Drake Passage, Aitcho Island and Deception Island, Antarctic Peninsula
The guests and crew of National Geographic Explorer awoke this morning to find themselves crossing the last few miles of the infamous Drake Passage. Although high winds had pushed up long swells and whipped up spray from wave crests, our stabilized hull made good speed across this notorious stretch of water. On her maiden crossing of the Drake our good ship had performed well in paying the entrance fee to Antarctica.
After a hearty breakfast of toast and marmalade (a Scottish treat, having marmalade in the morning!), I joined our guests for a presentation on the myths and realities of Antarctica by naturalist and historian Eduardo Shaw. Next we were all informed of the mandatory protocols for exploring Antarctica as established by the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators [IAATO]. These straightforward guidelines help conserve and protect the environment, habitats and wildlife of this unique continent.
As we neared the first of the South Shetland Islands we were escorted by Antarctic, Cape, White-chinned and Giant Petrels plus Southern Fulmars, whilst in the water small groups of Chinstrap Penguins were spotted porpoising near our bow. A thin mist veiled the craggy islands ahead and we gained considerable shelter from the continuous wind and we anchored at Aitcho Island (pronounced HO and not like the sneeze) for our first landing in Antarctica.
After a short zodiac trip our guests made their first footfall on Antarctic soil and Antarctic ice. There was very little snow and ice remaining and the melt left it looking like sugared popcorn; this was a pronounced change from this time last year when lots of snow was recorded. Our excited guests were greeted by a host of endearing penguins and were delighted to count four species; Chinstrap, Gentoo, Adelie and a solitary King Penguin. There was much speculation if this was the same King Penguin that was seen on the island this time last year and that perhaps, in the future, it may be joined by others of its kind and a colony would develop. For now, once again the King was ‘lonesome tonight’…
Afternoon tea in the Bistro Bar soon warmed up the fingers of our guests as they returned to the ship and we set sail for Deception Island. This island is the cone of a dormant volcano which has been flooded through a narrow pass called Neptune’s Bellow; it all seems like something out of a Jules Verne novel. This pass can be treacherous as a large rock sits in the middle of the channel however Captain Leif Skog skillfully navigated the ship into the shelter of the caldera and was rewarded with a round of applause by the assembled guests!
I tried to get underwater today but deteriorating weather meant the most prudent move was to cancel the dive. There will be plenty of opportunity for the guests to learn about what is happening below these icy waters, and for now all seem very content with an exciting first day exploring the white continent.
The guests and crew of National Geographic Explorer awoke this morning to find themselves crossing the last few miles of the infamous Drake Passage. Although high winds had pushed up long swells and whipped up spray from wave crests, our stabilized hull made good speed across this notorious stretch of water. On her maiden crossing of the Drake our good ship had performed well in paying the entrance fee to Antarctica.
After a hearty breakfast of toast and marmalade (a Scottish treat, having marmalade in the morning!), I joined our guests for a presentation on the myths and realities of Antarctica by naturalist and historian Eduardo Shaw. Next we were all informed of the mandatory protocols for exploring Antarctica as established by the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators [IAATO]. These straightforward guidelines help conserve and protect the environment, habitats and wildlife of this unique continent.
As we neared the first of the South Shetland Islands we were escorted by Antarctic, Cape, White-chinned and Giant Petrels plus Southern Fulmars, whilst in the water small groups of Chinstrap Penguins were spotted porpoising near our bow. A thin mist veiled the craggy islands ahead and we gained considerable shelter from the continuous wind and we anchored at Aitcho Island (pronounced HO and not like the sneeze) for our first landing in Antarctica.
After a short zodiac trip our guests made their first footfall on Antarctic soil and Antarctic ice. There was very little snow and ice remaining and the melt left it looking like sugared popcorn; this was a pronounced change from this time last year when lots of snow was recorded. Our excited guests were greeted by a host of endearing penguins and were delighted to count four species; Chinstrap, Gentoo, Adelie and a solitary King Penguin. There was much speculation if this was the same King Penguin that was seen on the island this time last year and that perhaps, in the future, it may be joined by others of its kind and a colony would develop. For now, once again the King was ‘lonesome tonight’…
Afternoon tea in the Bistro Bar soon warmed up the fingers of our guests as they returned to the ship and we set sail for Deception Island. This island is the cone of a dormant volcano which has been flooded through a narrow pass called Neptune’s Bellow; it all seems like something out of a Jules Verne novel. This pass can be treacherous as a large rock sits in the middle of the channel however Captain Leif Skog skillfully navigated the ship into the shelter of the caldera and was rewarded with a round of applause by the assembled guests!
I tried to get underwater today but deteriorating weather meant the most prudent move was to cancel the dive. There will be plenty of opportunity for the guests to learn about what is happening below these icy waters, and for now all seem very content with an exciting first day exploring the white continent.
