As an advance note to this adventure it is important for my website readers to know that this incredible experience fell into my lap. I do not, nor can I afford to travel in the way I am at the moment. This expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands is aboard a small ultra-luxury ship by the name of Seabourn Quest. The opportunity came to me when a dear friend of mine was unable to sail. His fully paid passage was 100% non-refundable. So, rather than just allowing it to waste, he was very kind and generous and offered it to me. I promised to bring him back a penguin.
INTRODUCTION
The Antarctic Peninsula is a 1,120 mile (1,800km) long mountain chain running north from the Antarctic continent towards South America. With soaring 4,000-7,000 foot (1,180-2064 meters) snow-clad mountains rising straight from the ocean, glaciers, calving icebergs into a deep indigo sea studded with thousands of islands, and an abundance of wildlife, this place is truly a stunning environment.
Evidenced also is the history of pioneering voyages and human exploration. The spartan decaying wooden ships, as well as wooden dwellings, and rusting hulks from a whaling industry which pretty much decimated the whale and seal populations here are amongst the relics I observed. Today’s modern research bases highlight the importance of the area as a natural laboratory for scientists researching Antarctica’s key role in our planet’s natural systems. Also studied here in earnest are the effects of climate change.
Seabourn Quest had on board a 12-14 person team of scientists, marine biologists, ice specialists, bird specialists, as well as other professionals with desciplines specific to Antarctica. They provided an incredible amount of relevant and interesting information. Durable Zodiacs enabled land and coastal access, as well as just getting up close in the water to areas not lending themselves to actually making landfall.
Gonzalez Videla Research Station from a distance. The station is located in Paradise Bay. A limited amount of research, if any, is currently being untaken here. But during 1951 to 1958 it was a very active research base studying the breeding habits of the Gentoo penguins.The surrounding area is entirely majestic. If the water were not so frigid (34 degrees F, or 1 degree C) it would be a beautiful place to water ski, however you still must mind the floating pieces of ice. These could of course completely smash your ankles if skied into.
Apparent almost everywhere in Antarctica are the abrupt ice cliffs plunging to the sea. These are caused by ice calving. It is difficult to gain perspective from this image, but these cliffs are approximately 70-100 feet high. While in this bay I could hear and see this happening. A very apparent example of the climate change taking place on the planet.
Museum at the Research Station. The station is occupied by 14-16 people, but only in Antarctica’s summer. I met one Chilean occupant but his English was fairly limited and my Spanish is still a work in progress. I just wonder how bored they become and how much alcohol one needs to pack for a 4 month stay here.Arriving Zodiac and the Gentoo penguins. I always wonder what these animals are thinking of such intrusions.Jaunty Gentoo penguin and the ever present and extremely pungent penguin guano (shit). Whenever I see these penguin images I can still smell it. I wonder how long that will continue, and it is a good thing humans don’t eat krill.Penguins and the Quest in the background. A closer look reveals the Zodiac being boarded on the starboard (right) side of the ship.Mama regurgitating krill for baby. This is how the young ones are fed. Unfortunately, any penguins hatching after the middle of January will not be mature enough to survive winter and consequently, will die.An adventurous sailor and friends spending a summer here in the relative shelter of Paradise Bay. Since the nearest continent to this spot is South America and some 750 miles (1,200 km), this tiny sail boat had to cross the normally very rough Drake Passage in open water to get here. Swells in the Drake can be as large as 35 feet (10m). Thus, such a crossing takes major “cojones.”Humpback whale tail just cruising by. The rest of the mammal is of course under water. Just like the scientists at the research station, the whales are here for the summers only.Surrounding ice formations. These are small floating icebergs. Since these are constantly melting they have a tendency at a point to become unbalanced and to actually roll over. Therefore, when kayaking or anything else, it is a good idea to keep a distance of not less than 4x their height away in the water.
