Paradise Harbor and Port Lockroy, Antarctica
I can hear it now. Your friends said: “You are going to get in a little boat in freezing water and paddle it around pieces of floating ice??!” But, indeed, that is just what you did. And in Paradise, no less!
During the night the National Geographic Endeavour moved to the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula, in the region of the Gerlache Strait. We were in an area first seen by members of the Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897-99, under Adrian de Gerlache. It was the first expedition to overwinter in Antarctica. We passed through the Errera Channel and crossed Andvord Bay (both named by the Belgian expedition) to enter Paradise Harbor (named by whalers). This side of the Antarctic Peninsula faces the westerly winds and thus receives more snow than the east side. The snow accumulates and is transformed into the glaciers that tumble down impossibly steep slopes to dump their load of ice into the frigid water. The steep mountains that surround Paradise Harbor provide both a scenic vista and protection from the wind, making it a perfect place to launch our fleet of yellow kayaks. We paddled around the floating ice, some of it unimaginably blue, and stopped by the abandoned Argentine research station Almirante Brown, now home to a colony of gentoo penguins. Penguins leaving the station for their turn to feed paused for a good rolling scrub in the water; penguins coming down the slope to the water’s edge showed the need for it. For those not wishing a self-propelled tour there were Zodiac rides to admire the ice and the wildlife. Whether traveling by kayak or zodiac, a stop at the floating chocolate bar (low- or high-test offered) provided a welcome break.
And on we went. Next stop: Port Lockroy, where the remains of British Base A have been converted into an Antarctic museum and farthest-south gift shop by the Antarctic Heritage Trust. Base A (as the name implies, it was the first) was established in 1944 as part of “Operation Tabarin” (named after a sleazy bar in Buenos Aires). This British war effort was so secret that its objective is still not altogether clear. After the war, and until 1962, Base A supported British scientific studies of the upper atmosphere, and the instruments used (in the modern electronic age they appear quite primitive) have been preserved in the hut. Our visit gave us a view into the scientific past of Antarctica, as well as a chance to mail home our postcards.
As we departed Port Lockroy we had another Antarctic experience – a real Antarctic windstorm. Steady winds topped forty knots (= 46 mph), with gusts to seventy (= 80 mph), blowing the tops off of the waves. We were entirely safe and comfortable in our ship, but we could scarcely imagine the experience as it would have been felt by Antarctic explorers braving the cold and windy continent in wooden sailing ships only a century ago.
I can hear it now. Your friends said: “You are going to get in a little boat in freezing water and paddle it around pieces of floating ice??!” But, indeed, that is just what you did. And in Paradise, no less!
During the night the National Geographic Endeavour moved to the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula, in the region of the Gerlache Strait. We were in an area first seen by members of the Belgian Antarctic Expedition of 1897-99, under Adrian de Gerlache. It was the first expedition to overwinter in Antarctica. We passed through the Errera Channel and crossed Andvord Bay (both named by the Belgian expedition) to enter Paradise Harbor (named by whalers). This side of the Antarctic Peninsula faces the westerly winds and thus receives more snow than the east side. The snow accumulates and is transformed into the glaciers that tumble down impossibly steep slopes to dump their load of ice into the frigid water. The steep mountains that surround Paradise Harbor provide both a scenic vista and protection from the wind, making it a perfect place to launch our fleet of yellow kayaks. We paddled around the floating ice, some of it unimaginably blue, and stopped by the abandoned Argentine research station Almirante Brown, now home to a colony of gentoo penguins. Penguins leaving the station for their turn to feed paused for a good rolling scrub in the water; penguins coming down the slope to the water’s edge showed the need for it. For those not wishing a self-propelled tour there were Zodiac rides to admire the ice and the wildlife. Whether traveling by kayak or zodiac, a stop at the floating chocolate bar (low- or high-test offered) provided a welcome break.
And on we went. Next stop: Port Lockroy, where the remains of British Base A have been converted into an Antarctic museum and farthest-south gift shop by the Antarctic Heritage Trust. Base A (as the name implies, it was the first) was established in 1944 as part of “Operation Tabarin” (named after a sleazy bar in Buenos Aires). This British war effort was so secret that its objective is still not altogether clear. After the war, and until 1962, Base A supported British scientific studies of the upper atmosphere, and the instruments used (in the modern electronic age they appear quite primitive) have been preserved in the hut. Our visit gave us a view into the scientific past of Antarctica, as well as a chance to mail home our postcards.
As we departed Port Lockroy we had another Antarctic experience – a real Antarctic windstorm. Steady winds topped forty knots (= 46 mph), with gusts to seventy (= 80 mph), blowing the tops off of the waves. We were entirely safe and comfortable in our ship, but we could scarcely imagine the experience as it would have been felt by Antarctic explorers braving the cold and windy continent in wooden sailing ships only a century ago.
