South Georgia – Salisbury Plain

After lunch, we are briefed on landing procedures for Salisbury Plain.  Meal time briefings are a daily occurrence on this expedition voyage.  Graham’s philosophy for this voyage has been borrowed and modified from Obama’s motto, and is, ‘Yes, We Might”!  The weather in this part of the world changes so quickly that there are no promises made and nothing can be taken for granted.  If you come on a voyage to Antarctica, then be prepared to go with the flow.

After lunch we are kitted up once again for our  second excursion to South Georgia.  This time I am not that eager to be the first off, as the weather has changed and it looks cold and foggy outside. As a result, I don’t make the first fifty and have to wait it out till a second run later on in the afternoon.

The seas are choppy and our landing a wet one.  We have landed on a beach where the fur seals are even more aggressive than this morning and I walk quickly to our gathering point for another briefing.  It is too difficult to walk much further, so we will be here on the beach for an hour and then head back.  The conditions once again have dictated how far we can proceed.I feel really cold for the first time on this voyage because my gloves and feet seem to be wet from the landing but I am too excited to be too bothered by it.  We wait patiently as a group of king penguins approach us.  They are curious as to who we are and completely unafraid of contact with humans.  While the rules we operate under dictate we can’t get closer than 5 m to these animals, they are completely unaware of these rules and come up close to our group, curious to check us out.A baby elephant seal is the next to approach.  As it has a long way to go before it reaches sexual maturity, it is not aggressive and once again completely unafraid of human contact.  It is such a privilege and an unforgettable experience to be in such a wild and beautiful place.  I savour the experience and enjoy the wild beauty of this beach, before heading back to the safety for a warm shower and a hot chocolate! 

 Man can withstand anything except a succession of ordinary days” Wolfgang von Goethe

South Georgia – Right Whale Bay

We have arrived at South Georgia and there is a great sense of excitement in the air at breakfast, despite the fact our pre-breakfast cruise could not go ahead.  South Georgia was one of the first gateways to Antarctica and was the centre of the whaling industry from the early 1900’s to the 1960’s.  It is a rugged remote place, teeming with life.  Cook made the first landing here in 1775 and claimed and named it for His Majesty!  Here’s what he said:

“savage and horrible, the wild rocks raised their lofty summits until they were lost in the clouds ,and the valleys lay covered in everlasting snow.  Not a tree was to be seen, not a shrub even big enough to make a toothpick”.  

We were not able to do our 6am cruise because it was just too choppy to launch the zodiacs.  This is what an expedition to Antarctica is all about.  The weather dictates everything and we have learnt to go with the flow.

However, we line up expectantly at the gangway after breakfast. Angela and I are first in line, completely optimistic that we will be able to go, so when they announce on the PA system they are ready to load the zodiacs, we are able to set off before most of the passengers have even reached the mud room!   The mud room is where we don our life vests and boots and clean our boots after each excursion. 

We are given a briefing about the landing and how we must act around both the fur and elephant seals who are quite aggressive at this time of year, as it is the breeding season.  The bulls come ashore, set up their territories and mate with as many cows as possible.  A Southern Elephant seal can have as many as 70 cows!  Yes, its a man’s world even out here :)South Georgia is also home to about 4 species of penguins and they include the King, Gentoo, Macaroni and Chinstrap.  It is another wet landing and we make our way cautiously between the breeding fur seals on the beach.  I encounter aggressive seals for the first time and realise how careful we need to be.  I am in David’s group and he leads us through the colony to an area where we can relax, take photos and observe both the seals and penguins at leisure, always keeping an eye open for aggressive seals. All too soon it is time to head back.  It is an incredible experience to be in a place that is truly wild.  There are so few places like this anywhere else in the world.  A place where now these animals are completely protected.  It is hard to imagine the slaughter of seals and whales that went on last century in these parts, but then our children’s children will reflect on our lives and wonder how we could have drained the planet of so many resources too!  Just ponder this.  It took 50 million year for whales to evolve.  It took us just 60 years to bring them close to extinction! 

I feel thrilled to be in a place where few people visit and that is so pristine.  As we leave, I remember the words of Graham, our Expedition Leader.  Make sure you tread lightly, so your children’s children can enjoy this experience too.

  “Whatever you ardently desire, vividly imagine and enthusiastically act upon, will inevitable come to pass.

East Falkland Islands – Stanley

We have a full day to explore Stanley.  A massive fuel tanker has pulled up alongside our ship and started the 10 hour process of refuelling while we go explore!    At breakfast we are given instructions about the landing procedures for Stanley.  There is a chance there may be gale force winds later on this afternoon, so we are asked to pay attention.

  In the event the winds pick up, the excursion will be called off and the ships horn sounded as a signal for us to return to the zodiacs.  In this part of the world, it is quite common to have four seasons in one day, and one must act accordingly.

Rows of brightly coloured houses greet us as we pull ashore.  Bricks are expensive to ship out here and the local stone difficult to quarry, so houses have been built with timber from the many shipwrecks that happened in these waters and roofs constructed with corrugated iron.  The bright colours of these houses add a vibrancy to a place that must seem very harsh, when the wind is blowing a gale and the weather is down below freezing.  The weather is not too bad but we rug up  nevertheless in case the gale hits.  On landing at Stanley, a few of us hire local transport by way of a land rover to drive us to Gypsy Cove.  In the group is Leah, Sue and Angela.  We have all become great friends now and seem to hang out a lot together at outings and at mealtimes.

Gypsy Cove is a great place for viewing magellanic penguins.  As we walk down the path and come upon the beach, I am awed by its beauty and then really saddened by the fence around it.Most of the beaches were mined by the Argentineans during the 1982 conflict.  The beaches have not been declared safe as yet and hence are closed off to visitors.  The magellanic penguins tread so lightly, they do not setoff the mines, and thankfully never stopped using the beaches. 

There are thousands of penguins on the beach and we stand and stare for ever.  As we scan the beach with our eyes, Angela spots a sea lion chasing more than a dozen penguins babies.  Most of them scamper into the ocean but as we strain our eyes we see he has caught his supper.  We watch nature at work, feeling a strange mix of emotions that range from fascination to sadness for the poor penguin whose journey was over even before it began.    

We walk up the hill and then back to our vehicle.  It is time to explore Stanley. 

The coast of Stanley is dotted with old shipwrecks and ships that were abandoned.  This was a busy place during the California gold rush as many ships rounding Cape Horn stopped off here.  The Falklands came into their own then and gained international prominence and attention.

The beaches are stunning and look so peaceful now.  A browse in the museum and the Falkland War Memorial reminds us of the ‘82 conflict and the many British and Argentinean men who lost their lives.

We have spent most of the afternoon wandering the streets and getting a sense of this place.  I feel the sense of British pride and get an understanding of why they fought so hard to hold on to this piece of land, so far away from home.

By chance, we come across a reindeer tethered in the back garden on a residence, reminding us how very different life was out here.

We need to get back to the zodiac by 3pm but Angela and I decide to go in search of the cemetery before we call it a day.  A couple of friendly locals offer us a lift, which we gratefully accept. 

It is a historic place, still in use today with its centrepiece, the Cross of Sacrifice reminding us of the islanders who lost their lives during the world wars.  Angela and I discuss the concept of burying our dead and wonder why more people don’t choose to be cremated.  Personally, I think  perhaps it’s time for us to do away with this ancient practice, despite our need to preserve our history and cremate our bodies instead.  I love the idea of having my ashes scattered in a place I once roamed, and the bush behind my house springs to mind as an example.  Today, when space is at such a premium, is it a useful exercise to sterilise so much of it?  The chemicals used in the process of preservation is causing contamination of our water and soil.  For me, the memory of loved ones who have moved on is not contained at a grave yard, but rather live on in my heart forever.

It’s time to wander back.  The ride back is choppy but the gale force winds have held back and we return to our ship, happy to have discovered what life on the Falkland Islands is like.    

 “The luxuries of civilization satisfy only those wants which they themselves create. Apsley Cherry-Garrard, 1911 Hut Point, Antarctica

West Falkland Islands - Saunders Island

After lunch we prepare for our second outing to Saunders Island, the site of the first British settlement in 1765, at Falkland Island.  Most of the current population of this privately owned island have spent their entire lives here!

Saunders Island is home to 4 species of penguins, however on this outing we will only see the Gentoo penguins.  

While it is still a beautiful sunny day outside, looks can be deceptive in this part of the world.  The wind has picked up and our Expedition Leader, Graham goes on a reconnaissance mission to determine if are able to go ashore safely.  We can, but he makes an announcement that it will be a bumpy ride and asks anyone uneasy about it to stay behind.  About 20 people do.

The zodiac ride is a lot more adventurous than this mornings and our landing is a wet one.  We follow instructions carefully as the wind is rocking the boat quite a bit and we need to step into the icy cold ocean and walk ashore.  Thankfully, our waterproof wellies keep us dry.  Our time on ashore will be limited to 20 minutes as we need to get back to base before the wind picks up.

It is another beautiful experience with the Gentoo penguins, but this time we have to hurry back.  We have got a taste for how quickly the weather can change in this part of the world, and how in tune with nature we need to be, to survive! “Great opportunities come to all, but many don’t know they have met them. The only preparation to take advantage of them is simple fidelity to what each day brings.” A E Dunning

West Falkland Islands – West Point Island

We wake up early, excited because it is our first excursion day.  We get dressed up in our parkas, waterproof pants and our life vests.  We are then given the once over by one of the expedition staff, ensuring our life vests are secure, before we go outside to line up patiently, waiting for our turn to walk the gangway. 

A pod of Peales dolphins escort us as we pull away from the ship.  They swim along, swim under the zodiac and put on a stunning show for our first day out!  This is magic! 

The sea is calm and we have a dry landing.  Graham, our Expedition Leader greets us and welcomes us to West Point, an Island owned by Lilly and Roddy Napier.  We hike uphill to Devil’s Nose, a place that 500 breeding pairs of rock hopper penguins and 2,100 pairs of black-browed albatross call home.  I am stunned at how close the path is to these amazing animals and how unfazed they are by our presence.  It is a special time of year to be here, as the new chicks have only just hatched.  I watch in amazement as a albatross preens her young and plays with her little chick.  It is a breathtaking experience and I stay there for ages, mesmerized by the show nature has put on for me.     The rock hopper penguins are incredibly cute.  They are the smallest penguins in these parts and show so much affection toward each other as do the albatross.  They often preen each other before mating and we watch this display of love and affection in amazement.  How many couples find the time and effort to put on such a display, after a few years of co-habitation?  I am also pleased to see how effortlessly two completely different species seem to co-exist together.

We have to tear ourselves away from this spot, because we have morning tea at the Napier’s before we leave.  They put on a fabulous spread of home baked cakes for us, which we devour! 

We have had a fabulous morning.  What an amazing introduction to our expedition to Antarctica!

 “I now belong to a higher cult of mortals, for I have seen the albatross!”  Robert Cushman Murphy 1912

We are Sailing!

The sun is shining brightly and the snow capped mountains are bathed in sunlight as we board our Russian ship,  Akademik Sergey Vavilov.  Unfortunately, a number of passenger’s are missing their baggage, and our departure time is set back to give the airlines a bit more time to deliver their bags before we sail.  We all feel for them.  It can’t be much fun, boarding a ship bound for Antarctica, without your carefully packed luggage.  Some of them have gone shopping in Ushuaia and bring aboard their purchases.

We meet Graham Charles, our Expedition Leader and the rest of his staff.  They are all accomplished adventurers and we are excited at the prospect of getting to know them. 

We attend the first of many briefings and complete the mandatory lifeboat drill.  We are informed that if we hear this alarm signal again, it will be the real thing.  I am hoping it won’t come to that!  There are 2 lifeboats, each of which fit  66 passengers.  It will be a tight squeeze.

We are up on the top deck, when the ropes are  cast off and the ship finally moves.  It is incredibly exciting and we wave goodbye to the mainland. 

After dinner, Angela and I sit at the bar on Deck 6 and chat with our fellow passengers.  There are many Aussies on board and it is fun to discover that some of my fellow passengers are from Cherrybrook!  For a country with just 20 million people, Aussies sure get around!  I have also met Leah, Angela’s room mate who is travelling with her mum, Sue.  I feel that over the course of this voyage, we will develop a great friendship. 

I wake up the following day feeling a little wobbly.  However, after a light brekkie and a bit of fresh air and my seasickness pill, I feel much better.  Day 2 is spent sailing through the Southern Ocean and a busy one for us.  We attend briefings on the history of the region, the birdlife, the Falkland Islands and learn the rules of zodiac travel. 

The company I have chosen to travel with, Quark Expeditions, is a signatory to the International Association of Antarctic Operations.  We the passengers are bound by these rules, ensuring we travel in an environmentally sustainable manner, making sure we leave this place in the pristine conditions we found it for the generations to follow.  We are expected to be responsible global citizens and as we visit the various penguins colonies, the whales and seals, we will adhere to the rules which govern how close we can approach them and the precautions we must take to ensure no alien plants are introduced.  When we go back to our respective homes, we are asked to be ambassadors to this last great wilderness. 

It is another glorious day and we spend our spare time between briefings reading, chatting and learning to identify the birds skimming the surface of the ocean as they dive for fish.

“What calls strangers to this strange land?  Visitors are the ties that bind this continent to the rest of the world, transient citizens of a land that guards no borders, prints no passports, where no bands play its anthem.  It belongs to no one; it belongs to everyone.  And if it calls you…go.”  Todd Jarell