Penguins and Nunateks

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Pulled up anchor about 5am and motored to a new spot.  We landed at Fort Point on Greenwich Island.  This is a very special stop and rarely visited by tourists.  We are incredibly fortunate!

We had a nice landing, rocks this time.  Much easier to walk in.  No mud, some patches of snow.  Just had to tread carefully over the rocks.

Imperial Shag

Note the blue ring around the eye!

Elephant seal

 We saw Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins again.  They are so funny and many are very curious!  Some follow us!  There were a couple of small groups of Elephant Seals sunning on the beach.  And there was a surprise of a pair of Macaroni Penguins!  Very unusual, but this pair comes back each year.

There were chicks on this island.  Got a few good pictures and videos of them!

That's a strange penguin!

Parent Gentoo with chick

It was very sunny and clear and amazingly warm.  Several times I wanted to remove my heavy jacket… but it would have been too bulky to carry.  Easier to keep wearing it, but I did get a bit sweaty!

Chin strap squabble!

Macaroni penguin

Cute chick!

Nunatek

This is one of the rare places that we can stand on the beach next to a glacier!  It was incredible!  Also, a structure called a Nunatek.  It is a mountain of stone within a glacier.  Only the tip sticks up.  Over the years (decades? more?)  the tip heats and melts the ice and snow around it, more and more of the rock mountain showing every year.  Finally there is a stone mountain with a “valley” around it.  Rarely can you actually get up close to one, we got to hike up part way into it!!  Words don’t describe it…

Sunbathing Antarctica style

Hiking into the Nunatek

Looking up deeper into the nunatek

After a couple of hours, we took the zodiacs back to the Europa.  While we were out this morning, the crew cleaned our rooms and even left a chocolate on our pillows!  That was sure nice! 

While we had lunch, the captain motored us a short distance into the Yankee Harbor.  The ship entered through a narrow passage and into a bay.  Then we were surrounded by glaciers, mountains, icebergs and blue skies!  It was actually very balmy!  I had to take off my outer coat and my lower hat (not my penguin hat!!).  We just spent the next 2 ½ hours casually watching penguins, skuas, elephant and fur seals, icebergs… it was amazing. 

Skua

Gentoo penguin wondering what kind of strange penguin is that?  (Rhod)

We found many bones, some I could identify, others I could not.  I will need to check for the skeleton of a penguin!  I believe many of the bones are fused, and the phalanges are one big flat bone.  We also saw some really pretty rocks.

And I saw an Adelie penguin!  They are usually found more south.  So it was neat to see this little guy!

Adelie penguin

Towards the end of our time there, it must have been the end of the work day for the penguins as well.  They were returning to the nesting area in groups.  Crossing rocky roads, and following the snow highways.  Sometimes they would waddle, other times they would drop to their tummies and push with their feet and winds and “swim” over the snow.  Very entertaining!

Heading home for the night...

There were other penguins going the other direction.  Hmmmm, maybe it was the changing of the shifts!

We had to return to the ship too soon.  I think most of us felt that way.  It was so glorious and peaceful.  We did not want to leave.

The weather these last two days has been incredible.  We are very lucky.  Not sure how long it will last… so we will enjoy it for as long as possible!

Dinner is about ready.  Smells fantastic, as always!   Later!!

After dinner we motored to an amazing Basalt rock formation.  Need to look up basalt…I believe it is from volcanoes…. It forms into giant columns that are very impressive!  To motor most of the night to get to our next destination… Deception Island.

Good night!

Stacy, Vet at Sea

Snow, Icebergs and Penguins!!!

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Aaaaahhhhh, had a good sleep after finishing watch at midnight.  It was cold and cloudy with little snow flurries.  The watch after us had snow that stuck!

Maggie and a snow ball!!

After breakfast we had watch again from 8am until noon.  The rest of our team is feeling better, so they joined back in the rotation.  So glad they are feeling ok now!  We have lots of adventures coming up!  We are expecting to arrive in Antarctica this evening.  We are about a day behind.  The delay in leaving Punta Arenas (2am instead of 5pm the evening before) and the delays in Puerto Williams (due to the passport issues) and the lack of wind for sailing has all added up.  But we will get there soon!

The dots are penguins on the giant iceberg!

We saw more birds and some penguins swimming and then…. The first glaciers!  GORGEOUS!!!

The captain took the boat around the glacier so we could see the entire structure.  There were even penguins on it!  The colors of blue were magnificent.

We help peel and chop lots of potatoes!

We motored through the passage (helped peel/chop potatoes for dinner) and anchored in the South Shetland Islands!  After dinner (that included fish, and I ate it and it was really good!!) we got to take the zodiacs to the island!  Our first excursion in Antarctica!

Cape Petrals

We saw Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins, a Snowy Sheathbill (trying to steal eggs), elephant seals, and Skuas.  There are no words (or photos!) that can describe how fantastic it was being in this wild and incredible part of the world.  Just have to look at the photos… and those of us that have been here, the memories.  Magnificent!!!  The ground is a little muddy… mostly penguin guano.  Peeuw!  The photos can’t capture that!!

Chin Strap Penguin

Gentoo Penguin

The sun does not completely set here, there are a few hours of twilight, otherwise, totally light.  We went ashore about 8pm and had to be off land by 10pm.  Incredibly bright!

A skua checking for unprotected eggs...

Keeping the egg safe and warm.

Antarctica is not owned by any country.  One of the groups that helps to keep it as pristine as possible is the IAATO: International Antarctica Association of Tour Operators.  They set rules and boundaries for tourists and tour operators and researchers as well.  Protects the environment and the flora and fauna.  Before getting into a zodiac, all boots have to be dipped into a cleaning solution.  When we returned, all boots had to be scrubbed, the treads were full of pebbles and guano.  Then into disinfectant solution again and hung on the rails to dry.  The passageways in the boat were strung with damp clothing.  Hoping all would dry by the next day!

What an incredible day!!!

Stacy, Vet at Sea

Still crossing the Drake

Monday, December 28, 2015

It was cold and cloudy during our watch.  Did have some little snow flurries.  Not enough to stick, but fun to watch.  We did have a nice sunrise.  Had to run back to my room for my camera!

Tried to get some rest after watch, before breakfast, but did not succeed.   So, while I was taking the sea sickness medication, I was constantly sleepy and sleeping every chance I had.  I stopped taking the medication, now I am constantly tired because I can’t get to sleep!  Yikes!  Just part of the adventure!

We still have 4 people down on our watch team.  They feel a little better, then bad again.  We have only four groups in our watch team so we are on for 20 minutes, then off for 20 and back on.  We are on helm for one watch, then lookout for the other.  Just start to get warmed up between watches and time to bundle up again!

We have to vacuum all of our outer clothing and any equipment bags we are taking onto Antarctica.  We have to be sure not to risk introducing anything into the ecosystem.  Tomorrow we will attend a mandatory talk about landing in Antarctica.  We are getting closer!

But it is gorgeous outside today.  The sun is SHINING!!   Clear and very cold.  We past the Antarctic Convergence Zone and the air and water temperatures are 2 degrees colder.  The water is 2 degrees C.  The crew is checking it very regularly. 

We had a carrot soup with lunch today.  We have a hot soup almost every lunch.  Always nice to warm up from the inside out!

Gordi gave a good talk about the penguins we will see once we reach Antarctica.  The Chin strap, Adelie and Gentoo.  

We also had a practice fire drill.  It was cold out on deck without all the outer wear!

Did finally get a nice nap this afternoon.  Feel much better.

Still cold and clear outside.  All I saw today were some of the birds.  Got a couple of average photos of the Cape Petrel.  There is no wind so we are motoring.  The albatrosses need wind, so they were not around.

Saw our first whales!!  Fin whales, I think.  Magnificent!!

We will be on watch again tonight from 8pm-midnight.  Expect to arrive Antarctica late tomorrow!

The adventure continues!!

Stacy, Vet at Sea