Our first landing - 2,040nm from South Pole
Wednesday, 16 January: Our first landing – Stonington Island at Marguerite Bay, 68o11’68”
Coming into the inlet that leads to Stonington Island is breathtaking. We are at our furthest point south, 68o11’68” S, and at 10:00am take the Zodiacs to this small island that once housed a British and a US station. This island is aptly named – lots of stones to make walking up and over the ridge quite challenging.
A Waddell seal is sunning itself on a patch of snow close to where we land, and lots of Skuas and Terns fly low, squawking loudly to warn us away from their roosting areas – we oblige!
Two groups of old buildings with relics from the past are set quite high on a ridge – there are even old cages for sled dogs. The view over a small bay on the other side of the island is stunning with a huge ice shelf calving icebergs. Throughout the morning we hear the boom from the glacier and see the snow and ice crashing into the bay.
I spot 3 small red starfish on the beach – these have now been added to the official list of sightings for the trip!
At around 5:00pm, we’re back in the Zodiacs, and landing on Horseshoe Island. A short walk up a snowy/rocky slope and a quick visit to the historic hut, and from up on this ridge, we can see 17 seals sunning themselves on sea ice in the “centre” of the watery horseshoe of the island.
All too soon we’re back on the water with Natalie - she’s one of three naturalists/marine biologists and gives us valuable information about the birds and animals we see. It’s a glorious evening, with the sun still very high in the sky and little wind. The light is beautiful, and we’re all snapping heaps of photos – perfect Zodiac cruising.
We pass close to an iceberg with an overhang when a little Adelie penguin decides he needs to jump up onto the ice. He flies out of the water, but hits the overhang and falls back with a splash and a look of surprise. I look forward to seeing the photo that was taken!
On our way back through the icebergs, we’re drifting slowly when I spot a dorsal fin – my first inclination is to shout “shark” but fortunately I shout “whale” – a couple of Minkes are going by on their way further into the bay.
What a glorious day - we’re back at the Ioffe at 8:00pm, with dinner delayed just for us. It’s been wonderful to be in the Deep South with new sights, smells and experiences. And at 10pm, with the sun still high in the sky, I curl up in my bunk to the gentle rocking of the ship as we make our way back out and around Adelaide Island to head north up the Peninsula. My dreams revisit the day.
Thursday, 17 January: The Fish Islands
On the Bridge at 7:30am and a group of Humpback whales are passing the ship. Another warm and sunny morning, with not a cloud in the sky – we are so very, very lucky.
We will be at sea all morning, and have a couple of briefings to prepare us for visits to penguin rookeries and to Prospect Point. Dorothy Curtis and her grandson Rhys, are on this trip with a very special purpose in mind. Dorothy is the wife of Robert Curtis, a member of the Falkland Island Dependency Service (FIDS), now known as the British Antarctic Division. FIDS once had a base at Prospect Point and they are keen to go there – Rob Curtis was awarded a Polar medal and has had an island named after him that they’ll visit.
I take the opportunity to catch up on processing the now hundreds of photos I’ve been taking. Everywhere you look and turn there is another image to be captured and to share – click…click.click.click! The colours, sights and sounds are simply overwhelming.
As we turn east towards the Fish Islands, we encounter even more huge icebergs. On the Bridge the Captain, his 3rd Mate and the Helmsman are carefully maneuvering us between icebergs and watching out for “growlers” that can do some real damage. We see penguins porpoising through the water, and seals lying about on the ice.
But it’s more fun being on the bow, closer to the water and the icebergs – this area is absolutely breathtaking. Deep blue water, sparkling white icebergs with colours ranging from turquoise to a deep blue, and the water so clear that you can see many meters of the iceberg below the surface. Just stunning!
At around 4:45pm, we’re ready to drop the anchor, and that’s our cue to leave the bow and get dressed for Zodiac cruising. A yacht, the Pelagic Australis, has hailed us and comes over to the Ioffe while we’re waiting to board the Zodiacs. The Pelagic runs tours in this area, often with photographers and documentary producers.
Within half an hour we’re Zodiac-ing with Scotty through glassy, still water, drifting amongst icebergs and brash ice – it’s a winter wonderland. Wind, sun, sea and temperature have created magical shapes, sizes, textures and colours. Some icebergs look like castles with turrets, others have overhangs. There are holes, caves, curves, bridges, walls that look like beaten copper (only white), some that have straight ridges running down them, others that look like polystyrene that has been carved into different planes and some with icicle fringes dripping into the sea.
The shapes that we see below the water are equally variable – long fingers protruding down into the depths of the deep blue sea, irregular shapes and shelves that extend well out from the shape above the surface, creating an area of shallow, turquoise sea.
We move slowly towards seals basking in the afternoon sun – they open one eye, and close it. On an ice flow we see a lone Chinstrap penguin, well south of where he’d normally be seen.
Off in the distance there is a seal lying across an chunk of ice – towards his tail is an Adelie Penguin. As we get closer we see that it’s a Leopard seal, and one that enjoys penguin for breakfast, lunch &/or dinner. Now we have a stand-off. On the ice, the seal is slow and the penguin can move quickly around him. They eye each other – at each end of the ice. We hold our breath. Finally the penguin makes its move - it dives quietly into the sea while the Leopard seal dozes off – a peaceful end, at least this time.
Through the brash ice, we move towards Prospect Point – the popping sound of air bubbles from the glacial ice adds yet another dimension. And as we edge closer to the leading edge of the glacier, we can see the bottom of the sea, perhaps 10 or 20 meters below us, covered with black, brown, yellow and tan rocks.
Dark grey clouds that have been off in the distance are now coming in, and as the sun is covered, the sea takes on a steely grey colour, making the icebergs stand out even more. The temperature is dropping noticeably, and so at 8:00pm we gradually make our way back to the Ioffe, stopping to view more beautiful icebergs and seals and penguins dotted on ice floes.
This has been an amazing day – I feel so very privileged to be here and to be able to experience this part of the world, and to do and see so much in just a few days.