What a blessing to have another day of beautiful weather and so be able to go on another expedition. We had been given many warnings on the unpredictable weather frequently experienced in this area.
Overnight we had sailed to Dorian Bay to explore Damoy Point on Wiencke Island. This was most interesting as it was not only to see the fauna, but it was one place where there was a small settlement with 2 huts, one each belonging to Britain and Argentina. The British hut has been there since 1975, established by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) as a transit station for BAS staff and stores to get to the Rothera Research Station when sea ice made access by ship impossible. It may be visited, with prior permission, as it still has equipment and stores left from when it was closed in 1993. It is in the process of being made into a museum. The 2nd hut, called the Bahia Dorian Hut, is opened only in an emergency. It was established by the Argentine Navy in 1953 and is very close to the British hut.
Those who went by zodiac to Damoy Point had to walk about 100 – 150m to reach the British hut and saw stores, cooking utensils and research equipment which had been there since 1993. There was also an information board which explained the British Antarctic Heritage Research, so it was possible to learn more than just seeing items.
Today there is still activity on the island under the auspices of the UK Heritage Trust. Each year a small group of carefully selected people come to spend 4 months, from November to March, to research the Gentoo Penguins and their activity on the island. On this same afternoon the group came on board to tell us of their work and research. They record numbers of Gentoo Penguins live there and how many young are hatched. Also on the island are Kelp Gulls and Subantarctic Skuas. Later in the breeding season fur seals also arrive to produce their young. The Skuas watch the penguin nests carefully and steal the eggs and later the hatchlings. The researchers have to keep checking so as to be as accurate as possible with final numbers at the end of the season.
2 penguins
Their living conditions were very basic all residing in 1 other hut without running water or heating. Cruise ships called past daily during these 4 months, occasionally 2 or 3 a day and the researchers would shower on board, get their laundry done and collect fresh water. The other thing which had been established was a post office known as the Penguin Post Office at Port Lockroy and is the southernmost post office in the world. After the presentation we were able to purchase post cards and stamps and place them in their small post box. These are sent to The Falklands to be posted on to London from where they were sent to all parts of the world. This system was set up before the internet was available. They also sold memento items such as beanies, scarves, socks etc. to raise funds for their work as the Trust is an NPO.
Once again, I went out on a Special Ops Boat and truly enjoyed the scenery, as it is something of which one just does not tire. It is harsh and yet so beautiful. We could see the penguins at Damoy Point as well as a few seals on the ice.
A long glacier
That evening we were due to travel to Danco Island via the Le Maire Channel, which is 11kms long, but having reached just halfway, where the Channel narrows to just 600m wide, it was learnt from another ship which had come through from the other direction, that it was filling up with icebergs. It was necessary to turn the ship around and go to Danco Island by another route. Another change to our itinerary but safety is always the priority. Having no photos of passing through the narrow part of the Channel was a sad loss for everyone who was waiting patiently on the freezing deck.
From the Daily Viking received last evening, the activities which we attended today were a documentary entitled, “Continent 7 – not fit for human life” which told of the extreme storm which caused the shutdown of the Scott Base and Ross Ice Shelf. In addition, all flights to and from the area were cancelled leaving the researchers completely isolated from the outside world. The fact that they survived was amazing. The evening lecture was by Dr Tim Gerber, Plant Specialist, who spoke so well on the tiny plants of the Antarctic such as algae and mosses and their basic ecological survival conditions. He almost had us more excited about them than the big birds and animals.
The copy received this evening had a lead story about Sir Francis Drake, known as “A True Rebel of the Seas”. He was the first English explorer to circumnavigate the globe and was described as leading with a rebellious spirit. In fact, some mariners believed he dealt in witchcraft as he was able to locate various ships at sea. He was born in 1540 and brought up among pirates and merchants. As an adult he found employment on a trade ship. In his 20s he took command of his own ship and 10 years later he was given command of an expedition to set up trading posts in the Pacific. Drake used this mission for his own agenda and raid Spanish fleets. It was during this time that he decided to circumnavigate the world, taking 3 years and 5 ships of which 2 were lost in a storm, one disappeared altogether and a 4th one returned to England. His main ship was called the Pelican which he renamed the Golden Hind. He discovered what is now known as the Cape Horn route, creating a new route for ships sailing between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. Drake became a great hero of England and was knighted by Queen Elizaberh I. Conversely, he was reviled by Spain as a pirate for plundering their ships. He was elected Mayor of Plymouth in 1581 and arranged a contract to build a canal which brought clean water into the town. He died from dysentery in 1596 in Panama.
The animal detailed in this Daily Viking was actually a bird, the one I, and probably anyone who goes to Antarctica, was very keen to see – the Wandering Albatross. We did eventually see a few fly past our window a few days later. They are magnificent birds with that incredible wingspan which can stretch up to 11ft (3.3m). It flies at speeds up to 40mph (64kph) which is quite amazing considering their enormous size and are able to glide for hundreds of miles without having to flap their wings. They gather in colonies, mate for life and breed on sub-Antarctic islands in November biennially. They forage from the sea for up to 50 days at a time enjoying jellyfish, cephalopods and crustaceans.
