First Landing on Possession Island

Day 14. Friday 24 January - Evening landing on Possession Island

We left Robertson Bay and rounded Cape Adare at 11.40 and continued southwards along the Adare Peninsula, towards the Possession Islands, where Henryk Bull’s expedition in 1895 set up a message post. 

In the bridge our Captain was keeping a close watch on our passage through the ice, breaking through the thin pancake ice when necessary.

A belt of pack ice could be seen to the west. 

Late in the afternoon Rodney briefed us on making a landing on Possession Island with its large colony of Adelie Penguins. There is some doubt as to which island is Possession and which is Foyn Island; as charts vary!

By 6pm two Zodiacs driven by Samuel and Katya, were shuttling us to a boulder beach on Possession Island with an interesting wet landing on the rounded shingle cobbles that rolled beneath our feet.

This was our first experience of the Adelie penguins at close quarters, with chicks at various stages of development amongst interesting volcanic landscape. 

Gaggles of chicks in various stages of moulting huddled together for protection while waiting for a parent to return with a feed of krill.

When the parent arrived, he or she set off running with one or two chicks in hot pursuit,  until the parent relented and regurgitated its crop-full. By that time hopefully any interloping chicks would have given up the chase.

Some late nesters were still gathering pebbles for their nest,
















and calling hopefully for a mate.


Apparently some pairings made this season, although they do not breed this season may get an early start for next season.

Chicks from these late nesters were unlikely to make it :(

Sadly, there was a lot of evidence of loss of life in the colony.

Ever curious about those strange other-two-legged creatures staring at us!

Cast high up on a beach ridge of the spit, was a wrecked wooden US landing craft still with its engine. This was lost from USS Edisto during a storm in the 1960’s and was rediscovered by Rodney in 1995.

We had a late but sumptuous dinner, with seafood chowder, venison on rice/pork belly followed by a gorgeous desert with Black Doris plums, crumble and ice cream (for the non-gluten free). 

Late in the evening HMNZS Otago on fishery patrol was sighted.

Antarctica at last - Cape Adare

Day 14. Friday 24 January - Cape Adare

Noon position: Latitude 71^o 15.632’ South; Longitude 170^o 17.427’ East , 
Air temperature: 8^o,  Water temperature: 0^oC

119 years ago today a landing was made on Ridley Beach, Cape Adare, (24 Jan.1895) from the ship Antarctic, during Henryk Bull’s whaling expedition.

We made an early start this morning in anticipation of a landing on Ridley Beach, named by Sir James Clark Ross for his friend Viscount Adare, MP for Glamorganshire, Wales.

We awoke to a slightly rough sea from a stiff westerly overnight and were soon passing through scattered areas of brash ice, bergy-bits and floes with occasional ones occupied by Adelie Penguins. 

As one floe passed and the obligatory penguin photo was taken, a passenger announced “Put there by the tourism board”. 

Great photographs were also captured of a hovering South Polar Skua.

Land Ahoy!  Cape Adare on the northern tip of Antarctica.

                 

By 7.30 am the peaks of the Transantarctic Mountains were sighted with great glaciers descending between peaks below the cloud to the sea. As we neared the Adare Peninsula we could see it was capped by a ‘whale-back’ cumulus cloud. Rodney pointed out many prominent landmarks, beginning with Cape McCormick in the south and the Downshire Cliffs of reddish brown volcanic rock, dramatic Mt. Herschel (3,335 m) near the Hallett Peninsula, first climbed by the late Sir Edmund Hillary’s expedition in 1967. The mountain was named by Ross after John F W Herschel, a noted English astronomer (not the chocolate baron). 

We rounded Cape Adare heading westward, and entered Robertson Bay. The westerly had dropped so It was a beautiful calm sunny morning, and around us were nearly 50 icebergs of various sizes, many of which were along the coast and further north. 

As the cloud base lifted great peaks on the Admiralty Range were revealed in all their glory: Mt Minto (4165 m) named by Ross after Earl Minto First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, and Mt Adam (4009) to the right named after a senior Naval Lord, and Mt Sabine (3718 m).

Unfortunately we could not make a Zodiac landing on Ridley Beach because of a built up of ice blown in by the westerly along the north and south shores. We had to be content with using binoculars and camera lenses to look at Borcrevich’s hut and the remains of a hut from one of Scott’s parties in the midst of a large Adelie Penguin colony, along with the location of Nicolai Hanson’s grave. We hoped to be able to visit the huts on our return north.

We also spotted our first crabeater seal basking on an icefloe,

Many on deck were interested in the blue ice within small caves of a berg. 

The reason for the colour is as follows: Firstly, snow appears white because air trapped between ice crystals making up the snow scatters and reflects all wave lengths of sunlight back into our eyes. Compacted glacial ice from which many icebergs are derived, retain smaller ice bubbles which allow penetration of sunlight deep into the ice. Ice crystals absorb six times as much light at the red end of the spectrum as at the blue end. Since the ice absorbs most of the red light, only the blue end of the spectrum is reflected back at us to see. Very old multi-year ice, viewed in sunlight are the most spectacular, although under certain conditions including with no sunlight present, younger bergs can be rewarding.

Crossing the Antarctic Circle

Day 13. Thursday 23 January - Antarctic Circle 66^o 33’ S 

Noon position: Latitude 68^o 02.51 South; Longitude 175^o 50.69’East; Air temperature: 5^oC, Water temperature: 0^oC

The temperature fell to -1⁰C overnight. The crossing into the Antarctic Circle at 03.43 was seen in by a few intrepid crew and passengers on the bridge. This was a classic beautiful still Antarctic morning, with the sun shining, clear blue sky and a gentle swell on which ice floes and small bits bergs rose and fell. Ahead was a large ice berg tilted as if on the verge of capsizing. 

Part 3 of ‘The Last Place on Earth’ was screened and then we headed outside to view another large tabular berg with its upper surface harbouring numerous snow-filled crevasses to port. 

At 11.30, in our newly issued jackets, we assembled on the bow for a special ceremony to commemorate crossing the Antarctic Circle. There was even a ‘hybrid Emperor Penguin’ present!  Rodney dispensed a mug of mulled wine for each of us then delivered a short speech and  read  a pledge for all of us to say:

“By anyone’s standards this event is an auspicious occasion-very few people have crossed the Antarctic Circle by ship. So on this occasion we want to both celebrate the occasion and acknowledge its importance.

Today each one of us joins a unique group of explorers that have gone before us, not only showing us the way, but giving us courage to follow and to make our own destiny. We follow explorers such as James Clark Ross, Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Ernest Shackleton, Roald Amundsen, Sir Douglas Mawson, Richard Byrd, Sir Edmund Hillary and others, who pioneered new routes south of the Circle. Today we acknowledge them and their efforts.

 Crossing the Circle also carries with it responsibility:

“So today as we cross the Circle, I would like each of you to take this vow and receive the Mark of the Penguin - as evidence that you have crossed the Antarctic Circle and have taken the pledge which I am going to ask you to say after me:

“Having endured the privations of the Roaring Forties, the rigours of the Furious Fifties and the ice-strewn waters of the Screaming Sixties to cross the Antarctic Circle, pay homage to those early explorers who have not only shown the way, but have demonstrated what it means to advocate for the continued protection of Antarctica and its wildlife and history. I [own name] hereby pledge that, in accepting the Mark of the Penguin, I will, until I take my last expedition, advocate to everybody, even those who will not listen, the importance of the Antarctic and its wildlife and history.

Would you please step forward and receive the Mark of the Penguin.”

 The Mark of the Penguin was then bestowed by Agnes, who stamped a penguin on each of our foreheads. 

Ron then stripped down to his Hawaiian gear, (as you might wear when crossing the Equator!), and gave a moving tribute to his wife Christine who, five years ago to the day, suffered an accident when scuba diving rendering her paraplegic and, against the odds, has proved she had the courage to climb back and achieve a life-long dream of visiting Antarctica.

At 3pm David presented his lecture on the Southern Cross Expedition (1899-1900). This was the first expedition to winter-over on the Antarctic continent. The Dutch/Australian Borchgrevink had a team of competent scientists that left a remarkable record of observations. That ‘First Antarctic Winter’ the beautifully presented diary of Tasmanian Louis Bernacchi makes compelling reading. The lecture was followed by the excellent documentary on the Adelie Penguin entitled ‘Icebird’ . 

A further two Minke Whales were seen at 3.45 pm. Although we saw no more icebergs today, we still had the lovely Snow Petrels along with the occasional brown and white Antarctic  Petrels flying about the ship.

Rodney advised that we hoped to be off the most northern part of the Antarctic Continent, Cape Adare, at 8am tomorrow morning.

Southern Ocean - Icebergs!

Days 10 – 12, January 20 - 22.  the Southern Ocean en-route to the Ross Sea. 

Monday 20^th : New Zealand’s Scott Base 56 years old today

Noon position: Latitude 56^o 48.38’South; Longitude 161^o 39.121’East ;  Air temperature: 11^oC, Water temperature: 5^oC

We were now on the Southern Ocean, en-route to the Ross Sea and Antarctica. The sea in the furious fifties was a lot less rough! Our days at sea were filled in with films and lectures, catching up on what we had missed during our early rough voyage.  The first was an excellent video about the pest eradication program on Macquarie Island, removing al the cats, rats and finally rabbits. I managed to get a complimentary copy of the DVD. Later Samuel delivered a lecture entitled ‘Seabirds of the Southern Ocean’, about the various species of albatrosses, petrels, prions and other sea birds that we expect to see during the expedition. In the afternoon Katya gave us an introduction to ‘Cetaceans of the Southern Ocean’.  Then was the first of David’s lectures on the exploration of Antarctica. This focused on Sir Douglas Mawson and his first expedition to the establishment of ANARE (Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition) including the founding of stations on Macquarie Island, and on the Antarctic continent Mawson Station, later followed by Davis and Casey Stations. Australia now claims 47% of the Antarctic continent (David is a NZ-lander, and NZ has a much smaller protectorate passed over by the UK!).

From our forays to the Bridge or on the Bow deck to get some very fresh air between lectures, some passengers sighted several King and Royal Penguins at Latitude 57^o 41’S 162^o 53.64E, a long way from home, although Katya said this is not unusual for these penguins.

T

Tuesday 21^st : Crossing the 60^o South longitude and entered region of the Antarctic Treaty

Noon position: Latitude 60^o22.943’South; Longitude 166^o46.905’ East; Air temperature: 2.8^oC, Water temperature: 2-3^oC.  Temperature inside the ship was 22-23^oC now that we had turned on the heaters in our cabins.

During the night we had crossed the Antarctic Convergence (a temperature and salinity boundary of the Southern Ocean and usually an area of abundant nutrients and marine life), still evident in the morning with a little fog indicating the change in water temperature. It used to about 90nm south of Macquarie Island but has shifted south with the warming seas. This is causing problems for the King and Royal penguins on Macquarie Is as they have to swim further to feed, taking longer and using more energy, resulting in lower chick survival. We expected to observe more oceanic birds owing to the upwelling of nutrients, but they were scarce for some reason.  From the bridge during the day we saw several albatrosses including Campbell’s, Grey-headed and Southern Royals were seen along with a few Prions, Shearwaters, Mottled and Black petrels. The best sightings of the day were three pods of 20-30 black and white Southern Right Whale Dolphins: no dorsal fin, a streamlined body and short beak. A pod of ten Pilot whales were also seen to starboard.

Before lunch Part One of ‘The Last Place on Earth’, a film based on Roland Huntford’s book, entitled ‘Scott and Amundsen’, was screened. In the early evening Katya gave a further lecture on marine mammals, Pinnipeds:  explaining the differences between  the three families - True Seals or Phocids (Weddell, Crab eater and Leopard Seals); Eared Seals or Otariids (Aus and NZ fur seal and sea lions) and the Walruses.

During the afternoon our fine new blue Antarctic jackets were issued, as you will see in many photographs.

With the sea rising, we took the hint from Rodney to make sure all was secured in the cabin before retiring and, as usual, to have ‘one hand for the ship and one for your-self’ when moving about the ship.

Wednesday 22^nd  - First icebergs and ice floes; 

Noon position: Latitude 63^o 49’South; Longitude 172^o 05’ East;  Air temperature: 5^oC, Water temperature: 2.5^oC

We had a very comfortable night and arose to a calm sea, with a patch of sunlight emerging from cloud to shimmer on the Southern Ocean. At 5.20 am the Officer on Watch, picked up the first iceberg on the radar. This was soon visible as two towers and a beautiful deep blue band above the water-line, eight nautical miles to starboard. At 8am we were over 1370m depth of water and at Lat. 63^o09.036’S Long. 171^o15.989’E. Last year, the first iceberg was sighted on 17 January at 62⁰34.35’S, 172^o41.2’ E, about 30 nm further south. We saw further icebergs throughout the day, but did not sail very close to any. We had to be satisfied with looking at them through our binoculars and telephoto lenses. A number of Shearwaters and a Light-mantled Sooty Albatross and several pods of Orcas were sighted

This morning Part 2 of the ‘Last Place on Earth’ was screened. Samuel then told us all about Sir James Clark Ross who first navigated the Ross Sea in 1841, after first exploring the Arctic. After Antarctica, he helped in the search for Tasmania’s Sir John Franklin, who disappeared while searching for the NW Passage. Ross’s two 32m naval ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror used by Franklin have never been found, although remains of his men and some equipment were.

The afternoon program included a lecture and briefing by Rodney on our route south; the Antarctic Treaty System and its governance; IAATO (International Association of Antarctic Tourism Operators) obligations. This was followed by the excellent documentary ‘The Last Ocean’ on the tooth fishing industry and the need for a marine reserve to be established to protect them in the Ross Sea.

During the afternoon three large Rorquals and more Orcas were seen and later a large male Sperm Whale accompanied by two other whales, was blowing as it moved along the surface. In the afternoon we sailed past three large tabular icebergs.

We passed a large berg to port, with a cave which had the most beautiful deep Prussian blue colour.  It took us 20 min to steam past the largest one at 11 knots (nautical miles per hour), so it must have been about 6.6 k long. These icebergs have broken off an ice shelf and all large ones are numbered and tracked by satellites for years until they break up into small pieces and melt. That evening the first beautiful, snowy white, black-eyed Snow Petrels were sighted along with three Minke Whales. At 11pm we had a lovely sunset together with a bright half- moon rising behind the end of an iceberg.