My White Christmas

Having waited for years since first realising that it is possible and months since booking, finally I was visiting Antarctica! The night before embarking I met two Canadians who had just returned and they spent the evening regaling me with tales of their trip. I was far too excited to sleep. The only instance I can remember ever anticipating so eagerly is awaiting Santa on Christmas Eve when I was younger. Once on the Maryshev, the crew brought the bags up and I unpacked. Having spent the past three months backpacking it was a joy to have a wardrobe. My cabinmate, Daria from Russia, had been looking out our porthole which faced the bow. I could hear a hullabaloo outside and assumed it was a regular part of loading supplies until Daria informed me that a passenger had `gone for a swim´. Somehow the gangplank had become unfettered as Lee was re-crossing it to take photos from the dock. He plunged down into the cold waters of Ushuaia port but amazingly was unhurt, albeit rather chilled. The crew acted quickly to rescue and look after him. So quickly in fact that the fire brigade with diver on board arrived about five minutes too late to be of any use. During his impromptu swim he had lost his glasses and camera but the first mate lent him a camera for the duration and another passenger had spare glasses of a similar prescription. Despite this inauspicious beginning we were soon on our way. After a quick briefing on safety including a lifeboat drill and a talk on the proper conduct when visiting Antarctica we sat down to our first meal. Myself and my tablemates enjoyed rather too much wine so I can attest to the fact that being severely hungover while crossing the dreaded Drake Passage is not a pleasant feeling. Luckily, our crossing was relatively calm but the numbers eating still dwindled due to suffering sea-sickness. There were only two chefs on board and how they managed to provide all the passengers, staff and crew with such a high standard of food for the duration, I don’t know. The crossing offered us the opportunity to attend lectures and get to know our shipmates. There were only about fifty passengers so it was easy to mix. Each time you went up on deck there were seabirds flying nearby. It was amazing to see how close they fly to the waves. It is almost as if they can sense how large a wave will get. Either that or they have fabulous reflexes. Soon it became commonplace to spot an Albatross but it was never a banal experience. Hours could be passed watching them soar effortlessly. We passed the Antarctic convergence where the temperate waters mix with the cold polar seas but there was no appreciable difference in the temperature aboard. After two full days of sailing we were given a briefing on the Zodiacs. These are the small, inflated, rubber boats with outboard motors which were used to ferry us ashore. You could feel the level of excitement heighten as we went to bed anticipating waking early for our first landing.

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See above

Due to bad weather conditions we had to forgo our early morning (05:30) landing at Baily Head on Deception Island. This weather is typical of the location but it doesn’t deter the large number (>100,000) of Chinstrap penguins whose Rookery is there. My first sight of land in over 48 hours was of Deception Island, so called because there is only a narrow gap in the caldera wall which wasn’t discovered for a while. At first glance it appears desolate with lichens the only decoration on the dark grey volcanic rocks. Our initial landing was at Whaler’s Bay. It was raining heavily with strong winds blowing. The weather combined with the ascetic landscape presented an oxymoronic introduction to the polar desert I had expected. Usually bereft of wildlife we were welcomed ashore by numerous Gentoo penguins, Chinstrap penguins and a solitary Adélie penguin. I envied them their waterproof feathers as my hired water-resistant trousers were not up to the weather and soon I was soaked through. I hiked up to look out the natural break in the rocks that is Neptune’s window. One of the first sightings of the Antarctic Peninsula was from here but all we saw was a bleak, grey, rain-filled sky and a matching sea. How the whalers lived and worked here I don’t know. The beach is littered with all manner of abandoned whaling accroutements particularly whale bones, broken freshwater-barrels and the small rowing boats used for carrying the fresh water. After warming up on the ship over a fabulous lunch we prepared for the afternoon landing at Telefon Bay. We split up into three groups here to do hikes of varying difficulty. We saw our first seals here – Weddel, Crabeater and some saw a Fur seal too. The waters here are supposedly thermally heated so twenty-one of us had intended swimming. Having felt how cold the water was I, along with eight others chickened out. A courageous dozen stripped to their togs (even this would have taken guts) and braved the frigid sea. None lasted too long though.

On Christmas Eve I awoke to find that we had arrived in Foyn Harbour on Enterprise Island. It was a complete contrast to yesterday. The sun was out, reflecting off the glistening snow-covered mountains and glaciers and the icebergs and bergy bits that floated in the deep blue sea. Finally, the Antarctica of my dreams. We had our first Zodiac cruise here. It was a beautiful setting and we cruised right up to icebergs. Due to the transparency of the water you could see the mighty mass beneath. The differing shades of blue were fantastic to observe. We also visited the Guvernøren wreck. It was the first time we saw seals lounging on icebergs as though they were the most comfortable of couches. A humpback whale appeared in the vicinity to top off a memorable cruise. We returned to the ship to be met by Frances offering us hot chocolate with a drop of rum. Mmmm. Following our morning’s activity the ship sailed along Wilhelmina Bay with its stunning vistas enhanced by passing seals and penguins resting on icebergs and the constant presence of fulmars and petrels. Upon reaching Orne Harbour we togged out for another landing. Not an easy task but well worth the effort. We landed at Georges Point and trudged through deep snow to visit Gentoo and Chinstrap rookeries. It was our first close contact with a rookery. The antics of the penguins were very amusing as was their struggle to traverse the long, uphill distances to their rookery. They nest on mounds of pebbles and there is a constant battle to thieve pebbles from other nests to reinforce their own. Because the rookeries are on exposed rock they tend to be uphill on windswept sites. God love the penguin because it is not made for walking. They waddle in a very distinctive manner with flippers/wings outstretched. They walk as though they have had both hips replaced by an inept surgeon. They have made `highways´ where the snow is flattened for easier passage. However, several penguins had decided to brave the snow and kept falling down flat on their faces. We also got to witness their reaction to one of their only predators – a Skua. These birds are almost as large as the penguins themselves and swoop down over the rookery searching for the eggs and chicks of unwary penguins. One was obviously frustrated by its futile efforts and we watched in awe as it snatched a Snowy Sheathbill clean out of the air. It devoured it stripping long chunks of meat with its cruel, sharp beak. We returned to the ship for a sumptuous supper but interrupted our dinner after the main course to go ashore again. We headed to Cuverville Island where high tides and deep snow left us with a length of beach only a few feet wide. We watched the penguins struggling down to the shoreline, entering the water and swimming. They may be awkward on land but they are built for the sea. They flash by at astonishing speeds sometimes porpoising out through the air. They clean themselves very thoroughly too. These ablutions are necessary because the penguins literally shit where they sit. They squirt out a spray that oftentimes lands on their unsuspecting neighbour. The rookeries are covered in guano and the stench is unbearable. Penguins may be cute but they are very loud and stink. It’s rare to find such a juxtaposition of the senses; your eyes are loving every moment whereas your ears and nose are begging that you leave. We returned to the boat where the chefs had excelled in preparing a lavish buffet of desserts. I stayed up late and celebrated Christmas with my new found friends. We had brought back a small, almost completely clear iceberg so we had ~2,000 year old ice for our drinks! Despite the age profile of the other passengers being considerably older than me we had great fun together. We got to see sunrise/sunset. I’m not sure which as it never got fully dark. It was a fantastic day which we thought would be the highlight of our trip.

The trip was planned in such a way that we reached our southernmost latitude (65°10’S, 64°07’W) on Christmas Day. After breakfast most passengers went on deck to watch as we passed through the narrow Lemaire Channel. We set off in Zodiacs to explore the Penola Strait. We saw a hauled-out Weddel Seal, cruised around the numerous icebergs, including a massive tabular one, observed the many penguins enjoying their swims, came close to languorous Crabeater Seals and to top it all off one Zodiac heard the eerie sounds of Humpback Whales. Why these could be heard above the surface is unknown, perhaps the sound was transmitted through the zodiac’s floor or through the walls of the gigantic, glacial amphitheatre. Unfortunately, by the time my Zodiac arrived it had ceased. Each Zodiac had a different experience and lunch was as noisy as a rookery as each table shared their sightings. After donning our many layers once more, we headed for Petermann Island. Here we saw nesting Adélie and Gentoo penguins and Blue-eyed Shags. It was our first sighting of newly-hatched chicks (quite apt it being Christmas Day). The chick plunges its beak and indeed most of its head down its parent’s throat and the adult duly obliges by regurgitating. It was fun to watch the chicks jostling with its sibling for better position and shrieking at their parents to get their attention. The penguin chicks were well sheltered under the brood fold of their parent. So well sheltered that it is hard to understand how they were not squashed or suffocated! We returned to the ship and began to make our way northward along the Lemaire Channel. To our delight it began to snow – particularly that of myself and two young Aussie girls. When there was sufficient snow we initiated a snow fight on the foredeck and built a snow whale. Perhaps it was a portent because no sooner had we finished than the call came - `Orcas at 11 o´clock´. We were soon joined on deck by the majority of the other passengers. The expedition staff always alerted everyone to sightings using the P.A. system. This was great as no-one missed anything. For the next few hours, dinner and conversations were regularly interrupted as numerous pods of Orcas appeared close-by in quick succession. The staff’s reaction to the sightings amused me. Despite being veterans of polar expeditions they were not jaded by their experience. You could hear the excitement in Chris’ voice as he announced yet another sighting. Indeed, the staff were to the forefront of the throng rushing out to witness each event. The night’s entertainment reached its peak when it culminated in a hunt. A pod of more than a dozen Orcas were pursuing a Fin Whale. It was magnificent to watch and the Captain even turned the ship around to prolong our enjoyment of the spectacle. At one point two Orcas rose vertically out of the water with the Fin Whale pinned between them. If only I had a camera with a telephoto lens – my mobile while good wasn’t up for the task. There were several seabirds circling but they were ultimately to be disappointed. There was no kill so perhaps the mature bulls were just imparting their hunting techniques to the calves. For the remainder of the night, and well into the early hours, we calmed down in the bar. I can think of no fitting superlative which describes this day. Quite simply, despite having no friends or family around, it was my best Christmas Day ever. Surely nothing could surpass this...

The morning began with the usual cheerful, early morning wake-up call. Snow had fallen throughout the night but by the time we arose blue, cloudless skies and calm waters combined to provide us with an unbelievably stunning inaugural view of Neko Harbour. The snow-covered mountains were reflected in the still waters. The effect was amplified as you could see the reflection of the omnipresent fulmars and petrels as they swooped around the ship. We landed, for the first time on the actual continent rather than the islands, watched by a nearby Leopard seal. We climbed a steep hill which afforded us spectacular views across the harbour and of teh nearby Gentoos. It was difficult to choose where to look as a plethora of events were happening simultaneously on all fronts. As the sun heated up we were treated to the sight of glacier calvings and several impressive powder avalanches. Orcas swam by, followed by a few Minke sightings and the penguins were practically ignored as the other sights were more remarkable. We tried to slide back down but the powder snow thwarted our efforts and we ended up rolling over the deep snow as it was easier than walking. The tables were turned and I’m sure the penguins were laughing at our efforts. We returned to the ship for lunch nad to head for Paradise Bay. Nature continued to stun us. Several humpbacks were sighted with a pair coming right up to the ship. They rolled and waved their long fins in greeting. At one point there were humpbacks on starboard and a Minke on portside, all within 200m of the ship. It seemed that this was to be a day of choices. We arrived into the appropriately named Paradise Bay – the setting for a cruise in the Zodiacs and our second continental landing. We cruised slowly through the thick, brash ice passing Leopard Seals and watched Shags and Snowy Sheathbills nesting in recesses in the rockface. We landed at the abandoned Argentine base, Almirante Brown. Abandoned by humans that is – nesting Gentoos were abundant. We hiked up a very steep hill to enjoy expansive views of the bay. If anything it was more alluring than Neko Harbour. Again we slid down, this time much faster. The snow was deep here off the beaten track and many people found their wellies stuck as they plunged in up to their hips. When we returned to the ship we enjoyed a massive barbeque on the foredeck. As we were anchored, the crew were free to join us and a night of merriment was had by all. By this stage, the staff and passengers all knew each other well and the sounds of chatting and laughter almost, but unfortunately not altogether, drowned out the sounds of Russian pop music. To finish off this marvellous day, the setting sun gave off beautiful pastels which only bettered the captivating panorama.

We were awokwn, again very early, by Chris wishing us `Good Morning´. His voice is far more effective than any alarm clock I have ever used. We were to visit Wiencke Island and Port Lockroy this morning. The custodian of Port Lockroy came aboard to explain the history of this British base and how it had been meticulously restored. We landed first on Wiencke on saw numerous Gentoos nesting alongside Blue-eyed Shags, both species nurturing their chicks. We also saw an Elephant Seal – our first. It was only a juvenile, however, so it didn´t have the disproportionately large proboscis which an adult does. The numerous whalebones attested to the destructive impulses of mankind. Over 90% of all whales were eliminated. While our sightings have been amazing, I can’t begin to imagine how spectacular it was when whales were abundant. Then we were ferried across to Port Lockroy and explored Bransfield House. We became tourists again rather than expeditionists as we browsed in the museum, had our passports stamped and even posted postcards. We returned to the ship a slightly pensive group as this was to be our last landing. We spent the afternoon enjoying the scenery, seabirds, penguins and occasional whale sightings as the ship travelled nothwards. We were privileged to watch a short film that Chris, our expedition leader, had recorded about the the escapades of Douglas Mawson during the Australasian Antarctic Expedition. It was exceptionally well made and gave us an insight into the horrendous conditions endured by early explorers. Our cosy dining room offered a great contrast between his and our expeditions.

Our astonishing run of good luck held as we re-crossed a relatively calm Drake Passage. It always seemed to become roughest at mealtimes. We became experts at judging the swell so that we could catch our glasses. I don’t know how the waitress served us in a tight skirt and heels though. These days were spent attending lectures, birdwatching, catching up on some much needed sleep, chatting and reliving our experiences and looking back at photos marvelling at the sights we had been fortunate to see. As we had been kept extremely busy during our time on the Antarctic Peninsula, it was only now that we had time to reflect. The staff presented us with a typed account of our expedition complete with photos, a map of our exact route with the landings outlined as well as an individualised certificate detailing the exact location where we had made our first continental landing. We sailed as close as we could to the notorious Cape Horn while still remaining in international waters. Unfortunately, the visibility was nowhere near the requisite 12 miles. However, we did get to see some great swells (as usual just at dinnertime) as the islands south of Tierra del Fuego came into view.

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We had breakfast and said our reluctant farewells. The trip was made even more special because of the fantastic company and because of the ever-cheerful, helpful, friendly, knowledgeable staff. We disembarked in rainy Ushuaia and it took nearly a full day for me to regain my land legs. Strange as it may seem, I felt more seasick on land than I had on the ship. I cannot stress how awe-inspiring this trip was. Despite my high expectations, this trip surpassed each and every one. The landscape, the wildlife, the service and the people combined to ensure an unforgettable experience which will be seared in my mind forever.