Day 19 - Ushuaia to Tierra dell Fuego to Buenos Aires

Day 19 - Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego to Buenos Aires

Date - 4 December

Weather -  Sunny, very windy and cold in Ushuaia. 

We were woken at 5.45am to a rare sunny day in Ushuaia. 

As requested we put our bags outside our cabin at 6.00am and we did not see them again until we arrived at Buenos Aires at four-thirty. Quark Expeditions were very efficient in organising us into our various groups for departure. Ours was the largest group, the Humpbacks, and after making our way down the gangplank we were personally farewelled by the expedition staff. It was a lovely touch.  We boarded coaches at 9.00am and spent the morning touring the picturesque Tierra Del Fuego National Park before catching our private charter plane at 1.00pm to return to Buenos Aires. 

Our tour guide for the morning was excellent as she gave the history of Ushuaia and the heavily forested national park. From the park we could see Chile close by on the other side of the Beagle Channel. 

We were taken by surprise by the cold as it was such a sunny day. It was disturbing to see the damage to the national park by the beavers which were introduced to the area from Canada in the mid 1900's. As they have no predator the population has now exploded to an estimated 100,000 and they seem to be chewing their way through the thick forest. They are now allowed to be hunted. 

On arrival at the Buenos Aires airport I was able to order a taxi in Spanish and we arrived at the hotel at six o'clock. We had a quick turn-around and met the British people, Sonia, Sally and Roy in the hotel's lounge for drinks followed by dinner at one of Buenos Aires' leading meat restaurants, Don Julio in Palermo. When we arrived the restaurant was full and people were lined up on the footpath. Roy had booked a table so we were seated immediately. It was a great night and a fitting end to our Antarctic adventure.

There was a quote on our Daily Program in the morning which stated: 

"For those who have experienced it, no explanation is necessary. For those who haven't, none is possible." Unknown. 

Antarctica is beyond words and we have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to visit it. 

Day 18 - Beagle Channel to Ushuaia

Date - 3 December

Weather - Sunny, 13 degrees, 20 knot winds

Seas - Calm

Sunset - 4.44am

Sunrise - 21.48pm 

This was our last full day on the ship. Overnight we moved closer to the Beagle Channel towards Tierra Del Fuego, South America. We had survived a calm Drake Passage! Our expedition leader, Solan has renamed the Drake Passage as the Drake Lake! He asked those who wanted high seas and a sense of danger to book another trip as they certainly didn't get it on our expedition! The hotel manager told me that it has been the calmest and quickest trip of his ten trips across the passage.

Our first lecture was a marketing one from Quark and was about their range of trips to the Arctic. The trip to the North Pole on the ship called Icebreaker looked an amazing adventure but the ship had 11 decks under the waterline! Other trips include Svalbard, Norway, East Greenland, West Greenland and the Canadian Arctic. It was all are very tempting. 

Our eleven o'clock talk was "What Tomorrow Brings - Disembarkation" and we were given the process of how they were organising the 200 passengers to disembark in Ushuaia at eight o'clock tomorrow morning. 

We had a lovely long lunch overlooking the calm sea as we entered the Beagle Channel. It was warm outside and many of us took the opportunity to go out on deck and watch the passing channel scenery as well as watching the Argentinean pilot as he boarded our ship to take the it into Ushuaia. 

The ship was twelve hours ahead of schedule due to the excellent weather conditions across the Drake Passage. 

We received a certificate during the day which read, "Antarctic Expedition. This certifies that Dianne Taylor and Henk Vullers have completed an expedition to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, The South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula aboard the expedition vessel M/V Ocean Endeavour." It was signed by the Captain Nicolay Tililyuk and the Expedition Leader Solan Jensen.

The final lecture was a sobering one titled "Climate Reality and Our Future". Ninety-seven percent of top climate scientists agree that man-made pollution is warming our climate. 

Between the final lecture and the Captain's Farewell Cocktails we repacked our bags for our journey back to Buenos Aires from Ushuaia. The Farewell Cocktails was a great occasion where all the expedition staff were acknowledged as well as the Captain. The Captain had to scoot up to the bridge as the ship was coming into Ushuaia. Ironically, after smooth sailing across the Drake Passage we couldn't berth immediately at Ushuaia as a stiff breeze, choppy seas and light rain came up in the harbour. We had dinner whilst the ship sat in the harbour and waited for things to settle. A double rainbow settled over Ushuaia in the late afternoon sunlight and it was a beautiful sight from the dining room windows. After a couple of hours the ship was able to dock. 

The fantastic, final evening's after-dinner activities were a fitting end to a great expedition. The crew showed a video with the major highlights of the expedition. It was a great reminder of what we had seen and done over the last eighteen days. The finalists in the poetry competition also read their expedition poems. Apparently there were a lot of entries and it was good to see a number of Australians in the final six including Chris and Cathy. Chris also gave a wonderful tribute and toast to the crew on behalf of all of us. 

Our expedition has been an extraordinary operation on so many levels to keep it operating smoothly for all the passengers. This has included the coordination of the hotel staff, the restaurant and galley staff, the sailors and the expedition staff. Together they have given us an unforgettable experience. 

Day 17 - Crossing the Drake Passage

Date - 2 December

Weather - Sunny

Seas - Relatively Calm 

Sunrise - 3.12am

Sunset - 11.26pm

We woke up on the open seas of the Drake Passage and surprisingly, the sea was relatively calm. We were relieved and happy as we had psychologically built ourselves up for high thrashing waves!  Many of us have increased our intake of seasickness medication in preparation for rougher seas. As we weren't given the usual wake up call by the expedition leader it seemed that many of the passengers had taken the opportunity to sleep in. There were very few at breakfast at eight o'clock, however, the Aussie contingent of Cathy, Chris, Lorraine, John, Belinda and Graeme were there.

During the next two days as we make our way back to Ushuaia we will spend our time in lectures, other entertainment, and eating our way through more excellent meals. Jimmy, one of the marine biologists gave the first lecture of the day on "Orcas - Natural Born Killers". There were stunning photos which were taken yesterday from one of the zodiacs. The Orcas live in pods and live for a long time. One orca has been tracked for so long that she is now one hundred years old and was last sighted in October. Coincidently, the lecture was interrupted by a sighting of a pod of Finback Whales close to the starboard of the ship. We all ran to the starboard side to view them. 

"Wintering at the Last Place on Earth" was the lecture before lunchtime. Dick, the expedition's historian, gave a fascinating insight on living at the South Pole during the winter of 1975 as part of the American Base Station. He was the support leader and described the uniqueness of nine months of isolation, no direct sunlight, storms of eight to ten days, only seeing each other (18 men) and also being dependent on each other for survival. The dynamics between the individuals was interesting to learn about. The base station is at an astonishing height of 3500m in altitude with a humidity in single digits so the environment is extreme. Dick recommended a number of books written by some of the people who had lived in such harsh conditions. 

After lunch we had some downtime which was about the first time during the busy schedule of the expedition. During the afternoon we were encouraged to upload some of our photos onto the ship's journal. These photos as well as other information about the expedition will be available via a link about a month after the voyage ends. We will use the information to complete our photo book. A late afternoon talk was for all the budding photographers titled "Editing Antarctica and Sub-Antarctic Islands". It was a useful talk on enhancing photos through the use of a software program called Light Room. 

At 6.00pm we all gathered in the Nautilus Lounge to view a video showing the 48 (nearly 25%) of passengers who plunged into the freezing sea. It was very amusing. This was followed by a fund-raising auction of fourteen items ranging from our voyage flag which was weather beaten and tattered by the winds of the Southern Ocean to an Antarctic Tartan scarf designed by the Antarctic Heritage Trust to represent the colours of the Antarctic. The funds raised went to the South Georgia Heritage Trust, Penguin Lifelines and Underwater Bait Setter. The latter organisation has developed a hook which is only operational at a depth that prevents the mass killing of Albatros. The voyage flag went for US$2,500 and the voyage chart for US$3200. Approximately,  US$9,500 was raised. 

Tonight Henk and I along with Sydney couple Belinda and John enjoyed scallops and lobster for dinner. All the meals on the voyage have been excellent. After dinner the staff were thanked by the passengers in the restaurant. It was good to acknowledge the range of staff who have worked both in front and behind the scenes to bring about such an excellent expedition.

Overnight we will leave the Drake Passage and move into the Beagle Channel. We have been extremely lucky with the weather which has meant we have been able to land at all possible locations and see an abundance of wildlife. 

Day 16 - Half Moon Island and Yankee Harbour, Greenwich Island, South Shetland Islands

Date - 1 December, 2016

Weather - Sunny, 1 degree to a maximum of 11 degrees

Seas - Rough overnight, calm, sunny and warm 

Sunrise - 3.12am

Sunset - 11.26pm

We had a rough night crossing the Cranfield Strait as we made our way to the South Shetland Islands. The ship was rolling dramatically and we were rocked to and fro in our bunk. At one point in the night we were collecting things which had fallen to the floor and piling them in little bundles in the corner of our cabin. There was no wind but there was a huge swell coming off a major low in the Drake Passage. 

Our expedition leader, Solan, woke us at 6.45am to a beautiful, clear sunny day. The South Shetlands are known for being cold, dark and windy but we could not have had a better day. We had anchored in a calm bay with the nearby snow-covered Half Moon Island looking spectacular in the sun. Half Moon Island lies at the entrance of Moon Bay between Livingstone and Greenwich Islands. It is only two kilometres long and is crescent-shaped, hence it's name. We had a clear view of the Argentinean Camara  Station on the south west of the island. The red-brick coloured buildings looked stunning in the clear conditions. 

Our group firstly cruised around the bay before landing. It was a glorious, sunny day and it felt warm in the sun. We went out to the mouth of the bay and skirted around a number of small rugged islands which had a range of birds including penguins. On our way back we spotted a leopard seal near a large iceberg. It was very curious and we saw him swim elegantly around and under the zodiac as the water was crystal clear. We all madly took photos. 

As we approached our landing site we could, once again, smell the penguins before we saw them. When we landed on Half Moon Island we had our first close encounter with the smart-looking chinstrap penguins. The island is home to about 3,300 breeding pairs and we saw many sitting on their stony nests with their partners bringing more stones in their beaks. 

Their guana-pink stained penguin highways in the snow were all around us. We used their highways rather than walk in the soft snow but we had to follow the rule that if any penguin was using the same track at the same time then we had to stop and make way for them. We unexpectedly saw a rogue Emperor Penguin lying on the ice. We were so fortunate to have such a clear, sunny day for our last day on Antartic land.

Our last excursion for the entire expedition was at Yankee Harbour, Greenwich Island. We could not have had a more perfect afternoon. It was a sunny, warm afternoon and we spent about three hours off the ship. We firstly walked around Yankee Harbour on the stony ice-laden beach and then cruising in the zodiac. 

As it was our last land excursion Henk and I slowly walked between the stranded ice on the beach taking it all in and trying to appreciate as much as possible the serenity and beauty of the place before we left it for the last time. In the distance we could hear the thunder-like sound of the glaciers cracking. There were many Gentoo Penguins stone hopping and a number of seals soaking up the lovely sun. 

We spent the last hour in the zodiac close to the bottom of the glaciers which circle the harbour. They are about two hundred metres tall and are stunningly beautiful with their deep Aqua colours. We were hoping to see one calving but it didn't happen. On occasions we heard their loud cracking. The zodiac had to keep two hundred metres away from the base in case any calving did take place. 

On many occasions when we return to the ship they have either hot soup, hot towels, savouries or hot chocolate waiting for us. Today we had hot chocolate with Baileys which was very welcoming. 

Just before our daily recap and briefing in the Nautilus Lounge we were all called to the bow of the ship for a group photo. It was freezing. Two photos were quickly taken and we all couldn't get inside quick enough.

There is no wake up call tomorrow as we make our way into the open ocean into the Drake Passage which is one of the most challenging of seas. The forecast is looking "not horrible" as stated by our expedition leader, Solan. We have now left Antarctica and head back to South America. It will take about two and a half days to return to Ushuaia.  

Day 15 - Orne Harbour and Danco Island

Date - 30 November, 2016

Weather - Overcast then sunny, very cold, 0 degrees, snowing in the morning

Seas - Relatively calm, a lot of brash ice and sea ice

Sunrise - 3.00am

Sunset - 11.46 pm

We were woken by the expedition leader, Solen, on the broadcast system at 6.45am. The intention was to have a 7.00 am breakfast and our group was to be the first to board the zodiacs at 8.00am. However, there was so much sea ice and brash ice surrounding the ship it would have been impossible to use the zodiacs.

As we ate breakfast the ship manoeuvred into other positions and attempted to anchor a few times in the Errera Channel. It was snowing quite heavily and the deck was covered in ice. At eight thirty the captain made the decision to leave the channel and find a more suitable spot further north. We anchored at Orne Harbour with its sheltered coves at 9.00am. Orne Harbour is located on the Graham Land coast on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. 

As we set out in the zodiacs the sun came out so we saw the area at its best. There was a gentle wide swell which made it perfect for sitting in the zodiac. One of the expedition team members sited a blow and we were fortunate to be in one of ten zodiacs which went outside Orne Harbour to a nearby glacier front and sighted humpback whales. There were about four large whales slowly coming to the surface, blowing and going under for about two minutes at a time. 

We observed them for about an hour and we would have been about 200 metres from them at some stages. Two of them flicked their tails and it was a great sight. It is times like this that I wish that I had a better camera. We were told at recap that it was the first sighting of humpbacks for the season. 

Near the end of our time on the water a small part of the nearby glacier calved and we heard the crash in the water. 

The surrounding high mountains with their dusting of overnight snow looked glorious  as we returned to the ship sitting inside the harbour. 

There was great excitement before lunch when about thirty hardy souls participated in the "Polar Plunge". This involved jumping off the ship's zodiac stairs into the frigid waters of the Antarctica. Anyone with a pre-existing medical condition was asked to see the ship's doctor before making a decision to plunge. The remainder of us were rugged up in our polar gear and overlooked the side of the boat to take photos. For safety each swimmer wore a waist belt which was tethered to one of the sailors. It was a lot of fun to watch and see how each coped with the freezing water. Some swam around for a tiny bit and some couldn't get out of the water quick enough! 

During lunch the ship made its way south to Danco Island which lies in the southern end of Errera Channel. There was a lot of brash ice and growler ice so the ship moved very slowly towards its destination. This was to be our furtherest southerly point on our voyage. A landing option was not available due to ice density and along with the moving current it made the ice unpredictable. 

We spent over two hours in the zodiacs slowly moving between the thick brash ice and icebergs and it was an unforgettable, beautiful afternoon. It would be the only place on earth where it is the closet to being silent. The weak afternoon sun became stronger through the afternoon and there was a long, slow swell. The amazing icebergs of every shape and size bobbed up and down. Words are inadequate to describe the beauty and the awe that we saw and felt. 

We took countless photos of the scenes as well as the nesting Gentoo Penguins, some Adelie Penguins, the cormorants, and a leopard seal. 

When we returned to the ship we quickly changed and returned on deck as there was blue sky, the sun was now high and the snowy landscape glistened. We didn't think our day could get any better when a pod of Orcas surfaced. Dinner was delayed whilst the Captain turned the ship around so we could all have a good view. When we went to dinner we could see the Orcas through the large dining room windows as they played on the surface. It was an unforgettable and magical day.

Day 14 - Mikkelsen and Cierva, Trinity Island, Palmer Archipelago

Date - 29 November, 2016

Weather - Overcast, 1 degree, very cold

Seas - Swells early morning, relatively calm

Sunrise - 2.55 am

Sunset - 11.14 pm

Everyone was tired this morning after yesterday's excursions and it was palpable at breakfast. We all seemed to have squinty eyes like the macaroni penguins. There's a few bugs going around including the flu, sore throat and diarrhoea and the doctor seems to be keeping busy. We suppose this is the down side of living in confined areas and going out into the freezing conditions. Overnight Henk started experiencing earache and a pain around the left cheekbone area. He visited the doctor and there is no evidence of a middle ear infection. He took the day off from going outside in the zodiacs with the very cold conditions. 

During the night we moved further down the Antarctic Sound and dropped anchor at Mikkelsen Harbour at about seven o'clock. The harbour is on the  southern coast of Trinity Island on the northern end of the Palmer Archipelago and was first discovered by Norwegian sailors on the Swedish Antarctic Expedition in 1901 - 1903. It was subsequently used by whalers for mooring their factory ships. Our ship had to moor about two kilometres from the landing area so it took longer to get all the zodiac groups off the ship as the first groups were ferried to the island. We firstly cruised around the harbour before making a landing. There were a number of glaciers coming down to the shoreline and they looked spectacular. We haven't seen any glaciers calving yet.

We landed on the very small D'Hainaut Island in the harbour. Today we had to walk on snow for most of the time. It was very thick and if we went off the track it went up to our knees as it was also very soft. The island is home to a disused whaling hut and a Gentoo Penguin colony with many penguins sitting on their stony nests around the hut. 

The nesting areas were the only places which didn't have snow and they weren't large areas for the penguins. The penguins had many hardened walking tracks which we had to avoid. These tracks make it easier for them to go to and fro from their colonies to the sea. 

We felt we had earned the selection from the hot buffet lunch after our morning excursion. The energy in the group had returned at lunchtime after the invigorating morning on the snow. 

We moved further south to Cierva and dropped anchor at two thirty. The water was very calm with many large icebergs and quite a large amount of floating brash ice and sea ice. We spent about an hour and a half cruising the shoreline in the zodiacs as we weren't able to land. The area is managed by an Argentinean research station named Primavera and they strictly control the area. The icebergs were large, all different and stunning. The aqua blue in the oxygen-deprived ice is spectacular. 

We went quite a distance from the boat and it was exhilarating to be in such an isolated part of the world. Our expedition leader turned off the zodiac's engine and it was very quiet. 

After we returned to the ship the other half of the passengers went exploring. We had a lecture from one of the expedition leaders, Dick, on four expeditions in the early 1900's which became frozen in the ice over the winter period and their subsequent stories of being rescued. He also touched on Mawson's expeditions. It was a fascinating lecture. 

Dinner was a bar-b-que on the back deck at seven o'clock. It was freezing and at times snowed. We donned our expedition gear and sat with Cathy and Chris eating our bar-b-que fare. It was very tasty but as soon as we finished the dessert we scooted inside to the lounge area where it was wonderfully warm.

Day 13 - Kinnes Cove and Brown Bluff, Antarctica

Date - 28 November, 2016

Weather - Overcast, freezing, 25 knot winds in the morning and calm in the afternoon

Seas - Relatively calm, good visibility 

We have walked on Antarctica! We woke surrounded by icebergs and brash ice as we made our way to anchoring at Kinnes Cove, Dundee Island which is near the channel into Antarctic Sound. Before breakfast we rugged up and we went outside to get a better view and the weather was freezing. The wind was so strong at the bow that I couldn't open my eyes and had to make a retreat behind a wall. During breakfast the ship stopped moving and there was an announcement that the ship was having mechanical problems so that caused a buzz. It seemed to be rectified in no time and we were on our way again.

We were the first zodiac group to leave the ship at ten thirty. There wasn't the swell like yesterday so it was easier getting in and out of the zodiacs. We all had multiple layers of clothing on to keep out the cold and we had barely an inch of skin showing.

We spent an hour cruising alongside the ice-covered and rocky coastline, skirting in and out of glaciers and driving through thick brash ice. 

We quickly had our first sighting of Adelie Penguins which are quite small and look like the typical penguins which are drawn in cartoons. There were hundreds of them close to the shoreline as well as high up on the snowy cliffs and many were also on the icebergs. We had good conditions to see not only the many Adelie Penguins but some Gentoo Penguins, and a Weddell Seal and a Leopard Seal swimming around our zodiac. A crabeater seal was sleeping close by on sea ice. The penguins were reluctant to go into the water with the Leopard Seal lurking nearby. 

We all took countless photos of the animals and the beautiful large and sculptured aqua blue icebergs. It was a good morning to be out in the zodiacs. 

When we were all back on board the ship quickly pulled anchor. Whilst we were having lunch we sailed south to Brown Bluff which is on the southwestern coast of Antarctic Sound. The ship dropped anchor at two thirty. 

It was our turn to be the last group to get into the zodiacs and we cruised first and then swapped and landed onto the Antarctic Continent. It was very cold and the icebergs were spectacular. In front of wind-sculptured rocks and on a stony beach we stepped ashore on Antartica. 

The crew had the ship's weather-beaten Antarctic flag and we all had a turn holding it up in the strong winds and having our photo taken. It added to the excitement of walking for the first time on another continent. There were hundreds of Gentoo and Adelie Penguins nesting on the ground and they had formed their nests with the surrounding stones as there is no other choice.  

We also climbed the side of the bluff to a small overhanging cave to see nesting Snow Petrels which are quite rare. 

We had an amazing three hours at Brown Bluff and returned to the ship at six thirty. Prior to dinner was a recap and briefing. Two people were formally awarded the Iceberg Spotting Competition prize and one was Henk. It apparently was a dead tie so both winners each won a bottle of red wine. 

It was a fantastic day. Tomorrow we continue south and deeper into Antarctica.