Day 7:
As had become the norm in the past few days, beautiful early morning
light turned overcast & then the wind picked up on the morning of 20th
March. The weather deteriorated so much in a short space of time that we had to
abort our trip to a nearby island, as the swell was too great to get off the
ship & into the zodiacs safely.
So we carried on south taking in the scenery, very few birds were in
evidence.
Everything changed for the better in the afternoon. We enjoyed a
wonderful zodiac ride in the bay, highlights being superb scenery; Leopard Seal
resting on ice & a plethora of Antarctic Terns giving excellent views.
Then we landed at Mickleson Harbour & what a delight it was! There
was a large Gentoo Penguin colony, complete with its hangers on of Southern
Giant Petrels; both large Skuas & lots of Snowy Sheathbills. We managed to
pick out a lone Chinstrap Penguin among the throng.
Then we watched as a Leopard Seal caught a Penguin in the sea. It threw
it around a fair bit, with lots of pieces of the penguin flying everywhere.
What was surprising to me was the seven Wilson’s Storm Petrels that flew in,
picking up tiny morsels from the water.
Slightly later we found five Weddell Seals resting on the snow &
they started to sing! It sounded like an old radio being turned in. It was an
amazing experience enjoyed by all.
Back on the ship just getting all our gear sorted out when five Humpback
& two Southern Right Whales appeared
& gave us a bit of a show. A great ending to the day.
Day 8:
Up before dawn on 21st March as we were entering the very
scenic La Mare Channel. One has to be up early in order to get all your cold
weather gear on to brave the elements out on deck. Today is also my daughter
Clare’s birthday! Managed to send her a SMS when we had a signal for a
nano-second!
The channel did not disappoint. It really was something special. A
Humpbacked Whale paid us a brief visit as well. Birds were thin on the ground
apart from the many Antarctic Terns fishing.
Then it was time to land at Port Chalot. This is a desolate spot on the
map! We landed without incident but the rocks were covered in ice & snow,
too treacherous for me to walk easily. So I stayed put in the cold & Delana
went along the shore & found an Adele penguin in among the numerous
Gentoos.
As the wind picked up it was time to get off this rock! Into the zodiacs
we went & we got soaked all the way across! Freezing waves continually
hitting us in the face & flooding the boat. By the time we arrived at the
ship everyone was numb with cold. Time to strip off, get a hot shower & try
& dry all our clothes.
As we headed out to the open ocean the weather really deteriorated, gale
force winds, huge waves & even ice falling from the ship as we shuddered
into the next wave. In the entire afternoon we saw two species of bird, but was
of them was very special a Snow Petrel!
Time to enjoy an early night tucked up in bed! Let us see what the
morrow brings!
Day 9:
The 22nd March was all about crossing the Polar Circle. Very
few ships get this far south, so this was a first time event for even some of
the Oceanwide staff. Of course being so far south it gets light much later
here, so when we crossed the imaginary line it was still dark. The weather
wasn’t too good either, gale force winds with driving sleet & snow
flurries.
Birds & mammals were in short supply as well, so it was time to
watch the scenery go by through the window of our cabin.
All activities were cancelled for the day & we headed out to sea for
the safety of the open ocean. There it really got rough! Huge swells ruled
& as we entered the open ocean I spotted a Snow Petrel but due to the
rolling waves only managed a shot of the cabin ceiling!
To mark the crossing of the Polar (Antarctic) Circle we enjoyed free
drinks over dinner in the evening.
Day 10:
It was a rough night out at sea & I managed only intermittent sleep.
However, as dawn broke we found ourselves anchored in the apparent calm (er)
waters of the Magellan Straits .& throughout the morning we sailed steadily
northwards.
The scenery was once again quite stunning but little wildlife was seen.
I saw a distant Snow Petrel which was too far to get a photo of.
The wonderful weather & scenery continued into the afternoon &
we did a zodiac cruise around the bay close to the Garlish Striats. (between
Anvers & Brabent Islands). Just before we got on the water a pack of five
Orcas were spotted & we had great views from the ship. They stayed around
& we powered across to them in the zodiacs. They had killed a seal &
were sharing the meat between the group. In total at least seven Orcas were in
the pack. Ten Wilson’s Storm-Petrels were scavenging the morsels around the
whales.
We then discovered a Leopard Seal on a small iceberg, which gave
phenomenal views. On motoring further around the sound we saw four Crabeater
Seals hauled up on an ice flow & to the left of them was another Leopard
Seal. Both species gave awesome views. We arrived back on board the ship dry!
Which is a rare event in these waters!
Evening was spent sailing northwards amid spectacular scenery. Think
snow covered mountains & lots of icebergs of all shapes & sizes. The
only wildlife of note were seven Humpback Whales seen while enjoying dinner.
Day 11:
24th March saw us at sea just off Deception Island. We then
went through Neptune’s Bellows (a narrow, dramatic entrance) into the flooded
caldera beyond. Once through the sea was calm & we could see around 80+
Imperial Cormorants & lots of Kelp Gulls sat on the nearby cliffs.
Unfortunately, yet again the weather turned against us. With low cloud, dark
skies & constant rain. We jumped
into the zodiacs & quickly made it to shore, landing on a fine ash lava
beach.
We landed close to the old whaling station & quickly made our way to
the site of the abandoned British Antarctic Research Station. All the buildings
were in a dilapidated condition & it looked a forlorn scene.
We walked parallel to the beach seeing patches of green vegetation
dotted with Antarctic Fur Seals & the odd Gentoo Penguin. The fur seals
were all young ones, with the adults already back at sea this late in the
season. Some young males were sparring half-heartedly on the beach. It could
have ben a nice walk, but it was spoiled by the poor conditions: persistent
rain keeping my camera firmly in its bag.
Then we were back on board & before long sailing northwards in the
lee of Livingston Island. Both Black-browed & Grey-headed Albatross were
seen as were Southern Giant Petrels.
Just before dark we had around 32 Wilson’s Storm Petrels purposefully
flying north low over the ocean. As we headed out into the Drake Passage the
sea became very rough!
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