning sun, watching us watch it. It
never flinched nor showed fear, only curious interest as it looked from face to face to face.
We loved being stared straight in the eye by this creature of the wild Antarctic deep. We
would learn these are the seals that overwinter here, keeping their breathing holes open by
scraping their teeth around a hole in the ice, sometimes wearing their teeth down to the
point of malnutrition.
We spent what seemed like ages staring at this beautiful creature with its inquisitive eyes,
gentle disposition and big chubby body. It almost appeared the penguins were doing the
same thing, keeping watch over while it had earlier slept.
On the other side of the island our quiet calm was disrupted by the sound of a distant
iceberg breaking apart. One of the two ice caves collapsed, sending enormous blocks of ice
crashing into the ocean, in turn sending spray dozens of feet into the air. What a thrill, and a
good lesson to stay well away from these seemingly benign yet fragile bergs.
AFTERGLOW
Later, in the library we would give accounts of our own personal experiences… a place we’d
met for our first briefing. Back then, when asked what our desires were for our kayak
privilege here, we’d come up with a list of various things, including wanting to be close to
the wildlife, seeing ice close up, serenity, away from the crowds, total immersion in nature
(not the water, though!). We decided at the end that yes, we’d fulfilled all our dreams and
desires. There were additional treats, things like the reflections of the glacier clad
mountains on dead calm water with brash ice floating along, seeing penguins surrounding
us all the time (we really hadn’t expected that!), seeing those penguins right under the
kayaks zooming around… like flying underwater, and our unique vantage point from the
water, making us feel very humble in size compared to these massive mountains, as far as
the eye could see, clad in even more massive glaciers. In other words, this kayaking
experience far exceeded our expectations.
We have gorgeous photos and videos to take home to share with “friends and neighbours”
and of course, our families. It couldn’t have been a more remarkable experience.
Louise Adie
Submitted 16 January 2015