Tuesday, March 29, 2016 - Making progress

It is late evening and we are slowly making our way to the Beagle Channel and Ushuaia. The Polar Pioneer should be docked around 7 AM. The crossing has been with very calm seas, clear skies and temperatures in the low 50s.

The only travel information that we have received is that we are all on an Argentinian Airlines flight to Buenos Aires that leaves Ushuaia at 1:45 PM and arrives in Buenos Aires at 5:15 PM. Hopefully sometime tomorrow I will find out the arrangements from there to home. I believe that there is an overnight Delta flight from there to Atlanta. I am beyond ready to be home. I hope to be home on Thursday or Friday at the latest.

Today was a day over reading and relaxing. I did spend a fair amount of time outside on the Bridge deck. I finished my fifth book of the trip today. I should have realized but didn't how much of the time we were at sea. Out total miles at sea is approaching 3,500 and at an average of 10-11 miles per hour that is a lot of down time.

ILYB

Monday, March 28, 2016 - No one will believe this

At breakfast this morning it was announced that things looked good for our flight out to Santiago this evening. Needless to say we were all very pleased. A bus took many of us into town for the morning with instructions that everyone must be back for lunch at 12:30 and further instructions. I had been to town three times so I decided to stay on board and read. I am on my fifth book of the trip.

Rumors were rampant in town that the airport would not open today and unfortunately were confirmed with the added news that in all likelihood it would not open until Thursday if then. Now for the kind of good news. The management team decided not to wait anymore and we are now sailing to Ushuaia which was our starting point. We should arrive there mid Wednesday morning. I will not be advised of a flight itinerary until we get to the port. Aurora Expeditions is taking care of flight arrangements for everyone. The earliest I will get home will be Friday.

Once again I cannot heap enough praise on Aurora, both here on the ship and the home office in Sydney. They have gone way above and beyond in their efforts to keep us happy and informed. There has never been any comments on how difficult this is for them or any mention of additional costs. I will certainly be using Aurora again.

ILYB

Sunday, March 27, 2016 - Happy Easter and another day in Stanley

Just before I was ready to hit the sack last night an annoucement was made that we would not be flying out today. A bus tour was set up this morning to a local bay to view some of the local wildlife. I decided to skip it and instead I walked into town to attend Easter Mass. How many times will I be in Stanley in the Falkland Islands for Easter? I left before breakfast and got into town about 8:30. The breakfast place that I planned to eat was closed so I walked up to the church to confirm the Mass time. I arrived just as the eight o'clock Mass was letting out and was able to confirm the second Mass at ten. But then Karma; I was invited to the Parish Easter breakfast. How cool was that? After Mass I walked back to the ship.

After lunch another bus trip was scheduled to tour a large sheep farm. The farm is named "Long Island Farm". It is actually located on an island and was founded and run by Glenda and Neil Watson and is 23,000 acres in size. There is a lot of peat on the island and many people still use it for heating as does the farm. We were given a demonstration of harvesting and drying peat. Then there was a demonstration of herding sheep with a sheep dog followed by a shearing demonstration. The tour ended with tea and homemade pasteries. It was a very enjoyable afternoon.

Just before dinner it was announced that we should be able to depart tomorrow. It will not be official until the Military officially reopens the airport, hopefully first thing in the morning. Our plane is coming from Santiago and will not leave there until the airport is open. It is a six hour flight from Santiago to Stanley. It appears that we will be departing Stanley around 8 PM which puts us in Santiago at 2 AM Tuesday morning. Unfortunately no further flight arrangements can be made until the flight to Santiago is confirmed. It is certainly going to be interesting.

I cannot heap enough praise on Aurora Expeditions. They have continued to take care of everyone even though the trip has ended and our current circumstances have nothing to do with them. There has been absolutely no mention of additional costs. I will highly recommend them.

ILYB

    Harvesting peat

    The Falklands Conflict Memorial

    There are still mines left over from the Argentinian invasion

Saturday, March 26, 2016 - Good news and bad news

Happy Birthday Mark Vieira!

The good news: we finally arrived in Port Stanley. The bad news: the airport is closed due to very high winds and we will not be departing Stanley today. He airport is a military airport, not a civilian airport and the military calls all the shots. We received the news right after breakfast and just before our 90 minute tour of Stanley. The tour was something short of OK and we were all dropped off in the town center. The Falklands are the size of Connecticut with a population of about 2,500 most of whom are in Stanley.

I did have phone service so I was able to talk to Andy about the situation and catch up a little. He will will be updating Peggy and Claire with news that I will be sending via text. Who would have ever thought that my primary means of communication would be via texting? I was also able to cancel my hotel reservation in Santiago for tonight. Nothing else can be done until we know when we are able to leave Stanley.

I walked around Stanley with Paul and we stopped at the Visitors Center, the two churches in town and the museum which was closing ten minutes after we arrived due to a wedding being held there. We then stopped at a pub for a couple of brews from the local brewery. Paul stayed in town ad I walked back to the ship rather than wait for the bus. The walk was about 2 1/2 miles. It was great to get in even a little exercise. 

We will be staying on the ship and will be fed three meals a day as long as we are here. We will receive an update in the morning. 

ILYB 

    Stanley sign post

    A local sculpture made with real whale bones

    St. Mary's Catholic Church

    An interesting memorial. "She is not dead, but sleepeth." I wish!!!

Friday, March 25, 2016 - Yet another day at sea

The original plan was for the Polar Pioneer to arrive in Port Stanley in the late afternoon today. However, due to the very strong winds from the west since we left South Georgia our speed has been reduced and we are now expected to arrive at the port between five and seven tomorrow morning. In good conditions the ship run between ten and eleven knots per hour but for most of the crossing our forward speed has been between eight and nine knots. It's been slow going.

After breakfast all of the passengers attended a Disembarkation Meeting. When we docked Customs Officials would board the ship and check our passports. We would then leave the ship with our carry on luggage and take a 90 minute bus tour of the island. We would receive a sack lunch and head to the airport for another trip through Customs, check our bags and board our flight to Santiago with a stop in Punta Arenas. I am ready to head home. As always with me when a trip is over I can't get home soon enough.

This afternoon we were treated to "The Voyage Slideshow" which was put together by a group of volunteer passengers. They collected pictures from who ever wanted to donate and did a PowerPoint presentation put to music. It was great and several of the passengers are excellent photographers.

Just before dinner was the "Captains Farewell" with spiked and unspiked punch for all. Most of the crew spoke of the trip and were all thanked by the passengers.

ILYB

Thursday, March 24, 2016 - You guessed it; another rough day

In anticipation of another rough night last night I asked Nigel, the ship's Doctor for a couple of sleep aid tablets which worked great until about 3:00 AM when I was nearly knocked from my bed by an apparently large wave. That was it for my sleep for the night.

Carol's talk this morning was titled "Ice Maidens - Women in Antarctica". The first women in the Antarctic region were the wife's and daughters of the managers of several of the whaling stations. None of the other men were permitted to bring their wifes along. The first women researchers and explorers were not given the opportunity or chance to come to the Antarctic until the 1960s. Today several of the research stations are lead by women. The first woman to reach the South Pole was in the 80s.

John's talk in the afternoon was about Krill and its importance as a food source to whales and also there is some netting of krill which is mostly processed as an additive to animal feed.

Just before dinner we all met in the bar and split into teams for "The Great Antarctic and South Georgia  Quiz". My team consisted of Paul (Switzerland), Jim (New Zealand), Ken (Great Britain), Louis (South Africa) and Gary (Arizona). We called ourselves the Sexy Sixties. We finished fourth out of six teams. 

Another rough night is expected.

ILYB

Wednesday, March 23, 2016 - A very "rough sea" day

Last night was crazy rough with seas reported at 18-20'. I'm sure that I slept some but I sure don't remember anything other than being bounced around in my bunk all night. Fortunately no seasickness for me but many others were no so lucky. My guess is that only half of the passengers made it down to breakfast.

This morning John gave a lecture on "Whales and Whaling". It's amazing that there are any whales left considering how for nearly sixty years they were caught at a rate that assumed an infinite supply. The afternoon lecture was given by Carol was was titled "The Life and Times of James Weddell". The Weddell Sea is named for him and as all of his contemporaries he was tough as nails.

After dinner there was an auction to benefit the South Georgia Heritage Trust. Items included posters, penguin carvings, books and various clothing. I did not participate as I had no room for any extra baggage and also there was nothing that really interested me.

Hopefully a better night tonight but that is highly unlikely. 

ILYB

Tuesday, March 22, 2016 - Last day in South Georgia

The Polar Pioneer anchored in Fortuna Bay last night so there were no big swells which always means a restful night.

There were a few passengers who were unable to hike from Fortuna Bay to Stromness yesterday so the staff announced last evening that they could do the hike this morning and the ship would cruise over to Stromness to pick them up. I was tempted to go again but the weather forecast was not good so I decided against it. A wise choice as it was cold, windy and nearly completely fogged in. So after breakfast in the Bay we headed east to Stromness arriving at about 10:00. The sea was very rough and the crew had some problems launching the Zodiacs. 

The ship then began the 800 mile four day crossing to The Port of Stanley in the Falkland Islands with a scheduled stop at Prion Island (still in South Georgia) which was about 2 1/2 hours to the west. Prion Island is the home to many nesting Albatrosses and the South Georgia government has installed a boardwalk so visitors could get relatively close without disturbing the birds. Conditions got progressively worse and we were unable to stop let alone get close.

Conditions were not expected to get any better for the entire crossing to the Falklands.

ILYB

Monday, March 21, 2016 - Truly a day of "Following Shackleton'sFootsteps"

Wake up at 5:30; breakfast at 6:00. One thing that I haven't yet mentioned is in anticipation of poor quality coffee on board ship I bought a large quantity of Starbucks Via Italian Roast. And a wise decision it was as the coffee is Nescafé instant. I have had sufficient to share with Paul each morning so we have two "coffee happy campers" on board. I also want to mention that Paul has been a great roommate and getting to know him has enhanced the whole experience.

The Polar Pioneer entered Fortuna Bay and anchored as breakfast was wrapping up. Today we were to follow Shackleton's route from Fortuna Bay to Stromness Bay and the whaling station where he finally reached help. It would be another 5 1/2 months before everyone was rescued. The skies were mostly clear and the temperature was a balmy 45 degrees. We waited at the landing zone until all four Zodiacs were unloaded and we received our briefing. The jist of the briefing was that we were all to stick together and walk on rocks instead of grass when possible. The hike was just short of five miles.

The initial half mile or so was fairly steep but then the grades slackened up a bit nod then it was relatively flat for awhile. The views were fantastic but the best part for me was knowing I was following in the footsteps of one of my life's heroes. It's hard to believe that I am actually here. With Peg gone it was an amazing day of extreme emotional highs and lows. Many a tear was shed; mostly happy tears.

After about 3 1/2 miles I came over a slight rise and got my first view of Stromness Bay and the Stromness Whaling Station which was Shackleton's goal. Shackleton's day was very foggy with virtually zero visibility. He knew he had to be close but really wasn't sure until the 7:00 AM work horn was sounded at the station. Can you imagine how the three of them felt? We started the steep descent and near the glacier alluvial plain we got to see a waterfall that Shackleton and his men had to repel down. If only they were able to see their descent would have been much easier. 

From that point to the Stromness beach we could hike on our own and I took the opportunity to separate myself from the group (imagine that) and try to reflect on the happenings of the last five months. About 1/4 mile from the end I left the allevial plain and climbed to a rock formation about 150' above the plain with a great view of the Bay and Whaling Station. I found a rock to sit on and spent about a half an hour contemplating what was and what was to be. Unfortunately no great revelations came my way but The Beav was certainly with me. A truly great morning.

The ship had come around from Fortuna Bay to Stromness Bay to pick us up and shortly after getting back on board lunch was served. After lunch we headed back to Fortuna Bay to go ashore, opposite of our morning landing point, for another shore walk among Fur Seals and King Penguins. I must admit it was extremely anticlimactic.

ILYB

    Fortuna Bay 

    Louis (South Africa) and I overlooking Fortuna Bay 

    First view of Stromness

    Shackleton's "falls"

    Stromness from the ship

March 20, 2016 - Gold Harbor, Cooper Bay & Drygalski Fjord

Yet another fantastic day. Up at 5:30 and breakfast at 6:00 and in the Zodiacs at 6:45 for the trip into Gold Harbor and a beach landing.

Gold Harbor is the home of a King Penguin colony. There were literally thousands of pairs of King Penguins, along with many Fur Seals and several Elephant Seals. Many of the Kings had already laid their eggs, one each, and were already incubating them. The males and females take turns. The egg is rested on their feet and then it is cover with what is basically a layer of belly fat. Who ever is not with the egg goes into the sea for food. The incubation period is four months. While there I was able to hike to a higher point where I got a great view of the entire beach.

After lunch the ship headed to Cooper Bay and a colony of Macaroni Penguins. They were not easily accessible and we had to climb a hill and view the from above. Each group spent about an hour there and then we had a Zodiac cruise in and around the bay to see more isolated groups of Macaroni Penguins and also to just see the sights.

We all returned to the ship and the Captain headed to, Drygalski Fjord. For me this turned out to be the highlight of the day. The fjord is located at the very eastern end of South Georgia and runs inland for 4-5 miles. The mountains came right down to the water and I spotted at least a dozen glaciers. At the very end of the fjord was a huge glacier and the ship got to within a hundred yards of it. We did get to see a few carvings. It was extremely windy and cold but I spent most of the time on the bow deck.

ILYB 

    King Penguins 

    Elephant Seals 

    Macaroni Penguins 

    In Drygalski Fjord

    The end of Drygalski Fjord 

March 19, 2016 - A day in NE South Georgia Island

This was our busiest day to date and it was fantastic! And I'm sure that I will sleep well tonight. Last night the Polar Pioneer anchored just outside of Penguin Bay. The wake up call was at 5:30 this morning with breakfast at 6:00. I was in the first Zodiac at 7:00 that was headed into Ocean Harbor which was a whaling station between 1912 and 1923 when it was dismantled and moved to another location on the island. There are still some remnants of the operation and also a ship wreck that they apparently tried to get out of the harbor but were unsuccessful.

The weather was rapidly clearing and the temperature was 38. I joined a group of about twenty for a hike up above the harbor. The group pretty much split up and I must say that it was nice to wander by myself. I believe that I ended up about 800' above the harbor. The views of the mountains in the distance and the harbor were great. Once back to the harbor I was in the presence of hundreds of juvenile Fur Seals, many adult female Fur Seals and a lone penguin.

Once back on board the ship we had about an hour before lunch. We remained anchored for lunch and then departed the harbor and headed for Grytviken. We entered Cumberland Bay, then Cumberland Bay East and finally King Edward Cove. Grytviken was the largest whaling station on the island and operated from 1902 until 1962. Many of the old buildings remain and a few have been restored. I did join a tour that explained the process from catching the whales to shipping product. During the heyday of whaling there were 460 people employed. During the winter about 60 remained for maintenance and keeping the roofs clear of snow.

But the highlight of the day in Grytviken was visiting the grave of Ernest Shackleton. He died here in 1922 and his body was taken to the Falkland Islands where his wife, Emily Shackleton, was told about his death. She asked that he be returned to Grytviken and buried there. We all toasted "The Boss" there.

ILYB 

    Ocean Harbor 

    Fur Seals 

    Location of the former whaling station 

    At Shackleton's grave

    A rare white Fur Seal

March 18, 2016 - King Haakon Bay

Sometime before midnight the Polar Pioneer entered King Haakon Bay which is located near the western end of South Georgia Island and anchored for the night. I slept well and woke up just before the morning wake up call at 5:30. We have changed time zones yet we keep the ship time the same. Meal times are adjusted to sunrise and sunset.

After breakfast the anchor was raised and we headed north into the bay with the destination of Pegotty   Bluff which was the second landing place for the six members who had finally reached land after the eighteen day crossing from Elephant Island. Their first landing site was Cave Cove which is just inside the bay and is not very well protected. They only spent one night at Cave Cove.

The ship anchored again and we got into the Zodiacs for the short trip to Pegotty Bluff. The weather had really deteriorated since yesterday with a good wind and heavy rain. The one plus was a temperature of 46 degrees. There wasn't much to see but I was certainly in "Shackleton's Footsteps". The rain was pouring down and the visibility was poor so I was only able to shoot a short video and take a couple of pictures. It was a great experience just to be there.

On the way out of the bay we passed four of the seven glaciers that empty into bay. At the mouth of the bay we passed Cave Cave. Although barely visible through the fog it was obvious why Shackleton moved from that location. With Cape Rosa on our left the ship headed SE toward the far eastern end of South Georgia where we will spend the night. As we came back into the open water the winds picked up to a steady 50 MPH with gusts reported to 65 MPH. We were not told the height of the waves but my guess is 12-15'.

This afternoon we were treated to the movie "South" which was made by Frank Hurley, the expedition photographer. The film was produced in 1919 and is a silent film.

ILYB 

    Our location this morning 

    Map of King Haakon Bay

    Cave Cove 

March 17, 2016 - Happy St. Patrick's Day

Another full day in the open ocean. We should arrive at the SE side of South Georgia Island sometime during the night. As I am writing this we are awaiting a briefing as to what Plan A is going to be. Everything is weather dependent.

John gave a talk this morning titled "Charismatic Megafauna of South Georgia" which discussed the bird, penguin and seal life on the island. The early whalers bought reindeer to the island in the 1910s to provide a source meat other than seals and penguins. As is typical with introduced species they did more harm than good mainly by destroying the native grasses where the birds nested. Reindeer were just recently eradicated. Rats and mice are an other nonnative species that was accidentally introduced by coming off the many ships docked in the harbors. The rats and mice ate bird and penguin eggs along with being a general nuisance. An eradication program was begun in 2012 and continues today. They are almost gone from the island.

After lunch I spent almost two hours up on the deck above the Bridge. Winds were brisk at 25-30 mph, swells were 10+ feet and the temperature was in the mid 30s but the sun was shining. I found a bench out of the wind yet in the sun and read some and just contemplated life. Most of the time I had the whole deck to myself. Poor me!

This afternoon Carol's talk was on the "History of South Georgia". The primary focus was on the whaling industry which operated here from 1904 until 1964. Over 150,000 whales were processed here at six different whaling stations which were all located in bays on the north side of the island.

At 5:30 there is a St. Patrick's Day party with all you can drink Guiness for $5. We shall see how that pans out. I guarantee that I will not have more than two as  do not want my good luck with seasickness to run out.

ILYB

March 16, 2016 - Open ocean

It is now 24 hours since the ship left Elephant Island and we are about 40% of the way to South Georgia Island with an estimated arrival on the southern shore of South Georgia sometime on Friday morning.

Last night was uneventful and I slept well. I did wake about 3:00 and read for a while and then was able to get back to sleep. Wake up call was at 7:30 and the morning announcements began with "A Happy Birthday to Ed". Kinda cool and kinda not. I have been receiving birthday greetings all day. We will see what dinner brings.

I was able to call Andy and Claire this morning and will be calling Peggy this evening. It is always good to talk to them even for a short time.

This morning Carol, our historian, gave her second lecture about Shackleton. Carol is a wealth of knowledge and is full of energy. It is a joy listening to her. At the beginning of the trip I thought that my "Shackleton knowledge" would be at the bottom end of the spectrum but I would say I'm in the top 25%. 

After lunch there was a "Mandatory South Georgia Briefing" which is a regulation of the South Georgia Government for anyone planning to land on the island. South Georgia is controlled by the British with its government based in the Falklands. We watched a video on the dos and don'ts and then had to vacuum all of external clothing with the intention of removing and possible seeds or other possible contamination we may be carrying.

At 5:00 John, our naturalist, will be giving a lecture titled "The Southern Ocean". John is very knowledgeable but cannot match Carol's enthusiasm. After dinner at 8:15 there will be a DVD presentation of Kenneth Branagh' "Shackleton (Part 1). I will be there.

ILYB

Tuesday, March 15, 2016 - Happy Birthday Dad; March 15, 1929

Sometime after dark the Polar Pioneer left the Weddell Sea and entered the Southern Atlantic Ocean heading northeast toward Elephant Island. We were scheduled to arrive at Elephant Island around breakfast this morning.

What a great couple of days spent wandering the northern reaches of The Weddell Sea. We reached approximately 63.5 degrees south. Temperatures ranged from 18 degrees to 35 degrees. Sunshine was pretty much absent from our visit and the winds sometimes appeared and sometimes disappeared. I will never forget standing on the roof of the Bridge as we headed south thinking of Shackleton and his men and the incredible journey that they were beginning. None of them, even in their wildest imaginations, had any clue what was about to confront them. I will also remember, again while standing on the Bridge deck, my excitement as we slowly propelled through the sea ice. It's hard to imagine doing that in a wooden hulled ship.

Upon getting out of my bunk this morning I saw Elephant Island for the first time. Although very real, up until today it was nothing more than a figment of my weak imagination. Elephant Island got its name from the abundance of Elephant Seals that inhabit the island. There are several glaciers on the island but the principle ones are Sultan Glacier on the west end of the island and Endurance Glacier on the southeast side. We were not able to see Sultan Glacier but travelled the length of Endurance Glacier.

At the far eastern end of the island is Cape Valentine which is where Shackleton and crew first landed after eight days at sea in three small life boats. Although the ship was bout a half a mile away it was obvious why it was deemed uninhabitable. Shackleton sent Frank Wild out to find a more suitable location for a camp. Eight miles to the north Wild found a point the was more suitable but only slightly more suitable. This point is now called Wild Point. There were an abundance of penguins and seals the for food and fuel and also a glacier that would provide fresh water. It is a "pipe dream" come true for me to be able to visit this site. Thanks to Peg's persistence I am here. It hurts me deeply that I will not get to share this with The Beav when I get home.

The ship anchored about a quarter of a mile away and it was decided to attempt to launch the Zodiacs even though there were 3-4 foot swells. I even got to witness a small calfing of the glacier just before boarding my Zodiac. We spent 45 minutes touring the area and were able to get within 25 yards of where camp was set up. Due to storms, rockslides and small earthquakes nothing from the original camp survives today. It was amazing to be here.

Back on board we had lunch and then most of the staff and passengers gathered on the bow deck for a toast to Shackleton and his men.

The Polar Pioneer is now headed almost due east to South Georgia Island. We should be there on the 18th so we will be in open ocean for the next two and a half days or so.

ILYB

    Elephant Island Map

    Endurance Glacier

    A bad picture of Point Wild

    Toast to Shackleton and crew

March 14, 2016 - Devil'S Island and Brown Bluff

Last evening the ship headed toward Devil's Island and rather than drop anchor we drifted all night in the Erebus and Terror Gulf just off the north coast of Vega Island. Wake up call was at 6:30 for breakfast at 7:00. While we were eating breakfast the ship moved into position for our loading into the Zodiacs. Typically the ship anchors a half mile or so from shore but this is entirely dependent on the sea depth.

We were on the island shortly after 8:00. I would guess the island to be a mile long and a half mile wide. The island runs east/west. At each end of the island there is a small mountain so from afar the appearance is that of horns; thus Devil's Island. I ascended the western "mountain" which took about 30 minutes. I had on way too many clothes for the hike and soon had my hat and gloves off and the jacket unzipped. It was great to get in a little exercise. It was also great to get views of the area from higher than the ship. I would guess that we were up about 500'.

There were rumors that once back aboard the shop we would have an opportunity for the polar plunge but it didn't materialize. 

Our next stop was to be Brown Bluff. The ship headed ENE toward the south end of the Tabarin Peninsula and entered the Fridijof Sound between the peninsula and Anderson and Jonassen Islands. The Sound was full of pack ice and icebergs and at one point the ship's captain though that he may have to backtrack but he was able to weave his way through. The trip through the ice was truly otherworldly. 

We disembarked slightly after 2:00 for the short Zodiac ride to Brown Bluff. Brown Bluff is a result of volcanic activity from under the glacier. It is the only time were to land on the Antarctic Continent. We were only able to walk on about a half mile of rocky mostly snow covered beach. There were many penguins and fur seals. As usual it was quite windy with temperatures in the low 20s. I had plenty of good clothes on and was toasty warm.

I am now showered and sitting in the ship's bar/lounge. I think a glass of red wine is in order.

ILYB

    Vega and Devil's Island

    On top

    Traveling through the ice and about to disturb a Weddell Seal

    Brown Bluff map

    Penguins at Brown Bluff

Sunday, March 13, 2016 - A day in the Weddell Sea

Last night was quite calm and I slept very well. We all woke to heavy fog and light snow with a temperature of 25 degrees. As we were enjoying our breakfast we were informed that we were going to head for Paulet Island and hopefully a landing. We were in and out of the sea ice and after about an hour the sea ice blocked our progress.

Plan B was then announced. We would head southwest toward the northern tip of Ross Island with a potential landing at "The Naze". We would travel in the Herbert Sound between Ross Island and Vega Island. We were scheduled to arrive around 2 PM.

So in the meantime Carol, on historian gave a talk about and exploration that I was unfamiliar with. It was a Swedish Expedition that took place between the years of 1901 and 1903. The leader of the expedition was Otto Nordenskjold. The ship was the Antarctica and the captain was Carl Anton Larsen. The primary objective was for six of the crew over winter as far south as they could get and be picked up the following summer. What happened was not unlike Shackleton's adventure. I'm looking forward to reading about it.

As we headed to Ross Island we went through some light sea ice and saw a few "Tabular" ice bergs. They are called Tabular because the top is flat. The largest one we saw was about 600' long, 200' wide and my guess is 60' tall.

By the time we dropped anchor the temperature hovered around 20 degrees and the wind had picked up to 20-25 mph. Slush had started to form on the water close to shore.This is called "grease" ice and it the start of the winter ice.

We loaded into the Zodiacs and headed for land. There were huge blocks of ice scattered all along the shore. He only wildlife was a couple of Weddell seals. I spent about an hour walking around the small peninsula and along the coastline. It was agree at little adventure.

ILYB

    Map of "The Naze" taken from the captains chart table

    A tabular lice berg

    At The Naze with the ship in the background

    Ice blocks on the shore

    The Naze peninsula 

Saturday, March 12, 2016 - The Antarctic Peninsula

Today was a great day with a rough start. I could tell during the night that we were in some pretty rough seas. During the morning announcements we were told that the winds reached 50+ mph with waves of 25-30'. Fortunately for me due to the sleep aid I took last night I slept through most of it.

The first ice bergs were seen just after breakfast as we approached the South Shetland Islands. We passed through a strait toward the south western end of the island chain and into the Grassfield Strait which runs between the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. We made it!!!

The views were everything I had imagined and more. This is yet another instance where pictures just don't tell the story. but I sure took enough to try. By this time the wind had died way down, the sky was clear and the temperature was right at freezing. 

Upon entering Curtis Bay we boarded Zodiacs (10 per) and cruised the bay. We drifted among the brash ice and open water. The were many small icebergs and some large ones, some of which we grounded. There were at least a dozen Humpback Whale sightings. We were out for about an hour and a half.

After lunch it was back into the Zodiacs for a trip to a small island named Duno Island where we expected to see seals and many penguins. The island is very small; approximately 200 yards long by 100 yards wide. One of the highlights was seeing a Chinstrap Penguin which is rare in this part of the Antarctic. 

Tomorrow morning we will enter the Weddell Sea where we really begin to "Follow Shackleton's Footsteps.

ILYB

    Antarctic Peninsula

    Icebergs with glacier in the background

    Small iceberg. The blue is under water.

    Seal

    Chinstrap Penguin 

    Our ship "Polar Pioneer"

March 11, 2016 -Fighting the Drake Passage

Not much to report on today. We are still crossing the Drake Passage in very rough seas. Last night it got so bad that the Captain decided to change course. So far I have avoided any seasickness but due to all of the swaying and bouncing around I have gotten very little sleep. The Captain said that we are swaying 15 degrees or so to starboard and then the same to the port side. This gives me a whole new appreciation of what the early sea explorers were up against with their much smaller ships and being under sail instead of being under power.

Our first talk today was on the early exploration of the southern oceans prior to Antarctica even being sighted. Our second talk will be on "The Penguins of Antarctica".

We hope to reach the Antarctic Peninsula tomorrow after breakfast.

ILYB

    Our location this morning about 9AM

    One of two dining areas

    The galley

March 10, 2016 - Somewhere in the Drake Passage

As we left Ushuaia yesterday the winds and sea were relatively calm and it was very smooth sailing. At about 10 PM as predicted the winds and seas picked up. We rocked and rolled all night. I slept fairly well.

As I was headed to bed I received my daily copy of the "Penguin Post". I learned that our passengers hail from Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Switzerland and the United States.

This morning after breakfast we were issued or Gumboots which we need to wear for all shore excursions. Then we had a lecture on "Seabirds of the Southern Ocean". After lunch there was a mandatory meeting entitled "Environment and Zodiac Briefing". The environment part of the meeting was mainly what not to do while on land. All common sense stuff for most of the crowd. The Zodiac portion was dedicated to getting in and out of the Zodiac. The main rule "no jumping ". A couple of trips ago a passenger jumped into the Zodiac, slipped and severely broke and ankle. They had to cut the trip short.  How not to win a popularity contest.

The winds and sea have been picking up all day. Currently the winds are a sustained 35 MPH with swells 12-15' and it is supposed to get significantly worse this evening and tonight. Pat loaned me a watch like device that you wear on the inside of your wrist which provides an electric stimulus and is supposed to reduce or eliminate seasickness. So far between that and the Bonine tablets all is well. Let's hope it continues.

ILYB

    Our location this morning 

    My room

    My room II

    View from the Bridge 

    View from the Observation Deck above the Bridge