Travel blog for GOGO Verdu

The Lemaire Channel

12/31/2014

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-What did YOU do for new year's eve?
-Lemaire channel, like a dream

After we left Brown Station our Captain Larsen took us on a spectacular trip through the Lemaire Channel. The channel is only 900 feet wide at its narrowest point and surrounded by 3,000 ft. sheer cliffs and magnificent glaciers. We felt extraordinarily lucky to have had the opportunity to see it because it only recently become navigable because it is usually choked with ice.
As it was, the Captain dodged icebergs left and right. The scene was majestic, pristine and savagely beautiful. The ship's watercolor artist, Maria Coryell-Martin stood on deck and was painting and capturing the sculpted icebergs as we passed.
The Lemaire Channel is only 7 miles long but it has some of the most beautiful landscapes anywhere in the world. It was another world as we traversed the calm and serene waters to the sounds of rumbling thunders of ice cracking.
All in all, it was surreal and a lovely way to end the day and the year.
CHAMPAGNE TIME! CHEERS, EVERYONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Someone is ready for some French champagne!!

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Almirante Brown Antarctic Base, 5:00 A.M.

12/31/2014

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5:00am expedition - no coffee - things are looking kind of rough

Our ship, the Quest arrived at Brown Station in the wee hours this morning. At a very painful departure time of 5:00 am, ours was the first excursion to depart the ship for a 1 hour Zodiac tour of the bay and 1 & 1/2 hour stop at the Argentinian Antarctic base, Brown Station. We were very fortunate to be in the care of John Fonseca, a U.S.. Polar Program Antarctic and Arctic veteran. John, having spent years in the Polar regions of the planet is one of the very few people who has ever wintered at the South Pole. Because of this he has been given a number by the U.S. Science Foundation to signify this fact. John's number is #1121.
During the first hour of the day we spent cruising Paradise Harbour in a Zodiac. It was, without question, the most beautiful place I have ever been. We travelled past nesting cormorants/blue-eyed shags and porpoising Gentoo penguins. BTW, Penguins can swim 20mph. Who knew?
Across the bay we glimpsed breaching humpback whales which we were later told was a mother and her calf. We threaded our way through icebergs that resembled fairy tale castles. It was all stunning and very special since we were at sea level and so close to the action. This closeness afforded all of us a unique opportunity to see into the water, onto the landscape and details of the lichen on the sides of the mountains. Needless to say it was a unique perspective being right next to an iceberg and hearing the boat you are riding in crunching through some of the ice underneath.
Generally bases are built by various countries staking a claim on Antarctica and then pretty much left abandoned as had been the case at Half Moon Island. Some are used for research and that's a wonderful and noble cause. However, since no country actually "owns" a piece of the continent these bases are mostly useful for emergency shelter. At Brown Station an Argentinian base, there were 2 oceanographers who asked our ship for fresh water, vegetables and fruit which Seabourn was happy to provide.
Conditions on the base were pretty rough. The air was cold and the ice was compacted making the terrain very slippery and treacherous as we stepped forth on the continent (Michael's 7th continent, my 6th continent - I have Australia to go!)
However, the welcoming committee of Gentoo Penguins were quite curious and full of energy. They danced and porpoised around our Zodiac while we were disembarking. They performed daring feats of cliff jumping (some more graceful than others) to our delight. Some of our fellow passengers climbed to the top of a steep hill and slid down on their butts! Michael and I decided not to try that particular trick since we were both concerned with impaling ourselves with our camera lenses on the way down. No thanks, I'll pass!
After a while I decided to leave because even with 4 layers of technical cold weather gear, my fingers and toes were starting to become uncomfortably cold. (I wish I had of packed the hand warmers into my pockets!) Michael stayed on and photographed the Gentoos nesting. Gentoos have a white marking across the top of their heads and you can recognize them quickly in the stark terrain because of their bright orange bill.
Later back on the ship, we watched two avalanches of snow cascading down several different rock mountains, humpback whales feeding in the water, penguins playing and jumping through the water and looking for krill or fish to eat all while surreal icebergs in vivid aquamarine and pure white floated by our ship. What a memorable day and most memorable end to 2014! Happy New Year's Eve to All!

Pre-coffee I have to admit that I look a little like a terrorist. (Not really funny, though.)

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A Day At Sea - AntarcticA Here We Come!

12/30/2014

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-First sighting of humpback whales
-Gerlache strait

Today we set sail for the Bransfield Strait to once again return to the Antarctic Peninsula but this time to land on the continent. It was another "Chamber of Commerce Day" with very low winds, warm sunshine and a pleasant outdoor temperature.
However, let me be clear about what that means. If you are on deck, you are going to want to wear a parka and most likely your gloves. It gets quite chilly in the front of the boat where most of the action happens. Since our room is so conveniently located near the observation deck on level 10 we spent a lot of time at the front of the ship where there was tea and coffee to warm you up if need be.
As the Quest entered the Gerlache Strait, Robin West (Expedition Leader) announced that Humpback Whales were in front of the ship. It was a sight to behold and although the whales in on our Alaska trip eluded my best attempts to digitally capture them, I was finally able to time my photo correctly for a "fluke" shot. (Fluke being the operative word!)
We were informed that humpbacks have a white underside on their flukes that have patterns that are unique to each individual whale. This allows marine mammalogists to track them through various oceans. Apparently they are quite the extroverts and like to travel alongside ships!
We also learned in our daily ship newspaper more about Robin West, Seabourn Quest's Expedition Leader. Although he was born in South Africa, Robin had worked in luxury global expedition travel business for the past 12 years. Based upon my personal observation and interaction with him, he is a no-nonsense kind of man who loves his job and takes it very seriously. If I had to guess, I would say that he is more comfortable visiting with the wildlife he encounters than with the humans he so adeptly cares for while on expedition. He earns your respect because he is always professional. He deeply cares about your experience while keeping your safety foremost in his mind. He loves nature in a real way and it seems to hurt him when he is unable to show you something because of weather or circumstances. I think he was born for this job.
The whale watching was magnificent today and everyone was specifically hyped up during the pre-expedition meeting in the late afternoon. We heard Geologist Cathie Hickson's lecture about plate tectonics and how time has shaped the landscape around us. And, Dr. Juan Pablo Seco Pon's lecture about Antarctic Seabirds.
To be honest, the whales stole the show!

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The Lemaire Channel

-What did YOU do for new year's eve?
-Lemaire channel, like a dream

Almirante Brown Antarctic Base, 5:00 A.M.

5:00am expedition - no coffee - things are looking kind of rough

A Day At Sea - AntarcticA Here We Come!

-First sighting of humpback whales
-Gerlache strait

paula verdu

Archives

Categories

The Lemaire Channel

-What did YOU do for new year's eve?-Lemaire channel, like a dream

Almirante Brown Antarctic Base, 5:00 A.M.

5:00am expedition - no coffee - things are looking kind of rough

A Day At Sea - AntarcticA Here We Come!

-First sighting of humpback whales-Gerlache strait

paula verdu

Archives

Categories

-What did YOU do for new year's eve?
-Lemaire channel, like a dream

-First sighting of humpback whales
-Gerlache strait