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Antarctica 2012
Antarctica, The white frozen continent
At the edge of the globe
1000km from South America
2300km from Australia
and 2700km from Africa
surrounded by sea and wind
with the Drake Passage
considered the worst sea on the planet
So we flew from Chile to a small island in Antarctica
From there we cruised along the tip of the Peninsula
Most of the - sheltered water
between the island, mainland and Ice
We started in Punta Arenas Chile
After an introduction lecture and briefing
and warning about the flight tomorrow
we went to a welcome dinner all 60 adventurers
In the morning, we took off on time
and landed in Antarctica
beautiful sunny day, 6 degrees light winds
We are in Antarctica
We landed on King George Island
In the Chilean Frei base
that serve all the research stations in the area
We are walking along the runway
toward the sea, the zodiac and the ship
This is Antarctica
The welcoming party
a group of chinstrap penguins
As we were briefed
One leg, second leg and slide in
and we are on our way to the ship
On the ship, cozy rooms
with toilet and shower
This is the lounge
with bar, lectures and the best view
Dining room - deck 3
And the library at the back of deck 4
After lunch, Antarctica introduction lecture
Captain and team cocktail and briefing
Dinner and movie
We went to sleep and
woke up near the small Spert island
our first zodiac cruise
In Antarctica, the weather makes the plan
we were planning on Trinity island
but the perfect weather, 5 degrees, no wind
led the team to prefer Spert island
with the narrow passages
a meeting of Rocks, Sea and Ice
The team was great
All of them with fantastic knowledge
some are researcher
like the climate professor from Rio
or the French bird man
that spent 15 month in Antarctica, summer winter summer
or the mammal - sea and whales expert
but all have great knowledge
They are also nice and funny
we really had the best time with them
This is our daily whale meeting
In this case, humpbacks
that were playing around
After a lecture on seals
we got the Hydruga Rocks
a colony of penguins and seals
here are Weddle seals
they are mammals that
had they pups in the beginning of summer
about 2 month ago
the small one are independent now
and the elders are coming on land to rest
Those birds eat the seal droppings
The penguins came to the land when the sea ice melted
they build a nest of rocks
and the female lays 2 eggs
they share the keeping of the eggs and later the chicks
they switch every 3-5 days
one is eating and one is keeping the nest
here are nests with eggs and some with chicks
less than a week old
In strong wind, all the colony is facing away from the wind
The nest is built from small rocks
the one that is not in the nest,
is helping to guard and maintain the nest
If you remember the perfect morning we had
now it is a snow storm
only 30km and 4 hours difference
After another lecture, dinner and early wakeup
We are planned to cross the Lamiere Channel
The plan is to cross this narrow place
and reach an island on the other side
This season, no ship succeeded in crossing here
there is too much sea ice
we will attempt the crossing
the ship is not an ice breaker
it is ice resistance ship
but the ice is broken and the team believe we can cross
In the middle there is a fresh water iceberg
it fell from a glacier and drifted here
we can't cross this
if you think it is too long and boring
I think that the people that were there will disagree
a special and unique experience
After our failure at the Lamiere Channel
we are going to Dorian bay
there is an abandoned research station from the 50's
it is a free museum
in Antarctica there are no locks - all is open
There is an organization that maintain the huts
we will meet them in Port Lockroy
Here are Gentoo penguins
red beak
slightly bigger
beautiful
The chicks here are few days old
When frightened
they lay on the ice
and start swimming
This green staff is algae
there are red and yellow algae too
they provide some nice color
They found each other
the one in the nest is reluctant to let go
they switched
the ex-keeper is anxious
all ok?
ok
time to eat
Port Lockroy
Used to be a British research station in the 60's
before is was a whaler base
today it is used as a base for the preservation of Antarctica history
normally 4 people spend the summer here
now they are 6
there is British post office
where you can stamp passport, send a post card and get some gifts
some of the chicks are bigger here
but when there are eggs,
the male continue to build the nest
more and more rocks
sometime stealing from other nests
800 rocks on average
Moving to a small island that was used by the whalers
a whole whale skeleton
Port Lockroy is a natural port
Yachts can come here
there are 3 yachts now
one from Scandinavia, one from New Zealand
and one came from Italy
a 3 month journey in a 25m yacht
here are some flying birds nests
mixed with penguins nests
nature preservation is strictly enforced
after each landing
clean the boots
and sterilize them for the next landing
nothing is transferred between sites
We had a festive dinner with all the Port Lockroy residents
the Italian yacht join too
and we continue
Rushing to capture the whale on the other side
A group of Orcas hunted or hunting something
they are keeping to the surface
and the birds came to the feast
Paradise Bay
We were planning on landing on the mainland
and climbing to a breathtaking view of the bay
but the low clouds and the weather forced a change of plan
we will cruise with the zodiacs
and land at the next site
we found a Leopard seal
this one eats penguins
Nikko Harbor
a natural harbor
and our first and only landing on the mainland
Every evening we have a cocktail
a Recap of the day and the plan for next day
the plan is never executed as is
we start going back to Deception Island
11PM
4AM after sunrise
Deception island
is actually a volcano crater
we plan to go here into the crater
The wind is 45 to 50 knots almost 100km per hour
Whaler used to be here
than a research station
after the volcanic eruption of 69 it was abandoned
it is all volcanic ash and it remain as is
the whalers boat are used as nests now
The volcanic activity raises the sea temperature to 2 degrees
from the normal -1 to 0 degrees
so this is the perfect place for the Antarctic plunge
just a reminder - the wind is 30 knots here and outside temp is about 4
on the way to Half Moon Island
The windy morning turned into a perfect Antarctic day
As usual, the penguins have the right of way
we are to cross their highway as a group
Penguins use voices to recognize their partners
they call each other
when they are coming back from the sea or
wanting to be replaced
awful noise
be thankful that you don't smell them
we moved north, it is warmer and chicks are bigger
about 2 weeks old
some started to walk around the nest
how strange, they are territorial animals
their territory is the nest plus a few centimeters
if you enter - violence
this was supposed to be our last expedition
returning to Frei base and fly home
but from a windy morning we had
a beautiful sunny day
and now fog
no flying in this fog
so we have an extra expedition
here is warmer
the chicks are almost the size of the parents
they moved down from the nests on top of the hill
and will move into the water in the next few days
many flying birds here
our first Adelie penguin
with black head a smaller
Adelie, Gentoo an Chinstrap together
That's it
we are at Frei
visiting the Russian station
This is the Chilean base
and the reason our flight was delayed was
the visit of the Chilean president
which closed the base
that's is entourage
and that's our plane
hurray
walking along the runway
leaving Antarctica