To the Ross Sea and beyond

To the Ross Sea and beyond
Bluff - Campbell Island - Ross Sea - Peter 1st Island - Antarctic Peninsula - Ushuaia
Triplog: February 11 – March 13, 2015
MV Ortelius
MV Ortelius was named after the Dutch cartographer Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598) who published the first
modern world atlas, the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (Theatre of the World) in 1570. MV Ortelius was built in
1989 in Gdynia, Poland, as a research vessel for the Russian Academy of Science and was named Marina
Svetaeva. In 2011 she was purchased by Oceanwide Expeditions. The vessel was re-flagged and
renamed Ortelius. Now the ship is sailing as a 125-Passenger vessel. MV Ortelius is 91 m long, 17,6 m
wide and has a maximum draft of 5,8 m, with an ice strength rating of UL1/1A, top speed of 13 knots and
one diesel engine generating 3200 kW.
With:
Bridge Crew:
Captain: Tuomo Leskinen (Finland)
Chief Mate: Sven Haindl (Germany)
Second Mate: Sam Cook (UK)
Third Mate & Helicopter Mate: Janke Kingma (The Netherlands)
Deck crew:
Bosun: Eli Serra (Philipines)
and Andy, Antonio, Clarence, Jayson, Lauren, Eniano, Jaylor, John
Helicopter Crew:
Chief Pilot: Marcelo Yanez (Chile)
Pilot: Andres Silva (Chile)
Pilot: Guillermo Müller (Chile)
Mechanics: Rodolfo Cea, Mario Solano, Luis Toledo (Chile)
Hotel Staff:
Hotel Manager: Robert McGillivray (UK)
Assistant Hotel Manager: Dejan Nikolic (Serbia)
Head Chef: Christian Gossak (Austria)
Sous Chef: Matthew Crouch (Australia)
Baker: Marlon Perez (Philipines)
and Alfred, Alfredo, Ana Liza, Ann, Charlotte, Joel, Maricel, Marvin, Marvin, Marjorie Ann, Mary Jane,
Noelle, Rhoderic, Roland and Rolando
Engine room crew:
Chief Engineer: Luis Patricio (Chile)
2nd engineer: Kalin Petrov Gochev (Bulgaria)
3rd engineer: Mario Latoja (Philipines)
4th engineer: James Segurp (Philipines)
Chief electrician: Vitaliy Svidersky (Russia)
Assistant electrician: Michael Mahiya (Philipines)
and Gregorio, Marino, Rogie, Vitaljis and Volodymyr
Expedition Team:
Expedition Leader: Don MacFadzien (New Zealand)
Assistant Expedition Leader: Jim Mayer (historian, UK)
Guide/Lecturer: Dmitri Banin (biologist, Russia/USA)
Guide/Lecturer: Carol Knott (historian, Scotland)
Guide/Lecturer: Gary Miller (biologist, USA/Australia)
Guide/Lecturer: Alan Burger (biologist, Canada)
Guide/Lecturer: James Cresswell (geologist, Wales)
Ship’s Physician: Rutker Stellke (Germany)
New Zealand Government representative: John Gumbley
and 84 brave polar travellers from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Greece, France, Great
Britain, Hong Kong, South Africa, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Norway, and USA.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Trip Log edited by Alan Burger with additional contributions by Anne Charlesworth, James Cresswell, Diane
Howard, Carol Knott, Frank & Miki Landsberger, Bob Lott, Gary Miller, Tricia Saxton, Laurie Shapiro, and photo
and art contributors as acknowledged.
2
Wednesday February 11th: Bluff and departure
Noon position: 46º 36’S 168º 20’E; Wind W Force 3; Air 19ºC. Bluff Harbour
Our expedition begins, as many do, with a lot of organization, shuffling luggage, worrying about being on
time ….. and sitting around waiting. We rendezvous at the Kelvin Hotel in Invercargill. Excitement mounts
as the Oceanwide staff arrive and begin to check us in and get our luggage ready for transportation to the
ship. Finally at 3 p.m. we are all on buses and heading south on the half-hour trip to the port of Bluff. A
brief side-trip to view the harbour, town and distant aluminium smelter from the local lookout hill and then
off to the harbour where we see the M.V. Ortelius, our home for the next month, waiting for us at wharfside.
A delay as we clear the port security. Another delay as we clear New Zealand customs and passport control
and finally we are all aboard and settling in to our cabins. For a few who have traveled on Ortelius before
this is a familiar place, but for most this a somewhat maze-like ship.
In the ship’s bar we are welcomed by Expedition Leader Don and introduced to the Oceanwide staff who
will be our guides on this voyage. The ship’s officers lead us through the mandatory lifeboat and safety
drills. At 7 p.m. the lines are cast off and Ortelius moves out into the bay and then the open sea. Our first
albatrosses glide by minutes later, a sample of the exciting wildlife to come on this voyage.
Photos: Gary Miller
Thursday February 12th – At sea NZ to Campbell Island
Noon position: 49º 38’S 168º 48’E; Wind NNW Force 7; Sea state 4; Air 19ºC.
We are heading south. The weather so far is excellent – the wind
behind us and moderate swells. The Ortelius turns out to be a fairly
stable vessel and rides well, although some of our company find the
motion unpleasant and resort to seasick patches, tablets or hunkering in
bunks. The sea around us is rich with life and we are accompanied by
numerous albatrosses, petrels and other seabirds. The most majestic of
all are the huge Royal Albatrosses which sweep by on wings with 3.5
m wingspans. The mid-sized White-capped and Campbell’s Blackbrowed albatrosses are almost as awe-inspiring. Masters of the sea and
wind, these birds can fly for days on end using the wind as their
propulsion. We pass a New Zealand fishing trawler with dozens of
seabirds in its wake – hoping for a free hand-out from the offal
released from the fishing vessel as the catch is processed.
Lectures and briefings are the order of the day. We learn about
getting on and off the gangway and in and out of Zodiacs safely. We
are issued with Zodiac life-vests and insulated gumboots in
anticipation of our landings. Outer clothes and backpacks have to be vacuumed clean to prevent the
dispersal of alien seeds, insects or microbes to Campbell Island and the Antarctic. We get to know the ship’s
officers, Oceanwide staff and our fellow passengers. We are truly a cosmopolitan company: our captain is
from Finland and senior officers from Germany, UK, Chile and the Netherlands. Our helicopter pilots are all
3
from Chile. Our guides and staff are from UK, New Zealand, USA/Australia, Russia, Canada, and Germany.
The passengers are from many countries around the world.
Vacuuming clothes and backpack in the bar
Orcas (Killer Whales) crossing our bow
Photos: Gary Miller
Friday February 13th: Campbell Island
Noon position: 52º 33’S 169º 12’E; Wind W Force 6; Sea state 2; Air 13ºC. Campbell Island
With eager anticipation we approach our first landing –
Campbell Island – the southernmost of the New Zealand
subantarctic islands. As it gets light our ship eases into
Perseverance Harbour – a long, narrow fjord with high bushy
hills on either side. The wind is howling as we leave the open
sea, but the fjord offers a protected area for our ship. Keen
ears pick out the calls of Rockhopper Penguins from their
small cliffside colonies and Sooty Shearwaters and Lightmantled Albatrosses, which also breed on this island, glide by.
Soon we are in the Zodiacs and ferried ashore. Our landing
is in front of the base buildings, now shuttered, which house the researchers and conservation officers that
come to Campbell Island each year for some months. We are greeted instead by a welcoming committee of
rambunctious young New Zealand Sealions. The breeding season is over and these immature sealions, like
bored teenagers, welcome the diversion that we offer. They are eager to test us out with mock charges and
aggressive appearances. Stout sticks keep the more eager of these young, but hefty animals at bay.
Landing at Campbell Island
A welcoming reception of sea lions
Photos: Alan Burger
Dodging the seals on the coastline we head up the boardwalk into the island interior. At first we are
walking through dense and woody shrubs, well above our heads. Campbell Island Pipits, once in danger of
extinction due to predation by introduced rats, are now plentiful – a tribute to the expensive but successful
4
rat eradication program by the New Zealand government. As we go higher the vegetation gets shorter,
dominated by tussock grasses and mega-herbs still showing the colourful flowers from their summer season.
On the boardwalk crossing meadows of flowering mega-herbs (Gary Miller)
Campbell Island Pipit (Alan Burger)
The boardwalk runs for several kilometres and in the higher stretches where the wind is strongest and the
vegetation lowest, we encounter the nobility of Campbell Island: Royal Albatrosses on raised nests which
are scattered about the hillsides. We realize how big these birds really are when we can stand just 5 m from
them. Most appear to have eggs or small chicks and are sitting tight on the nests, occasionally preening
themselves but mostly snoozing or watching us without concern. What a privilege to be in the company of
such beautiful and serene creatures!
Royal Albatrosses and mega-herbs at Campbell Island
Photos: Alan Burger
After lunch we continue our exploration of the Perseverance Harbour area – this time by Zodiac. Along the
shore we encounter many beautiful Campbell Shags (or cormorants), a species found nowhere else. Kelp
Gulls, Red-billed Gulls and the elegant Antarctic Terns are also constant companions and the occasional
sealion pops up to investigate us. At the head of a small inlet we find the ‘World’s Loneliest Tree’, an aged
5
Sitka Spruce grown stout and bushy in this windy environment instead of stately tall as is usually the case in
its native Alaska or British Columbia. The tree was planted as a
memorial to those who perished here during the days in the early
1900s when attempts were made to farm and settle Campbell Island.
A yearling Elephant Seal watches us with large mournful eyes
from its shoreline resting spot. Then the radio crackles and the word
gets out to all the boats – Penguins! Near a steep bit of shoreline we
find several Yellow-eyed Penguins coming ashore from their day out
at sea. This is one of the world’s rarest penguins, with only about
2,000 individuals known to exist. They nest among the dense shrubs
at the top of the coastal cliffs. In the Zodiacs we are able to move
fairly close without disturbing the penguins. Cameras click and whirr
as more penguins come ashore with noisy greeting or courtship
displays.
Sadly the daylight fades and we must return to our warm and
comfortable ship.
Campbell Island gets less than 600 hours of sunshine all year, rain
on 325 days a year, gales on 280 days, and has a mean temperature
of just 6oC. We had no rain and a mix of cloud and sun all day. But
as the Ortelius moves out of the bay the usual subantarctic weather
returns, with cold rain driven by strong winds. We really lucked out.
Saturday February 14th: At sea – Southern Ocean
Noon position: 55º 25’S 170º 31’E; Wind W Force 7; Sea state 4; Air 9ºC.
Heading south once again in moderate seas with rising winds. Not as many seabirds as we had before
Campbell Island but we still get a regular supply of shearwaters and the occasional albatross. Our lecture
series is now in full swing and we learn more from Alan about the various seabirds that we can see, or are
likely to see on this voyage. The Southern Ocean is the world epicentre for albatross and petrel
diversity and we look forward to seeing many more of these elegant and mysterious birds on this voyage.
Weather is a constant influence on our activities and movements in this harsh environment and Jim gives us
a lively lecture on what drives weather patterns in these latitudes and how weather has affected early
explorations. Would Captain Scott and his South Pole team have survived in 1912 if the weather had been
different? Interesting speculations. Finally, Carol begins her history
lectures with “Imagining Antarctica” – myths, speculations and
wild guesses about the existence, location and nature of the
southernmost continent, before the Antarctic was discovered and
finally mapped.
Shipboard discussion touches on destinations – will the weather
and sea allow us to do the extra miles to visit Scott Island or not?
This island, one of the most remote in the world, lies somewhat
east of our direct route to the Ross Sea.
6
Sunday February 15th: At sea – Southern Ocean
Noon position: 59º 09’S 173º 08’E; Wind W Force 9; Sea state 6; Air 9ºC. Storm conditions, outer decks closed.
We are still some days away from the ice. Right now we are in a big storm with 30-50 knot winds and 5-8
m swells coming from the west. As a result the ship is now heading east rather than south to avoid having
the big swells hit us side on. An unexpected huge swell during lunch sends glasses and plates flying and a
few passengers find themselves on the floor - luckily no-one is hurt. Although a few are seasick, many of us
are still on the bridge sea-watching. Photos and videos of waves crashing over the bow are popular.
There aren't many birds about - just a few albatrosses now and then and the odd petrel. We are crossing the
Polar Front (also known as the Antarctic Convergence) which is the fairly abrupt boundary between the
northward-moving cold Antarctic water and the slightly warmer subantarctic water. The appearance of
Antarctic Prions – small bluish petrels which zig-zag among the huge swells – is encouraging as an indicator
of colder Antarctic water.
Our lecture series continue. On the history side Carol tells us about the pioneering expedition of James
Clark Ross, the first person to venture into the Antarctic sea that now bears his name. We marvel at the
bravery of these early explorers who venture deep into the pack ice in wooden sailing ships. Ortelius in a
storm doesn’t seem so bad! John, who works for the NZ Department of Conservation, showed some videos
and gave a short talk on the rat eradication program on Campbell Island. We’ve already seen the benefits of
this program in the abundance of Campbell Island Pipits and healthy vegetation now that the rats are gone.
Monday February 16th: At sea – Southern Ocean
Noon position: 61º 22’S 175º 55’E; Wind W Force 12; Sea state 7; Air 4ºC. . Storm conditions, outer decks closed.
Going east much of today instead of south. Horrendous seas
all morning, coming from the southwest. Going east puts
the big swells our stern rather than hitting us side on. Later
today we turn south and have the big swells on our bow very spectacular with spray going over the bow every few
minutes. A good time for photos or video of the spray
coming up over the bow and often enveloping the bridge
too. Some of the swells were over 10 m and average was 68 m - with 50 knot winds and more at times. Settling down
somewhat in the evening.
Despite the rough seas we manage some on-board
activities. Carol presents a lecture on the 1898-1900
expedition of Carsten Borchgrevink who was the first to
overwinter on the Antarctic continent. We hope to visit his
hut at Cape Adare in a few days. James sets us up for our
geological experience with a lecture on the Geology of East Antarctica and the Ross Sea.
7
We creep along at 4-5 knots most of today, but manage to get up to 8 or 9 knots by evening - still bashing
into some big swells. Although it wallows along in these big swells, the Ortelius is actually a fairly stable
craft and doesn't seem to do that horrible corkscrew motion that smaller ships have. We see relatively few
birds all day but some interesting species – our first White-headed Petrel and a Light-mantled Albatross.
Too rough to expect to see any whales. The bad news is that this big storm has set us back more than a day
and Scott Island is looking very unlikely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What's that noise ?
Slide crash bang slide crash bang slide crash bang
What's that noise ?
Turn on light
Get out of bed
Investigate
Its the coat hangers in the robe.
Take them out, wrap them in a towel, stuff them back
in the robe under orange life jackets where they can no
longer move.
Sounds on a ship in stormy seas.
By Karina Taylor.
Swing slam bang swing slam bang
What's that noise ?
Turn on light
Get out of bed
Investigate
Its the TV on a metal arm slamming into the robe then
back into the wall – back and forth. Will its break ?
Reposition it til it can no longer move.
BANG !!!!
What's that noise ?
Turn on light
Get out of bed
Investigate
Its the chair. Its fallen over.
Leave it there ! It can go no further tonight.
Roll thud swish roll thud swish
What's that noise ?
Turn on light
Get out of bed
Investigate
Its a giant water bottle loose in the corridor.
Reposition it til it can no longer roll.
Back to bed and now what can I hear ?
The creaks and groans of a metal ship.
The soothing sounds of the sea smashing against my
windows.
Sleep comes at last.
Chingchingchingchingchingching
What's that noise ?
Turn on light
Get out of bed
Investigate
Its the luggage rail beneath the bed.
Stuff kleenex in the slots til it no longer has room to
move.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hard at work – Cathy helps the Bo’sun Elli and crew with their chores.
Photo: Christine Mahassen
8
The hard working coffee machine
Photo: Rob Lott
Tuesday February 17th: At sea approaching Ross Sea
Noon position: 64º 44’S 175º 52’E; Wind NW Force 6; Sea state 4; Air 3ºC.
We have finally broken loose from the storm and have fairly flat or moderate seas and even a touch or two
of sunshine now and then. We’re making reasonable time at 11.5 knots and heading due south. Lots of
people up on the bridge and outside on the decks. Icebergs coming by every now and then but still far apart
with little chunks of ice too. Air temperature is between 0º and +1ºC so quite pleasant outside with a jacket
on. Not a lot of birds but some interesting species: White-headed and Mottled petrels. Four Light-mantled
Albatross circle the ship repeatedly, occasionally doing their lovely synchronized flying manoeuvres.
Then just before lunch a pod of four Hourglass Dolphins appear to ride our bow wave. The power, speed
and agility of these small dolphins amaze us as they keep up with us, seemingly effortlessly, occasionally
leaping clear of the water. For 40 minutes they remain with us, while the bow is crowded with people all
snapping away happily. Lovely to see them and a big morale booster after the days of storm.
Hourglass Dolphins
Photos: Alan Burger
Things begin to look promising as the staff and helicopter crew begin preparations for our first outing.
Emergency equipment is unpacked and checked. The staff practice putting up the emergency tents and test
the emergency stoves – necessary if anyone gets
stranded ashore, but hopefully never to be used on this
voyage. The three helicopters come from Chile with
Chilean pilots and engineer/mechanics. They are very
experienced and have done Antarctic voyages several
times.
Late in the evening we gather in the bar for a very
important occasion – crossing the Antarctic Circle at
66º 33’S. This is the farthest north in the Antarctic that
one can experience 24 hours of daylight (at midsummer). As the ship hits the circle bump we raise our
glasses and celebrate being truly in the Antarctic – in
vastly more comfortable circumstances than the early
explorers like Ross and Borchgrevink.
Barman Rolando prepares to cross the Antarctic Circle Photo: Alan Burger
Wednesday February 18th. Our first pack ice – Southern Ocean
Noon position: 69º 07’S 176º 02’E; Wind ENE Force 8; Sea state 4; Air 0ºC. In pack-ice at times.
A long and busy day. The sea is moderate but the wind quite strong at 30 knots. Still heading south. Around
mid-morning we see the line of pack ice on the horizon and before lunch we are cruising along next to it,
staying in the open water with small chunks of ice and growlers passing by. It is no surprise that the air is
icy too – a few degrees below freezing but feeling much colder because of the strong breeze.
9
Many birds are with us all day and we encountered the true Antarctic seabirds – South Polar Skua,
Antarctic Petrels, Antarctic Fulmars and the pure-white Snow Petrels. By the end of the day our ship is the
focus for a flock of 40 or more Antarctic Petrels swirling about and occasionally touching down briefly on
the water to snatch up a morsel of krill or perhaps a small fish.
Truly Antarctic seabirds: Antarctic Petrel, Snow Petrel and South Polar Skua.
Photos: Gary Miller & Alan Burger
Whales too – first a scattered group of 8-10 Fin Whales, and then, as lunch is served, a pod of 5 Killer
Whales appears and the ship circled slowly while they come close alongside, probably as curious about us as
we are about them. Later as we cruise along a wide open channel with ice on either side we encounter
Humpbacks – singly and in pairs. We tally well over 20 of these big whales, including a mother and calf.
Orca (Killer Whale) near our ship
Humpback Whale in the loose ice.
Photos: Alan Burger
Around mid-afternoon a new ice chart is beamed in from the electronic heavens and our Captain and
officers realize that we are in an icy dead-end. So we retrace our path and then headed east to travel around
the extensive ice pack. There is no choice but to push through the narrowest band of ice. For 20 minutes or
so we are in a sea of white but then back into open water again and once more on course to Cape Adare.
Our evening event is a briefing on the rules and expectations allowing us to visit the historic 1899 hut of
Carsten Borchgrevink and his 9 team-mates at Cape Adare. The Antarctic Heritage Trust based in New
Zealand is responsible for restoring, maintaining and protecting the historic explorers’ huts in the Ross Sea,
and have done an excellent job in ensuring that these memorable relicts of the heroic era are preserved and
available for us to visit. And we also learn how to behave in the home of 200,000 pairs of Adélie Penguins.
Thursday February 19th. Cape Adare
Noon position: 71º 16’S 170º 25’E; Wind W Force 3; In ice; Air 0ºC. In pack-ice.
By Carol Knott:
A last, after days of sea, storm and surge, our first Continental landing, and our first helicopter operation!
We’ve all had our helicopter training, and are now standing by with lifejackets suitably adjusted in our
helicopter groups, waiting for the moment of take-off. Then it is up in the air with pilots Marcello, Andres or
Guillermo, the ship shrinking away below us, and we have our first aerial look at sea ice as we speed
10
towards Cape Adare. Soon the headland comes into focus, and below us we see the flat, triangular apron of
Ridley Beach spread out beneath. All those tiny black dots are Adélie penguins, another first.
Our first helicopter flight – across the pack ice and icebergs to Cape Adare.
Photos: Alan Burger
Gently the helicopters come down to land, and off we go to wander the beach,
wonder at the volcanic rock, meander among the Adélies (at the appropriate
distance of course), and ramble towards the historic huts in the welcome
sunshine. Most prominent is the solid hut built by Carsten Borchgrevink in 1899
for his pioneering overwintering team of ten men. Inside there is a sense of woodbound claustrophobic comfort, and it is easy to imagine Antarctic winter days
cooped up in the hut. In particular, in the dim light we search for the decorative
graffiti and lines of poetry written by Kolbien Ellefsen, and the bunk where the
young zoologist Nicolai Hanson died.
Borchgrevink’s 1899 expedition hut at Cape Adare – the first human dwelling in Antarctica.
Below: John cleaning boots before people enter the hut. Photo: Gary Miller
Photos: Alan Burger
Outside, the storeroom stands roofless, and all around is scattered the detritus
of the expedition, everything from briquettes of fuel, coils of rope and
unopened wooden crates, all superbly preserved.
Just beyond Borchgrevink’s hut is a much more dilapidated ruin, the
remains of another overwintering hut built by Robert Scott’s Northern Party
in 1911, under the leadership of Victor Campbell. This British prefabricated
structure was much flimsier than the older Norwegian-built hut, and it has
since collapsed, except for the porch. Its contents have dispersed to the winds,
and our picture of their daily life at Cape Adare is so much the poorer. Their
subsequent adventures, however, as they spent a second unplanned winter
without the home comforts of a wooden hut, in an ice cave on Inexpressible
Island, are vivid.
11
Then it is back to the helicopters for our return to the ship, zooming along the sea ice and swooping over
icebergs on the way. What an amazing start to our journey in the Antarctic Continent.
Our swimmer Lewis Pugh also does his
first Antarctic swim off Cape Adare. The
first person to swim 1 km at the North
Pole, Lewis is planning five swims in
Antarctic waters to raise awareness of the
plight of Antarctic seas where there is risk
of mismanagement of fish stocks and
other marine resources. Lewis manages
500 m before he has to quit with the
intense cold. He is forced to swim in a
zig-zag course among the ice floes and in
some places the Zodiacs have to clear the
path ahead of him by pushing big floes
out of the way. After 10.5 minutes in the water he emerges looking stunned and frigid. Pretty amazing.
Friday February 20th – at sea Ross Sea
Noon position: 73º 46’S 172º 09’E; Wind SSW Force 8-9; Sea state 5; Air -1ºC.
We are travelling south into the Ross Sea, but well out from the coast with occasional glimpses of the
mountains to the west. Apart from a few icebergs we see no ice for most of the day, which is surprising
considering how far south we are. Remarkably few birds about too – a handful of Adélie Penguins
swimming, a skua, a giant petrel and a few Wilson's Storm Petrels. Few whales too, just a group of 4 Minke
whales.
Lectures are back again. Gary gives a lively summary of his years of research on South Polar Skuas, and
reveals the complex behaviour and interactions of these Antarctic predators. Carol informs us about Captain
Robert Scott’s 1910-1913 Terra Nova Expedition, which ended in tragedy for him and his South Pole
companions. A familiar story but brought into vivid focus by Carol’s inimitable storytelling and the fact that
we are just over the horizon from the scene of Scott’s adventures.
During dinner we turn west and head towards Terra Nova Bay and into pack-ice. Soon we are in thick ice
and for the next 1½ hours our ship pushes slowly through big flat ice floes about the area of a house and a
metre or two thick. Slushy ice and water fill the gaps between the floes. Scattered Adélie Penguins and –
way in the distance – an Emperor Penguin! Just close enough to identify. For most of us this is our first
glimpse of this iconic, but remote-living species. We also see a few Crabeater, Leopard, and Weddell seals.
Our first Leopard Seal on the pack ice
Photo: Alan Burger
Then, just as we are leaving the far end of the band of pack-ice, another Emperor – again pretty far but
visible in binoculars and in zoomed-in telephoto photos. Over a dozen Snow Petrels flying around too, often
close by the ship and beautiful against the dark sky. The show ends at 21:30 as we hit the open water with
strong winds, spray and big swells from straight ahead. The Ross Sea is huge - we've travelled steadily at
11 knots for over a day and we're only about half-way down the west side.
12
Saturday February 21st – Terra Nova Bay
Noon position: 74º 42’S 164º 08’E; Wind WSW Force 5-6; Sea ice; Air -5ºC.
By Tricia and Rob:
I try to hang on to the Inuit quote that “There is no such thing as cold weather, only inadequate clothing” –
as I lie listening to Don’s dulcet tones telling me at 05:30 that it is very cold outside and to dress very
warmly – hardly motivation to get out of a warm bed! However, on looking out of the porthole, all that is
forgotten as there, in all its pink glory, is Mt. Melbourne, the continent’s only active volcano (Mt. Erebus, its
more famous neighbour, is on an island, not the mainland).
Zodiac cruising along the pack ice with Mt. Melbourne in the background …… and some strange penguins on the ice!
Photos: Patrick De Nys
By 6 a.m. all passengers are dressed and padded like well-fed penguins, ready to ride out on the Zodiacs.
The monolithic presence of Cape Washington is our imposing backdrop. The cape is home to one of the
largest Emperor Penguin colonies on the continent, as we are to be reminded later in the evening in the BBC
documentary “The Frozen Planet”.
The next 1½ hours are spent cruising through a magical frozen wonderland, the sea covered with an
amazing array of ice floes of all shapes and sizes. Occasionally one hosts a basking seal (Weddell, Leopard
or Crabeater) and a few penguins – all adding to the excitement of this unique experience. The landscape is
lit by a pale yellow rising sun. Perfect!
We make our way back to the ship through the pancake ice in time for breakfast – with lots to talk about.
A Weddell Seal snoozes before the volcanic monolith of Cape Washington. Returning to the ship in the slushy ice. (Gary Miller)
Before lunch the ship re-positions to Gerlache Inlet where we can make out the buildings of the recentlyvacated Italian base, as well as further along the coast the new multi-million dollar South Korean station.
Zodiacs take us ashore at the Italian base where we are left to wander around the lunar landscape – dry, arid
13
and deserted, with the exception of the odd aggressive skua protecting its oversized chick. It is hard to
imagine living cheek by jowl in the soul-less converted containers in extreme conditions.
The afternoon is spent sailing further into the Ross Sea. We track the Drygalski Ice Tongue, which is a
staggering 20 nautical miles long and 15 miles wide. Our progress through the evening is punctuated by
bands of pack ice, but puts us in a good position for the following day’s activities.
The Italian base Mario Zucchelli in Terra Nova Bay.
Photos: Gary Miller, Alan Burger
Sunday February 22nd. McMurdo Sound - New Harbour & Cape Royds
Noon position: 77º 32’S 164º 04’E; Wind SE Force 4; Sea state 2; Air -3ºC.
By Anne Charlesworth:
The plan for the day is to visit the Taylor Dry Valley in the morning and Cape Royds in the afternoon. We
arrive off Cape Bernacchi in very thick low cloud. The entrance to the valley is barely visible and there is
obviously no prospect of helicopter flights. After waiting a few hours for the clouds to lift it becomes
evident that this is not happening. The decision is made to cross through the ice of McMurdo Sound to Cape
Royds on Ross Island to visit Shackleton’s hut from the 1907-1909 Nimrod Expedition. On the way, several
Emperor Penguins are encountered on the ice, to the delight of the photographers!
Photos: Alan Burger
The sky clears as we approach Cape Royds giving
us a good view of the hut – and an orange yacht in
Backdoor Bay. The sailors are attempting to climb
Mount Erebus! A Zodiac is launched to assess landing
conditions, but there is too much ice around the
shoreline, so the plan is to land by helicopter from 7
p.m. Flights begin and, as I am in the last group there
is plenty of time to appreciate the sight of Mt. Erebus
becoming clearer by the minute.
14
We land on the black volcanic rocks, just above the hut and Pony Lake. A short walk down the hill past a
few moulting Adélie Penguins takes us to the hut. My first impression of the area is of the vast quantity of
penguin feathers forming drifts around rocks and artefacts. Penguins are standing close to the hut, immobile
and patient as they complete their moult in preparation for the coming winter.
The exterior of the hut looks almost new, with the timbers bleached and smoothed by the wind. Piles of
supply crates and dog kennels are stacked outside, all partly buried by drifts of penguin feathers.
Once inside, there is a sense that this hut was more of a home than Borchgrevink’s hut at Cape Adare.
Two tiny rooms, Shackleton’s bedroom and the darkroom, are separated from the main room, which has
been left as one open area without the canvas drapes used to provide some privacy for the men.
‘Mrs. Sam’s Stove’ at the centre of the room, towards the rear, is dominant and must have been
invaluable for heating and cooking. The acetylene gas plant over the door would have made the dark days
more tolerable . There are also hundreds of Price’s candles remaining in the artefacts.
Photos: Diane Howard
Vast quantities of amazingly well preserved tins and boxes reveal
some of the diet, such as wholemeal biscuits, Irish brown chicken,
veal pâté, cabbage, golden syrup and copious jars of table salt. Cans
of hops suggest that beer might have been available! Practical items,
such as Lifebuoy soap and Jeyes Sanitary Powder are present, with
cans of Price’s motor lubricants for the Arrol-Johnston car. It is
almost impossible to believe that such ‘normal’ homely items were
transported to the end of the earth.
15
Cape Royds – painting by Annette Rehr
A reminder of home is very evident in the pictures of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra prominently
displayed on the wall. A copy of the Illustrated London News remains on a shelf. Clothes are found
throughout the hut, with socks hanging on lines, jackets on hooks and trousers laid on a bed. There are many
boots, in boxes and under beds and a reindeer sleeping bag. Every space has been utilized, with sledges
stored in the ceiling of the hut. It seems possible to imagine life in the hut – very hard, of course, but
preferable to the dark, cramped conditions of the Cape Adare hut.
Leaving the hut, a short stroll reveals many artefacts, such as glass bottles lying in the scoria and the
rubbish area adjacent to the hut.
Mount Erebus provides a magnificent backdrop to the scene as we wait for the helicopter. A vertical strip
of rainbow-coloured nacreous crystals glows in the sky over the mainland. What a day!
Monday February 23rd. Cape Evans & Taylor Valley
Noon position: 77º 34’S 164º 36’E; Wind SE Force 8; Air -6ºC.
By James Cresswell:
Today starts early, really early. In fact it had already gone midnight by
the time we went to bed after our successful landing at Cape Royds on
Ross Island for our visit to Shackleton’s hut. However at quarter to 4 it
is time to get up again for a pre-breakfast excursion to Scott’s hut at
Cape Evans, further down the coast on Ross Island. The swell is quite
large and the wind almost 40 knots, but we feel we can do it. We start to
launch boats, but the ship is drifting and unable to hold its position due
to the wind, so unfortunately we call off the operation.
We recover the only lowered boat and fall asleep again, as the ship
sails back across McMurdo Sound to the entrance of the Dry Valleys. Unfortunately the sea ice situation
deteriorates further and we are only able to get within 6 miles of the entrance to the valleys. The wind is still
blowing 40 knots and the Trans-Antarctic Mountains are still draped in cloud. It is a bit depressing and
looking very doubtful.
We wait and wait, then the cloud showed signs that it is lifting, but the wind is still 40 knots. Expedition
Leader Don, and chief helicopter pilot Marcello decide to do an exploratory flight into the Dry Valleys to
see what the wind conditions are like up there. The pilot skilfully lifts off the ship in the windy conditions
and heads out across the ice towards the lifting cloud of the Dry Valleys.
16
After 45 minutes they return. We’re eating in the dining room as Don announces that it is a GO! The
wind is still high at the ship, but inside the valleys there is no wind and it is do-able.
Chief Pilot Marcello (photographer unknown)
Crossing broken sea ice en route to the Dry Valleys (Alan Burger)
As the ship’s Geologist, I am lucky enough to fly in the first helicopter to prepare the landing site for the
passengers. It is an experience I will never forget. First we fly over ice floes and newly forming sea ice, with
sleeping seals near to the shore line. Then up over the land – dry land with no snow even though we are at
nearly 78 degrees south. As we fly over bare ground, I see frost wedges caused by freezing and thawing of
the permafrost. Then the first glaciers: the Wales glacier coming in from the left and later the amazing
piedmont of the Commonwealth glacier and our destination the Canada Glacier, coming in from the right.
Photo: Michael Martin
Taylor Valley with James and Gary revelling in the unique environment..
Photos: Alan Burger
The Dry Valleys are free of ice because the Trans-Antarctic Mountains are so high. Ice from the East
Antarctic Ice Sheet does not spill over to flow down these valleys. In addition this area is incredibly dry –
there is very little snowfall and this snow cannot accumulate as a glacier. Any snow that does occur, often
sublimes straight to water vapour or is blown out by the extreme katabatic winds that can rage down the
17
valleys. As chance would have it there is some snow there on our visit day. The previous day’s storm has
left a thin layer on the higher ground and on some of the boulders but it is quickly ablating away.
The helicopters land at the foot of the Canada glacier, which forms
an elephant’s foot or piedmont glacier as it emerges from its restrictive
Canada Valley into the main dry Taylor Valley. In front of the glacier
are a few ice blocks produced by an extremely low rate of calving. In
the hottest days of the year these will melt and flow into nearby Lake
Fryxell, which today is completely frozen. The interior of this lake is
always frozen but on the hottest days of the year a thin moat of water
will form around its edges.
On the valley floor, at our landing site, are three mummified seals.
These unfortunate beasts had once made the wrong call, and crawled in
the wrong direction to find the sea. Eventually they died, but because
the conditions were so cold they have been perfectly preserved. One of
these seals has been dated at 2000 years old. Also on the valley floor
are a large assortment of different rock types, but all are either igneous
or metamorphic. These rocks show that the Taylor Glacier has at some
stage flowed down through this valley because these are all the rock
types that outcrop higher up in the Taylor Valley.
As the day goes on helicopters and groups of passengers come and go. Eventually the last passengers
arrive and it is time to go on another incredible helicopter ride over the glaciers and the sea ice back to the
ship. Visiting the Dry Valleys is a dream come true for me, and today is my best ever day working as a
guide on an expedition ship.
Commonwealth Glacier spilling over into Taylor Valley
Photo: Michael Martin
Tuesday February 24th. At sea off the Ross Ice Shelf
Noon position: 77º 29’S 175º 38’E; Wind calm; Air -8ºC.
We cruise eastward in variable sea conditions with the Ross Ice Shelf visible on the starboard side – a
continuous line of ice cliffs with some tabular icebergs in front. The sky is shrouded in misty cloud. It is
cold outside, -8C and getting colder. After the hectic pace of the past few days this is a day of reflection,
photo processing, and even a nap or two. We begin to appreciate just how big the Ross Ice Shelf is – over
300 nautical miles (550 km) of continuous ice cliffs at the edge of the ice shelf.
Our lectures continue. Gary gives us a general introduction to the penguins of the world, complete with
his accurate and entertaining renditions of the calls and displays of various penguin types. Most people think
18
of penguins as residents of the icy south, but in fact only Emperor and Adélie penguins regularly breed south
of the Antarctic circle and the remaining 15 species live in subantarctic and temperate regions. Later, John
Gumbley, the NZ govt. representative, tells us about his studies of geology, sediments and lakes in the Dry
Valleys back in the 1970s. We envy the opportunities he had to explore in detail these enigmatic and scenic
valleys.
The major event of the day is crossing the international dateline - so tomorrow is the same date as today.
As we approach the dateline a group gathers in the bridge to watch and photograph the GPS. Don toots the
ship's horn as we cross and we are back in tomorrow ….. or is it yesterday?
A cold day on deck (Gary Miller)
Don checks the GPS & toots the horn as we cross back to the future (Alan Burger)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Voyage life: Elizabeth cuddles with Marcello & Mario (photo: Diane Howard). A keen porthole observer (Photo: Annette Rehr)
Joie de Vivre!
Los pilotos Chilenos
19
Photos: Diane Howard
20
ICE
Ice, ice, ice.
I love the ice.
Icebergs of every imaginable size and shape float by.
Huge, smooth, flat-topped tabular icebergs larger than city buildings. Beautiful aqua-tinged icebergs
sculptured and contorted.
The zodiacs are dwarfed. It is mind blowing. The scale. The colours. The contours. The shapes.
Nature at its most magnificent.
Growlers, large chunks of ice floating in the water, evocatively named for the sound they make when
they drag along the side of the ship.
Bergy bits, bigger than growlers and best avoided.
Then there is grease ice and pancake ice and brash ice and nilas, fast ice, pack ice and floes, thin ice,
thick ice, white ice, turquoise ice, old ice, new ice, smooth ice and textured ice.
Ice, ice, ice.
I love the ice.
Anne Dedman
Painting by Annette Rehr
21
Tuesday February 24th. AGAIN. Ross Ice Shelf & Bay of Whales
Noon position: 78º 24’S 166º 22’W; Wind SSE Force 9-10; Sea state 5; Air -11ºC.
By Laurie Gwen Shapiro:
On this, the second February 24th of our trip, we start our day with breakfast and then a lively talk from our
shipboard Welsh geologist James Cresswell about glaciers. Our starter fact is that ice is a rock, made up of
the mineral water. We quickly learn that glaciers come in all shapes and sizes, and can be continental ice
sheets, and we have three in 2015 – we used to have five. The glacier facts came fast and furious now:
Antarctica has 90 percent of the world’s fresh water, and the ice sheets are the largest physical things on our
planet. But the most important take away for me is that although East Antarctica is in fact getting colder,
don’t be fooled - this phenomenon is still connected to global warming. In other areas of Antarctica, we are
warming, rapidly losing ice, and alarm bells should ring.
In the afternoon we divide into small groups and go to the bridge to see for ourselves that we are the
Southernmost Ship on Earth at 78 degrees 33 minutes south (officially 78º 33.159’ S 164º 42.00’ W).
Speaking of glaciers, the Ross Ice Shelf is one, and we arrive at our landing site off its edge. Here near
the Bay of Whales Amundsen wintered over before his successful 1912 trek to the South Pole. Nearby is
also the site of the first American wintering-over base, Little America, built by Byrd’s first Expedition of
1928, 8 miles in from the Bay of Whales on what was then called the Ross Ice Barrier. Shortly before he
died in June 1928, Amundsen personally advised Byrd where to “safely” build.
The Ross Ice Shelf - the wall of ice dwarfs the Zodiac …………….. and its ice-covered passengers.
And the Ortelius, the southernmost ship in the world, is coated with ice.
Photos: Patrick De Nys
About half of the ship’s passengers
decide to go the Ice Shelf’s edge by
Zodiac, including me, blissfully
unaware of the windy peril that lies
ahead. Dr. Dmitri Banin’s load of
passengers see a calving, while over
in my Zodiac penguin expert Dr. Gary
Miller, a veteran of the region, is
singing to his apprehensive charges
trying to look chirpy in the choppy
waves and numbing temperatures – I
take Gary’s singing as a comforting
sign that I am not going to die.
22
My Zodiac sees several Snow Petrels flying and then sitting in water together for a rest. I speculate that
these petrels might be the Southernmost Birds on Earth but Gary says there have been skuas spotted at the
South Pole, so there goes that theory. However, the frozen on Gary’s Zodiac reach 78º 36.5’ South, 164º
41.9’ West, and we are now the Southernmost Zodiac on Earth, and therefore surpass the Ortelius as the
Southernmost Vessel on Earth on February 24, 2015.
Soon Zodiac passengers climb the gangplank
and emerge on Deck 4, coats slicked with ice.
Many do not feel their fingertips for several hours,
even after a hot shower. Frostbite is no joke.
But more excitement awaits us. Plymouth-born,
Cape Town-bred Lewis Pugh swims now, the
Southernmost Swim in History. When Lewis
emerges from his cabin at dinner our expedition
passengers applaud loudly, but later steal worried
glances over at him throughout the meal. Although
grey in the face, and clearly still chilled to the
bone, he looks strangely at ease. He has met one of
his major goals ahead of his late October “gamechanger” meeting with Putin in Moscow, when, as a United Nations oceanic ambassador, he will discuss
saving the Ross Sea, at peril of overfishing. Hopefully at the next meeting, Russia will vote against toothfish
(“Chilean seabass”) fishing, and exert pressure on China. It is not poetic license to say Lewis still has the
scent of the sea about him.
Wednesday February 25th. Amundsen Sea – pack ice
Noon position: 76º 06’S 159º 49’W; Wind SW Force 3; Sea state 2; Air -3ºC.
Our morning is spent motoring along at 11 knots through calm sea. It is warmer than in the Ross Sea –
around freezing and with less wind. Quite pleasant on deck. As lunch approaches we see a white line across
our horizon and soon we are in the pack-ice. For the rest of the day we zig-zag through the widely-spaced
ice floes – some one-year sea ice (1 to 1.5 m thick) but also a lot of multi-year sea ice (2 – 4 m thick and
sometimes piled up much higher from winter pressure-ridges). Also many tabular ice bergs – some freshly
calved from ice shelves are still square and angular while others that have been out at sea for many months,
or maybe many years, are rounded and carved by the wind and the sea. A headache for the Captain and crew
but a delight for most of us.
We see lovely ice formations all day. Also many penguins, both Emperors and Adélies, sitting on these
ice floes, usually in small groups of 2 to 5 but occasionally a larger group of 20 or so Adélies. Snow Petrels
too are our constant companions, often wheeling about the ship and coming close by to check us out. We see
few seals, just two Crabeaters snoozing on an ice floe, which is disappointing to many on board who are
hoping to see the elusive Ross Seal. Several Minke Whales are feeding in the clear water edging the ice and
also in some of the larger leads among the pack-ice. It is not a bad day when the most common wildlife is
Snow Petrels, Adelie and Emperor penguins, and Minke Whales.
Photo: Diane Howard
23
Lectures today are by Alan, covering the seals of the Antarctic and subantarctic, and Carol, talking about
Shackleton’s 1907-1909 Nimrod Expedition. Although Shackleton’s party failed to reach the South Pole
they did reach the furthest south at that time – a mere 97 nautical miles from the pole. Members of this
expedition were also the first to climb Mt. Erebus and to reach the Magnetic South Pole, which at that time
was far inland on the continent (it is now at sea – just off the coast of East Antarctica).
In the evening we are treated to a marvellous slide show by photographer Michael Martin on his Arctic
explorations for his books, lectures and TV shows – Svalbard, Franz Josef Land, Chukotka, Alaska, Yukon,
Baffin Island, West & East Greenland and the North Pole.
We set our watches an hour ahead tonight – an hour less sleep. This will happen regularly as we travel
across eight time zones from New Zealand time to Ushuaia time.
Thursday February 26th. Amundsen Sea – pack ice & open sea
Noon position: 74º 25’S 1596º 26’W; Wind SW Force8; Sea state 5; Air -2ºC.
We’re still in the pack ice in the morning with occasional wildlife sighted – Crabeater Seals, some groups of
Adélie Penguins, a few Emperors, and scattered Snow Petrels and Giant Petrels. We’re zig-zagging through
the ice all morning – quite fascinating with endless variation in shape and colour of the ice.
Lectures continue. Jim Mayer our AEL gives a lecture based on his recently published book: “Shackleton
– a Life in Poetry”. It is a fascinating look at Shackleton’s life as an explorer and his motivation, private life,
and foibles through the poetry that inspired him and that he himself wrote. Later, Dmitri explains the
adaptations of Antarctic animals allowing them to live in these extreme conditions.
In the early afternoon the ice becomes more widely dispersed and we sense ocean swells again. Soon we
are once again in the open sea with just a scattering of large bergs. Many people take the opportunity for a
“time-change” nap, but Don soon has us up on the outside decks or bridge with his call of 30 or more Minke
Whales. For half an hour we cruise slowly about but the Minkes in this part of the Antarctic experience few
ships and are shy – they keep moving away from us. The ship’s echosounder shows why they are here in
such numbers – krill! Several huge schools of krill show up on the sounder in the water below us.
Minke Whale …….. and on the ship’s echosounder schools of krill show up as yellow and orange images. Photos: Alan Burger
In the evening we are privileged to hear and see the next instalment of Michael Martin’s global desert
experiences – this time the hot deserts of the northern hemisphere.
Friday February 27th. Amundsen Sea – open sea
Noon position: 72º 15’S 144º 46’W; Wind SW Force 4; Sea state 3; Air +2ºC.
Open sea which remained relatively calm all day. We have a regular supply of icebergs throughout the day –
wonderful shapes and sizes and some with intriguing sea caves carved into them. Very little wildlife all day
– a glimpse of a whale spout in the early morning, a few fast-moving Mottled Petrels and Southern Giant
Petrels. Apart from enjoying the passing parade of icebergs our attention is focused inward. Carol talks to us
24
about Roald Amundsen and his polar expeditions, north and south. Alan tells us about Antarctic productivity
and krill, the keystone organism of the Antarctic marine ecosystems.
A time-limited photo contest is held, with just a few hours today to take a photo and submit it by 3 p.m.
The winners are announced at our 6 p.m. recap:
“Abstract” category: Christine Mahassen
“Hard at work” category: Valmar Kurol
“Ortelius” category: Diane Howard
Just as the Recap is announced a pod of Orcas appears and crosses the bow. The stairs shudder as cameraladen people scramble up for the open deck and bow. Sadly they do not remain with us and so only those
faithful bridge-watchers manage to get a few photos.
The evening’s event is the third of Michael Martin’s desert travelogue – this time across the deserts of the
southern hemisphere. As usual, wonderful photos presented in Michael’s unique exuberant style.
Saturday February 28th. Amundsen Sea – open sea
Noon position: 70º 22’S 132º 21’W; Wind N Force 6; Sea state 3; Air +1ºC.
We are rolling along with relatively calm seas, regular icebergs – mostly fairly fresh tabular bergs with some
well-worn older ones. Blue Petrels are a feature for – scattered small flocks of 5-10 birds. Also a few
Mottled Petrels and Southern Giant Petrels. A group of Fin Whales is briefly spotted in the distance.
The wildlife highlight of the day is a pair of
Humpback Whales lying snoozing at the
surface, almost in our path. Most people
manage to grab their cameras and get out on
the decks as we pass near these big
cetaceans. Later, much to the amazement of
the observers on the bridge, we also pass
close by a young Leopard Seal - he or she is
probably just as surprised to see us this far
out in the open ocean.
25
Our lecture series continue with Dmitri explaining the evolutionary origins of whales (who would have
thought their closest living relative was the hippopotamus?) and Gary telling us the details of the lives and
loves of Adélie Penguins based on the many seasons he has spent in their colonies.
The big event of the day is an auction held to raise funds
for the Antarctic Heritage Trust (AHT) based in New
Zealand. This hard-working organization is responsible
for restoring, maintaining and protecting the historical
huts in this section of the Antarctic, including those we
have visited at Cape Adare and Cape Royds. Our ship’s
company generously warm up their credit cards and bid
vigorously for the many interesting items. Of particular
note are the AHT membership (which includes a NZ$5
note signed by Sir Edmund Hillary) and a bottle of
limited-edition MacKinlay’s Scotch whiskey blended by
the same distillery to match the whiskey recently found
hidden under the floor of Shackleton’s Cape Royds hut.
Another hotly-contested lot, ultimately won by Patrick, is the coveted opportunity to do the morning wakeup call, along with the Oceanwide expedition flag signed by the ship’s crew, staff and passengers. The
auction is a spirited and fun affair. Many of us obtain cherished mementoes of the Antarctic, and over
$6,000 is raised to help maintain the historic huts.
After dinner we enjoy the final instalment of Michael Martin’s desert travels – this time to the icy deserts
of Antarctica. A wonderful performance with stunning photographs of these wild places. Thank you
Michael!
Iceberg – painting by Annette Rehr
Sunday March 1st. Amundsen Sea – open sea
Noon position: 69º 56’S 120º 54’W; Wind NE Force 8-9; Sea state 5; Air 0ºC.
Another day of open sea in fairly rough conditions with irregularly scattered icebergs and occasional
seabirds. A few blows in the distance but no close-up whales today. Although still within the Antarctic
Circle, we are far enough north that we are encountering some familiar subantarctic birds – Blue Petrels,
Cape Petrels and Light-mantled Albatross.
Our morning lecture by Alan is on the problem of fisheries bycatch affecting albatrosses and petrels of the
Southern Ocean. Longline fisheries for tuna and Patagonia toothfish kill thousands of seabirds each year.
With international cooperation and the application of simple technology the problem has been greatly
26
reduced, but many populations of albatrosses remain severely depleted and longline fishing by pirate fishers
continues to kill seabirds.
It is St. David’s Day – celebrating the patron saint of Wales. Appropriately we have James the Welshman
presenting a lecture on Volcanoes of the Antarctic and he starts his lecture with the Welsh national anthem.
We learn about the various types of volcanoes and lava and see examples of these from the dozens of
volcanoes in the Antarctic – many of which lie along the route of this voyage.
Light-mantled Albatross and Blue Petrel
Photos: Alan Burger
Monday March 2nd. Amundsen Sea – open sea
Noon position: 68º 58’S 111º 14’W; Wind NE Force 8; Sea state 5;
Air 0ºC.
My goodness – the Antarctic is huge! We’ve been travelling
for days since the Ross Ice Shelf and on the continental map
it looks like we’ve barely moved. Still, our ship is making
reasonable speed. We awake to a lumpy, bumpy sea with
winds over 40 knots, which persists all morning, but as the
day goes on conditions ease somewhat and Ortelius is making
its usual speed of 10-11 knots.
Gary gives us a fascinating account of his year spent
studying Emperor Penguins near the Mawson Australian base. Through the frigid Antarctic winter these
superbly adapted birds incubate their eggs and begin to raise the tiny chicks – the very specific roles of the
males and females, and their tight pair bonds make this unique breeding system possible. Later Alan
explains how penguins and marine mammals are able to function as extraordinary divers. Emperor Penguins
and Weddell Seals can find food at over 500 m deep while Elephant Seals can dive to an unbelievable 1500
m. How they deal with oxygen deficiencies, pressure, cold and darkness at these amazing depths is a
fascinating story revealed by modern research technology.
Tuesday March 3rd. Amundsen Sea – pack-ice!
Noon position: 70º 36’S 102º 32’W; Wind WSW Force 7; Sea state 2; Air -1ºC.
A very early call from Don for a very worthy cause – there is a gorgeous sunrise and we are in the pack-ice.
A wonderful mix of ice – huge tabular bergs 100s of metres long, smaller rounded bergs, ice floes, pancakes,
brash – its all here. Right after breakfast we put on many layers of clothing, launch the Zodiacs and head out
to play. Our icebreaker Zodiacs push their way slowly through the ice, force their way among the ice floes
and zoom along the open leads. A huge tabular berg towers over us – blue canyons and indigo cracks along
its flanks. Snow Petrels are everywhere, swirling around the bergs in the sunlight, dipping down to snatch up
a tiny morsel or sitting in small groups on the ice.
27
Pack-ice and ice bergs in the sunshine!
Photos: Diane Howard
We discover some seals – Crabeaters first and many of them. Some are sleeping soundly on the ice which
we can carefully approach and photograph, others are in the water in groups. Those in Dmitri’s Zodiac are
treated to a close approach by a group of 50 or more crabbies. Then we find a Leopard Seal – it is a young
male, almost fully grown and impressive to see from 5 metres away. He gazes at us unconcerned as all the
Zodiacs come by for a visit.
Seals in the pack-ice – Crabeater (left) and Leopard (right).
Photos: Alan Burger
Luckily the ship moves to where our Zodiacs end up after two hours in the ice, saving us the battle back
through the thick ice. Before lunch we gather on the deck to watch Lewis Pugh do the fourth of his Antarctic
swims. Against the backdrop of the mighty tabular berg he braves the icy water for several long minutes.
Zodiacs, pack-ice, giant tabulars, sunshine – what a day!!
Photos: Alan Burger
There is no thought of an afternoon snooze – too much to see. Sheltered from the icy wind behind us, it is
actually quite pleasant on the sunny foredeck as the Ortelius negotiates slowly through the ice, hour after
hour. Flocks of Antarctic Terns come by and Crabeater Seals are almost always in view, sometimes singly,
sometimes in groups of five or more. There are hundreds of these seals scattered across the miles of packice. The ice itself tells an interesting story – some floes are remnants of last winter’s freeze-up, others are
28
thicker multi-year ice, their bottoms stained a dirty yellow with the accumulation of algae. These algae feed
the krill and the krill feed the seals and seabirds – the pack-ice is a dynamic and productive ecosystem.
Our evening’s entertainment is the sun and the moon. As the sun slowly sinks in a glowing sunset in our
wake the full moon is rising in a deep purple sky ahead of us. Icebergs complete the picture. A perfect end to
a perfect Antarctic day.
Wednesday March 4th. Amundsen Sea – open sea
Noon position: 69º 30’S 95º 32’W; Wind SE Force 5; Sea state 3; Air +2ºC.
A sea day so time to process photos, process memories, perhaps even snooze. Some seabirds come by at
regular intervals to keep the bridge sea-watchers relatively happy: Antarctic Fulmars, Wilson’s Storm Petrel,
and Antarctic Terns.
Lectures increase our appreciation of Antarctic matters. James presents a lecture on Icebergs – where they
come from, how they are modified by the sea and how far the big ones can drift before they melt away. Gary
presents an entertaining look at living on an Australian Antarctic base (Mawson) for a year while he and his
partner Robyn were doing research on Emperor Penguins.
Our routine 5:30 PM entertainment today is provided by a group of four Fin Whales. These giants,
second in size only to Blue Whales, are usually encountered in the open water bordering the icy stretches of
the Antarctic. We gather in the bar for a recap and instructions on the helicopter landing and Zodiac cruise
planned for tomorrow at Peter 1st Island. There is an air of tense expectancy in the room – this remote island
is very seldom visited and for many of us, getting to the island is a cherished goal.
Shipboard life: Big James our geologist reacts to hitting the ceiling fire sprinkler for the umpteenth time while Almost-as-Tall
Steven narrowly misses it.
Meanwhile hungry skuas gather at the dinner table.
Photos: Karina Taylor
Thursday March 5th. Peter 1st Island
Noon position: 68º 46’S 90º 49’W; Wind W Force 4; Sea state 3; Air +2ºC.
By Frank and Miki Landsberger:
6:30 AM The voice from the ceiling, otherwise
known as Don, our esteemed Expedition Leader,
woke us with the enthusiastic news that the
magnificent cliffs of Peter 1st Island were awaiting
us on deck with incomparable weather of 1° C and
winds of 10 knots. If that were not enough
motivation of the eagerly anticipated helicopter
landings and zodiac tours, we were encouraged by
the quote of the day…
“A first walk in a new land is one of those things
which makes life something worth being grateful
for.” Charles William Beebe
Photo: Gary Miller
29
On the bulletin board, at the reception, we were informed that more people had been in space than on
Peter 1st Island. We are certain that with our group that it is no longer the case. However, we were all excited
to be visiting such an extremely remote and rarely visited island.
Breakfast was not to be our usual 8am event but rather had to be juggled with helicopter departures and
returns with the first helicopter leaving for Peter 1st Island at 7:15am.
Miki and I left with helicopter group B and were met on top of the glacier by the advance team of
expedition staff who had set out with crossed flags the walking area safely away from any possible
crevasses. The words “magnificent” or “awesome” cannot describe the incredible emotional impact that the
view had on all. This is not a mean feat after the incomparable tour provided by our helicopter pilot on our
approach to the island and the “dive-bombing” of humpback whales.
Landing on Peter 1st Island with wind-carved sastrugi and a clear view up to the summit.
Photos: Gary Miller
Most of us could only stay for 30/45 minutes, not nearly enough to drink in the grandeur and
magnificence of the island. The helicopter trip back went too quickly to really allow us to digest the
experience before being met by the landing deck crew of the Ortelius.
A happy staff and crew after the Peter 1st Island heli adventures: Gary, Don, Janke, Jim, James, Dmitri, Carol, Rutke and Lauren.
30
Almost as soon as we landed, we were exhorted by Alan over the ship’s intercom that Zodiac trips were
leaving. Miki and I retreated to our cabin to “calm-down” from all the excitement before boarding the
Zodiac. James was our driver, a word that still seems like an odd description for someone handling a rubber
“bathtub” with an outboard motor. With high anticipation, excitement, and joy we returned to the island, this
time at sea level and not, as earlier, on the plateau of the glacier.
On the way, we saw Humpback Whales and lots of birds,
unidentifiable to us non-birders. While not literally true, I was
convinced that Miki actually petted one of the whales. During the
crossing to the island, James provided us with the wise counsel he
had gotten this morning from his two-year old son that he should
look for the “X” for where pirates had buried treasure on the island.
Since there was no opportunity to land, we may well have
disappointed a young man who is clearly informed about the ways
of pirates.
It was terrific to be on board with the group’s geologist, James,
as we approached the island. The rock structures at the bottom of
glacier, the arch created by sea erosion, the bird rookeries, and the
seals on the beach were beyond any real description but will
undoubtedly lead to our enthusiastic recounts to incredulous friends
and family.
With speed seemingly defying the wind itself, we returned to the
Ortelius. Lunch and later the get-togethers in the gangways and bar
were filled with overwhelming enthusiasm and almost giddy
laughter.
As our parents would have told us as children that we will all
sleep very well indeed tonight. Our expedition leader and staff will
now have to deal with “what can we do to top today tomorrow”.
All of us will agree that they need not worry. Today was simply the
greatest.
Friday March 6th. At sea – Bellingshausen Sea
Noon position: 67º 57’S 81º 27’W; Wind W Force 4; Sea state 4; Air +1ºC.
We’re making good speed towards the Antarctic Peninsula but our first landfall there is still two days away.
Minke Whales are the occasional entertainment for the watchers on the decks or in the bridge. Meanwhile
below decks computers are busy churning through multi-gigabytes of photo images from yesterday’s
phenomenal visit to Peter 1st Island. Peering over some of the photographers’ shoulders one senses that
yesterday will be the day that defines the voyage for many people.
31
Our lecture series resumes, with Carol outlining the history of exploration of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Sealer William Smith was the first to discover the Peninsula. Bellingshausen, heading a Russian expedition,
was the first to explore the northern parts of the Peninsula in detail and he also discovered and named Peter
1st Island. He was strongly influenced by Captain James Cook’s earlier voyages in these latitudes but chose
to venture south in places where Cook had stayed north and hence made new discoveries. Nathaniel Palmer,
James Weddell and other sealers made major discoveries, while explorers Durmont D’Urville, Jean Charcot,
Charles Wilkes and James Clark Ross were responsible for charting many areas – and we still see their
names on the charts of this area.
Later, Alan presents a rarely-experienced lecture on sheathbills, the only land birds to live on the
Antarctic Continent (and many Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands). Strongly dependent on penguins for
food (eggs, small chicks, carrion and, of course, penguin feces) sheathbills are masters of kleptoparasitism –
stealing krill and other food which penguin parents are delivering to their chicks. We eagerly anticipate
seeing these unique and adaptable birds when we reach the Peninsula.
Saturday March 7th. At sea – Bellingshausen Sea
Noon position: 66º 41’S 71º 51’W; Wind NNW Force 3; Sea state 3; Air +3ºC.
Calm seas continue all day as Chief Engineer Luis and his team coax the horsepower from Ortelius’s
throbbing engine. A glance at the chart shows that the sea floor along our course is making an abrupt change
– from several thousand metres deep to just 300-500 metres. We are crossing the continental shelf edge and
sailing over the undersea portion of the Antarctic continent. Continental shelf edges around the world are
generally productive places as deep, nutrient-rich seawater rises to the surface and fertilizes spring and
summer blooms of marine productivity. As expected, we begin to see more wildlife. All day we pass small
groups of Fin Whales – two here, four there, three a bit later …. And the occasional Humpback Whale too.
Antarctic Fur Seals too are regularly seen, porpoising out of the water as they travel or lounging at the
surface as we pass by. Small flocks of Antarctic Prions and solitary Antarctic Fulmars and Wilson’s Storm
Petrels are regularly seen.
Fin Whale (photo Gary Miller) and porpoising Antarctic Fur Seals (photos Alan Burger)
Dmitri kicks off today’s lectures with an introduction to the birds we will encounter on the Antarctic
Peninsula – some are familiar, like Adélie Penguins and skuas, while others will be new, like Gentoo
Penguins, Blue-eyed Cormorants, and Sheathbills. Later, James introduces us to the rocks we will encounter
on the Peninsula – a fascinating mix of small bits of sedimentary terrain mixed in with old and recent
volcanic rock produced by the ever-shifting tectonic plates in this dynamic part of the earth’s crust.
At our evening recap Don outlines what we might expect in the next few days on the Peninsula. But the
feature of the evening is a stunning video which our talented helicopter pilots recorded from a Go-pro
camera attached to the front of a helicopter. Edited and set to music by our equally talented doctor Rutker,
this excellent video aptly captures the excitement and splendour of our visit to Peter 1st Island.
32
Sunday March 8th. Fish Islands and Prospect Point
Noon position: 66º 00’S 65º 25’W; Wind calm; Sea state 0; Air +3ºC. Drifting at Fish Islands.
By Gary Miller:
Well I can’t say that I was disappointed when the threatened early morning wake-up call didn’t materialise
this morning. Don had told us that he would get us up at 5:30 to watch our entry into the channels of the
Antarctic Peninsula—IF there was enough visibility. When he did finally gets us up at the usual 07:30 for
our 08:00 breakfast it’s easy to see (or not see as this case may be) that it wouldn’t have been worth getting
up earlier. The visibility is pretty bad.
Breakfast is abuzz with expectation though. We board zodiacs soon after and the whole lot of us head
out into the mist. All the guides take their GPS units—just in case the ship disappears from view. The
visibility holds. Essentially we head for Perch Island and spot a good bunch of seals and Adélie penguins. It
turns out to be a fantastic cruise.
Iceberg reflections
Dmitri’s Zodiac in snow and ice.
Photos: Gary Miller
Striking out from the ship we find ourselves in a wonderland of soft light illuminating a myriad of
icebergs. The soft light so accentuates the blues. Sheer faces of sculptured ice with a thick blanket of soft,
fresh snow. In particular, the crevices and holes and deep caves glow with an electric blue as if a light shines
from inside. Everything seems so hushed and quiet and that adds so much to the atmosphere of the cruise.
We bash through the brash and push on to Perch Island or Trout Island. A few zodiacs even get all the way
over to Prospect Point to set foot back on the Antarctic continent—this time in the Peninsula region.
Getting onto a nice floe of ice is always a thrill, but this morning we share the floe with four Crabeater
Seals! They aren’t particular concerned as they look up briefly and then lie back down. Others even see a
mother crabeater with a
young one. Unlike the
four sleeping seals this
mother snarls and blocks
the view to the smaller
one—undoubtedly her
pup.
The bird life is
exciting as well. Adélie
Penguins in the midst of moulting are as mellow as anything. Some of them have been standing in the same
place so long that there’s no hint of tracks around them. They have been immobile for as long as the snow
has been falling—and building up around them to waist level. But the big excitement is the Blue-eyed Shags
(cormorants), just like the penguin chicks, the young shags are freshly independent and eager to investigate
their big wide world. They say curiosity killed the cat, it could certainly do some damage to the shags
when, in their investigations, they fearlessly approach our Zodiac. It’s a good thing we are not hungry
Leopard Seals looking for a fresh shag!
33
Blue-eyed Shags at the Fish Islands
Photos: Wolfram Weber
Newly-fledged juvenile shags approach the Zodiacs
Photos: Alan Burger
Photo: Patrick de Nys
Eventually hunger or the cold—or maybe it’s
our need to press on—draws us back to the ship.
The low visibility and amount of ice dictates that
we start our journey up the Grandidier Channel as
soon as we are all back on board. The afternoon
turns to gazing out onto the slaty sea crowded
with blue and white castles—and the occasional
whale.
Much to our surprise, the evening turns into a
party in its own right. The ships slows to a crawl
and despite the snow, there is little wind as the
kitchen crew produce a marvellous barbeque on
the top deck. Surrounded by the grey mist and
Antarctic environment we enjoy Gluwien and other drinks with a fantastic selection of food from the grills.
What a way to end another brilliant day—but there is more joy to behold. Checking in with the bridge in the
deep darkness of the night there is a fairyland ahead with the strong spotlight guiding our officers and crew.
But it’s the lightly falling snow hanging in the light making a million stars despite the overcast night that
sends me to bed dreaming of more adventure tomorrow at Petermann Island.
34
BARBEQUE in the SNOW!
35
Monday March 9th. Petermann Island, Lemaire Channel and Port Lockroy
Noon position: 65º 03’S 63º 55’W; Wind SSW Force 3; Sea state 1; Air +3ºC.
It is snowing as the Ortelius pulls up alongside Petermann Island and we begin loading Zodiacs to go
ashore. The big mountains on the Antarctic Peninsula are occasionally visible through the clouds to the east
of us. Gentoo Penguins are our hosts at this landing – the first we’ve seen of this species on our voyage. And
there are several thousand ashore – a mix of large chicks and adults. Most of the chicks have just a few
wisps of their baby down remaining and they are preparing to go to sea for the first time. The shallow pool
near the refuge hut is a good place to practice swimming and porpoising, safe from Leopard Seals. The
adults are mostly in various stages of moult – some just arrived looking fat and sleek, ready for a 3-week
fast during the moult, others are standing quietly with drifts of shed feathers all around them, and a few have
their moult complete and are set for the winter to come.
Gentoo Penguin chicks almost ready for the sea
Antarctic Fur Seal
Photos: Alan Burger
We revel in the freedom of being able to walk and walk after days on the ship. The softly falling snow and
calm air add a sense of serenity to the place, despite the intense activity of the penguins. All around one sees
people sitting quietly with curious Gentoo chicks gathered about them, often plucking at bits of clothing.
Two male fur seals provide an adrenaline rush with their mock charges. These seals are a long way from
their usual breeding areas farther north but now, with the breeding season completed, they are free to wander
at will. The hours whizz by and too soon we are back at the Zodiacs and heading for the ship.
Communing with Gentoos at Petermann Island
Photos: Alan Burger
But more excitement is literary just around the corner as the Ortelius enters Lemaire Channel. This icechoked fjord is squeezed between towering mountains, rising steeply to disappear into the misty clouds.
36
Lemaire Channel
Photos: Alan Burger
Third mate Janke steers our ship on a slalom
course down the channel, skilfully avoiding
the many icebergs. Sleepy seals peer up at us
as we glide by and dozens of tiny Wilson’s
Storm Petrels flutter over the surface seeking
minute prey items. The lofty mountains on our
right (east) are part of the continent but those
on our left, rising to almost 1000 m, are on
Booth Island. The glacier-carved sea floor
beneath us is well over 200 m deep in most
places. Huge glaciers hang from the steep
slopes, twisted and shattered, with crevasses
that one could drive a bus into.
Port Lockroy is our next stop, right after lunch. This historic British base, built in the 1940s as a WWII post
for listening to German radio-traffic, is perched precariously on Goudier Island, almost surrounded by the
massive glacier wall and tall mountains of Wiencke Island. After the war this served as a research base for
the Falkland Islands Dependency Survey (now the British Antarctic Survey) but was abandoned in the
1960s. Carefully restored by the U.K. Antarctic Heritage Trust this now serves as a museum, post office
….... and shop. With fired-up credit cards clutched in sweaty palms our retail-deprived company invades.
Our purchasing spree is so successful that they have to close up shop – and we now have the three
museum/shop keepers, along with six Malaysian scientists, as welcome guests on our way to Ushuaia.
Port Lockroy viewed from Jougla Point ….. where killer Gentoo chicks attack unsuspecting visitors. Photos: Alan Burger
37
Tuesday March 10th. Melchior Islands and Drake Passage
Noon position: 64º 20’S 63º 01’W; Wind SW Force 4; Sea state 2; Air +2C.
Our plans for an early morning visit to Neko Harbour are blown away with 40 knot winds and ice choking
the passage. So the Ortelius is turned about and we head northwest across Gerlache Strait. The high peaks of
the Antarctic Peninsula are occasionally visible through gaps in the surrounding low cloud.
As we reach the snow-capped Melchior Islands,
the Antarctic weather deals us another card and this
time it is a winner – it is relatively calm and we
launch Zodiacs to explore. Humpback Whales are
immediately encountered and for the next hour we
sit enthralled as these big beasts surface and dive,
continuously feeding, often close to us. Cameras
click franticly each time one emerges from the
depths, huge mouth agape to engulf a ton or more
of water and the krill it contains. Water squirts
through the baleen plates and out the sides or the
massive mouth as the whale filters out the krill.
Then it hunches its massive body and its tail rises into the air as another dive begins. Flocks of birds
(Antarctic Fulmars, Kelp Gulls and the occasional Antarctic Tern) follow the whales, dipping down to
snatch up the krill that the whales drive to the surface.
Photos: Alan Burger
More whales arrive. Scattered around the bay we can see six or more, singly or in pairs, blowing and
diving. What a wonderful way to end our Antarctic outings!
38
Photo: Jim Anderson
As we leave the shelter of the islands we begin to feel the movement of the open sea – but it is tolerable
and there are things to see. With the snowy dome of Smith Island to our starboard, providing our last
glimpse of Antarctic land, there are more Humpbacks and also groups of Fin Whales. More seabirds too,
including those masters of the open ocean – Grey-headed and Black-browed albatrosses.
Wednesday March 11th. At sea – Drake Passage
Noon position: 60º 14’S 64º 49’W; Wind S Force 5; Sea state 5; Air +4C.
By Gary Miller:
Roll on sweet Drake Roll on. Last night had a few deep rolls—gently but deep enough to make us want to
hang on to our beds, but generally we passed the night comfortably. Waking this morning the day continues
with light winds and a gentle sea. Looking out over the steel-grey sea it’s clear that we do not have a
“Drake Lake”, but the swell we have is long and low and very sleep inducing. Being out in the middle where
the water is deep, but especially because there is so little wind, our friends the albatrosses don’t seem so
evident this morning. That’s a good excuse to tear ourselves away from watching from the bridge or
downloading photos for a little diversion with Jim in the morning.
Cape Petrel and Northern Giant Petrel – common birds of the Drake Passage. Photos: Alan Burger
39
Jim gives an interesting talk about the personalities and therefore leadership styles of Scott, Shackleton
and Amundsen. Using diary entries from contemporaries who served under one or more of them, Jim gives
us his insights on how they are different and the choices or events that define their styles of leadership. It
strikes some of us that it is a very anglo-centric version of what defines leadership, but the exercise to
contemplate those differences is very interesting and instructive.
After the morning talk, the day continues its lazy way and simply rolls on toward lunch. Walking around
and visiting the bridge and bar it seems that we must have left half our contingent at Port Lockroy with the
Gentoos – there seems to be a lack of population around the ship. But the lunch call belies that impression.
There is no lack of people once the food is on!
After lunch, the birds sail past at about 5 individuals per hour. The diversity has been good, but the
numbers are ridiculously low. It’s siesta time anyway. Midway through the afternoon, we rouse ourselves
for James’ talk on Climate Change where he tells us about the problems facing us in the near future with
CO2 emissions, methane emissions and the continued use of fossil fuels. It seems the biggest issue is too
many people. I guess the earth will survive whatever happens but life (or society) as we know it will struggle
through some difficult times. Even a rise of temperature of just 2.4° C may cause the irrevocable melting of
the Greenland Ice Cap and raise sea level a cool 7 meters. That will drown many island nations and coastal
areas. Andean glaciers would melt and leave 10 million people without water. Trying to stop the rise in
temperature begins to look like the simplest solution once you begin cataloguing all the repercussions.
The evening recap looks to tomorrow and the next day—our day of departure. The weather continues to
be moderate, though the wind has risen to 40 knots and more. The sea is beginning to follow suit as it builds
up a bit too. Tomorrow we must pay our bills and turn in our boots and life jackets. But we receive a nice
certificate for our voyage, signed by Expedition Leader Don and Captain Tuomo. Each even has an imprint
of the ship’s stamp. Dinner approaches and the day winds down.
Thursday March 12th. Drake Passage, Cape Horn, Beagle Channel
Noon position: 56º 28’S 66º 18’W; Wind WSS Force 6; Sea state 6; Air +11C.
The Drake is treating us kindly. We have 30+ knot headwinds and some
lumpy swells but Ortelius is handling these well and we are making
good headway northwards. And it is a balmy 11ºC outside – we haven’t
had air temperatures like this since New Zealand. It is a day of
organization: handing back gumboots and life-jackets, getting
information about disembarkation, swapping photos and, of course,
settling those bar bills. But there is time for staring out across the sea,
already missing those wonderful icebergs that were our regular
companions for many weeks now. Some seabirds come by – we are not
far from Diego Ramirez Island where many Black-browed Albatrosses
breed. The most elegant of them all, Wandering Albatrosses, soar by,
using the powerful winds for effortless travel.
Jim shares his experiences in that other polar region – the Arctic,
including his terrifying encounter with a Polar Bear while skiing in
Svalbard.
Black-browed Albatross (Alan Burger)
In the afternoon we hear from Liesl, our Port Lockroy hitchhiker, about her experiences living and
working at the South Pole Station. She spent an incredible 13 seasons at the South Pole including a season as
winter base commander. A fascinating insider’s look at this unique Antarctic post.
Later we approach Cape Horn and the relative shelter of the Tierra del Fuego islands. Sadly we bid
farewell to our helicopter crew who have provided us with such amazing opportunities in Antarctica.
40
Friday March 13th. Beagle Channel and Ushuaia
Position: 54º 48’S 68º 20’W;
Early risers get to experience the mountain-rimmed Beagle Channel in the early-morning twilight. Breakfast
finds us in Ushuaia. Sadly our expedition is ending. We say farewell to the crew, Oceanwide staff and our
fellow-passengers. New friendships have been bonded over many days of sea travel and shared icy
adventures. Over the past 31 days Antarctica has lifted its veil to give us glimpses of its beauty, power and
mystery. Many of us will be back again!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oceanwide staff OTL26
Don McFadzien
Expedition Leader
Jim Mayer
Assistant Expedition Leader
Gary Miller (Naturalist)
Alan Burger (Naturalist)
Rutker Stellke
Ship’s Doctor
Dmitri Banin (Naturalist)
Carol Knot
Historian
James Cresswell
Geologist
Robert McGillivray
Hotel Manager
41
Dejan (DJ) Nikolic
Assistant Hotel Manager
I CAN NOT SLEEP
By Diane Howard Langlois
March 5, 2015
The guides are smart, the E.L. grand, the flying team so handsome,
But there really is a problem on the ship, and its quite troublesome.
The days are fine, I must confirm, the evenings glorious as well,
But when I go upstairs to shut my door, I enter into a private hell.
I CAN NOT SLEEP, I CAN NOT SLEEP, keeps running through my head,
And with the constant light and moving ship, I've come to hate my bed.
When everyone has finally finished dinner and everyone's been fed,
I go alone to cabin 524 and live each night with dread.
The voyage is good, the food is great, the company exceptional,
But there really is one small problem, and it seems so very trivial,
The days are fun, the seas have been calm, the animals do appear,
But at the end of the day, I have to say, it’s the nighttime I do fear.
The ship does rock, the ship does roll, and much to my dismay,
It means I CAN NOT SLEEP, as to why I can not say.
Instead I toss and turn, the mattress is way too firm,
And the ship keeps rolling all night long, from the bow right to the stern.
I think the Captain, crew and guides must toss and turn as well,
But alas sleep eludes me with every crest and swell,
No pills, no tonic, no gin or the divine, can make me rest or sleep sublime,
I CAN NOT SLEEP for all I think, perhaps I should have had more to drink.
The Adélies, Kings and Leopard Seals sleep peacefully tonight,
They really do not care of my poor retched flight,
To be furthest south is really quite a feat, yet still I can not sleep
For this I completely admit defeat, lying in bed in a crumpled heap.
The pillows are odd and way too lumpy, I know this lack of sleep is making me pretty grumpy.
Midnight has once again come and gone, and yet the sun still shines on and on,
Everything quiet, everyone asleep, ready to be happy and in the morning greet.
But that tired poor soul on the fifth floor, the one that would love to snore,
Perhaps sweet dreams are not hers to own, until she is once again at home.
The engine rumbles, as does the floor, it is easy to see the light shining beneath my door,
The light snaps on, the light snaps off, as I lay listening to the ticking of that damn watch.
Amundsen, Shackleton, Mawson and Scott, all over wintered in a small and tiny hut,
My cabin is luxurious but warm with no air, I really can not sleep, it seems so very unfair.
The ship’s too hot, the ship’s too cold, the air is far too dry,
I toss right, I toss left, but sleeps alludes me so damn much that surely I will die.
Perhaps there are others on this ship, that suffer just as I, on each and every deck from three right up to five.
The cold, one nostril blocked the other free, of course I can not sleep. Oh god help poor old me.
The sheets gathered up, the sheets thrown off, as the ship dips into another trough.
I know I will soon be like a bird, freely flying north,
I already smile at the thought of my dog right by the porch,
But as soon as that key turns to open up the door
I will already be dreaming of Antarctic's icy shores.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
42
43
Recommended wildlife book on the Antarctic
Shirihai, Hadoram. 2007. A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife. 2nd Edition. A. & C. Black, London. The
definitive guide for Antarctic wildlife. Has descriptions of popular sites too. Excellent in all respects.
Recommended history books on the Antarctic Peninsula
• The Storied Ice: Exploration, Discovery, and Adventure in Antarctica’s Peninsula Region, by Joan
N. Boothe (2011). The only detailed book focusing exclusively on the Antarctic Peninsula. Very thorough
and complete; can be a bit heavy-going!
• Let Heroes Speak: Antarctic Explorers 1772 – 1922, by Michael H. Rosove (2000). This covers the
entire Heroic Age (1895 – 1917; also before & slightly after) in Antarctica and uses direct quotations from
explorers’ diaries. Strongly recommended.
• Frozen Footprints, by John Harrison. The author has visited many sites in the Antarctic Peninsula region
and describes how they are today, accompanied by detailed flashbacks to the days of discovery and
exploration.
• Through the First Antarctic Night, by Dr. Frederick Cook (1900). Cook (& Amundsen) kept nearly all of
Gerlache’s men alive for the 13 months they were stuck in the ice on Belgica, drifting south of the Antarctic
Circle.
• Quinze Mois dans l’Antarctique (Fifteen Months in the Antarctic, 1902), by Adrien de Gerlache.
Gerlache was leader of the Belgian Antarctic expedition (1897 – 99).
• Antarctica, by Otto Nordenskjold and Johan Gunnar Andersson. Written immediately after
Nordenskjöld’s 1901–03 expedition; the title is taken from the name of his ship.
• Le ‘Français’ au Pole Sud (The ‘Français’ at the South Pole, 1906), by Jean Baptiste Charcot. This is a
lively account of Charcot’s first Antarctic expedition (1903 – 05) on Français.
• Southern Lights, by John Rymill, about his British Graham Land Expedition, 1934-37. Original edition
published in 1939, reprints in 1986 and 2011 (available from the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust,
www.ukaht.org/)
Shackleton Reading List Suggestions
From the Heroic Age of exploration:
• The Heart of the Antarctic – Ernest Shackleton. Ghost-written account of Shackleton’s Nimrod
expedition of 1907.
• South: The Endurance – Ernest Shackleton. Ghost-written account of Endurance expedition.
• Endurance – F.A. Worsley. A very readable account of the Endurance expedition by Shackleton’s great
friend and navigator, Frank Worsley.
• Shackleton’s Boat Journey – F.A. Worsley. Focus on the rescue mission of the James Caird – Elephant
Island to South Georgia.
• Shackleton A Life in Poetry – by a certain Jim Mayer, a well-known character on this ship. Tells the
story of the explorer through the verses he loved, used to motivate his men and wrote home to his wife and
mistresses. This new biography reveals previously un-published material. (Editor’s recommendation!)
• Scott, Shackleton and Amundsen – David Thomson. An easy and refreshing read, comparing these
three very different men’s exploration styles.
• Endurance – Alfred Lansing. Another easy and interesting read, specifically on the Endurance
expedition.
• Shackleton – Roland Huntford. Somewhat heavyweight, but definitive tome on Shackleton the man, as
well as Shackleton the Explorer. Worth reading both for its serious analysis and juicy anecdotes!
• The Endurance – Caroline Alexander. A lively read – be cautious about factual details however.
• Mrs Chippy’s Last Expedition: The Remarkable Journal of Shackleton’s Polar-Bound Cat –
Caroline Alexander. This is wonderful! A fictional account of the Endurance expedition told by the ship’s
cat…Surprising insights into the behaviour of the humans on board.
• Shackleton’s Forgotten Men – Lennard Bickel. An excellent account of what was going on in the Ross
Sea region during Endurance’s adventures. The Aurora took down a group of men to lay depots for
Shackleton’s trans-Antarctic crossing; of course, he never came. This is their tragic and moving story.
• Polar Castaways: The Ross Sea Party of Sir Ernest Shackleton - Richard McElrea.
44
• The Ross Sea Shore Party 1914 – 17- Richard W. Richards. Dick Richard’s account (important
member of Ross Sea Shore Party).
• The Lost Men: The Harrowing Saga of Shackleton’s Ross Sea Party -Kelly Tyler-Lewis.
German Translations:
• The Endurance – Caroline Alexander = Die Endurance - Shackletons legendäre Expedition in die
Antarktis
• Endurance – Alfred Lansing = 635 Tage im Eis: Die Shackleton-Expedition von Alfred Lansing,
Franca Fritz, Heinrich Koop und Kristian Lutze.
• Mrs Chippy’s Last Expedition: The Remarkable Journal of Shackleton’s Polar-Bound Cat –
Caroline Alexander = Mrs. Chippys letzte Fahrt in die Antarktis. Das bisher unentdeckte Tagebuch
von Shackletons Schiffskatze.
Amundsen & Scott
• The last Viking – the Life of Roald Amundsen by Stephen R. Brown.
• The South Pole – an Account of the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition in the ‘Fram’, 1910-1912. By
Roald Amundsen (translated by A.G. Charter). 1912.
• Scott’s Last Expedition/The Voyage of the Discovery – very well-written and readable account by
Scott himself.
• The Last place on Earth/Scott and Amundsen by Roland Huntford – very detailed and well-researched
account of Scott and Amundsen’s famous race to the Pole. A great supporter of Amundsen and a great
debunker of Scott.
• Captain Scott by Ranulph Fiennes – A much easier read
than Huntford’s tome; sets out to debunk the debunking of
Scott and vindicate his heroic reputation.
• The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
– A wonderfully written account of Scott’s last expedition,
with emphasis on Cherry-Garrard/Wilson/Bowers’ winter
journey to Cape Crozier for emperor penguin eggs.
Novels and first-person modern accounts on
Antarctica
• The Nature of Ice by Robyn Mundy. Two interwoven tales
of a modern photographer who spends a summer on an
Antarctic Station. The author uses Frank Hurley’s photos for
inspiration, so the story alternates with a true telling of Douglas
Mawson’s 1911-1914 expedition.
• Antarctica by Kim Stanley-Robinson – a sci-fi, futuristic,
political novel set against a backdrop of one version of a future
Antarctica. Highly recommended.
• Skating to Antarctica by Jenny Diski – a compelling
account of a journey to Antarctica and an inner journey of the
spirit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
45
Penguins - painting by Annette Rehr
OTL26 Voyage route maps
46
Ross Sea routes
47
Taylor Valley – McMurdo Dry Valleys
48
Antarctic Peninsula – route and outings
49
50