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Skuas
Today we pulled into Cuverville Island for our first stop of the day and I had a chance to sit down for an hour or so and watch the local skua population wreak havoc on the Gentoo Penguins. Skuas are a large brown bird related to the Northern Jaegers that constantly prowl the periphery of penguin colonies awaiting the opportunity to swoop in and steal an egg. Despite their scavenging habits and cutthroat attitude to cute cuddly penguins there is something charming about skuas. They are absolutely fearless and will wander up and stare you straight in the eye, but it always occurs to me that they are sizing you up for a meal “Are you dead yet? Can I eat you?” They also congregate around research stations where they virtually become pets despite their bad manners and killer instincts. If they are pirates then they are certainly the “Captain Jack Sparrow” kind of pirate with a bit of the rouge mixed in with a lot of charisma. The ones I watched today were happily sitting amidst the penguins which seemed unconcerned despite the various empty eggs around the colonies that had fallen victim to the rapacious birds. The skuas disdained the occasional penguin pecks to the extent that many pairs were happily consummating their relationship amongst the throng of tomorrow’s food.
Deceptive Deception
Today I woke up early to prepare for a landing in Deception Island – the very alive volcano that is now about 5 years overdue for its somewhat regular 30-year eruption cycle. Unfortunately a peek out the porthole showed not the rocky crags and cliffs I was expecting but snow being blown in sheets across the water by strong winds. Looks like a landing was out of the question! Instead we turned tail and fled before the growing gale until we found shelter at Mikkelson Harbour on the southern side of Trinity Island. As soon as we jumped in the Zodiacs the weather turned crystal clear and the clouds pealed back to expose blue sky over the glorious white ice of the Antarctic. Thus we had a long landing amidst gentoo penguins and a veritable 
slumber party of Weddell Seals all lazing on the snow banks happily digesting fish with only an occasional pause to scratch an itch. All up …not a bad day.
Storm on the horizon
Swiftly we slip across the seas
the passage calm the winds at ease
Yet still the whisper of the waves
Speaks of storms and seamans graves
While now we shelter from the fray
I know the winds are on the way
The birds are blithly drifting by
On graceful wings in steel grey skies
They sing the morrows storm to be
They wheel and dance on ruffled seas
While floating on this gentile breeze
They long to soar on wind swept seas
And now we seek to make the shore
A sheltered bay to wait the war
Of heavens wrath and neptunes greed
Of driven gales and tempests freed
And to the boundless sky I plea
Please spare us from the hungry sea
Posted in Drake passage, Patrick in Antarctica
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Drake Days
Another day in the Drake and so far the sea has been kind. Only a gentle swell despite a weather report that was covered in red scribble indicating high winds and high seas… looks like we managed to squeeze between the weather systems. In fact right now we are flanked by two other expedition vessels that all left Ushuaia on the same day as us. I feel like we are part of a fleet setting off to invade the Antarctic continent! Otherwise a typical day at sea: an early start up on deck taking photographs of the birds drifting behind the boat riding on the wind, then a couple of talks to tell the passengers about the birds and their biology and now a few minutes to myself to get myself ready for the next round of lectures and our landfall in the South Shetland Islands which at this rate should be tomorrow evening. The highlight of the day was watching a juvenile Wandering Albatross effortlessly skim over the waves as it turned its eye upon this strange interloper clinging to the rails on a slippery deck while pointing a long lens in its general direction while at the same time trying to duck the occasional wave. My impression was one of grandeur and grace… I can’t help but think the bird considered me in the amusingly clumsy category.
Posted in Drake passage, Patrick in Antarctica
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The dreaded Drake
Another brief change of passengers in Ushuaia and we have set our bow for the Antarctic continent again. At this moment we are still in the Beagle Passage but as we are minutes away from leaving this sheltered area it is worth giving some thought to the body of water ahead of us. The Drake Passage. 
It has a fearsome reputation and one that is well earned. Countless ships came to grief in these waters in the days of sail and it is still not uncommon to get caught in serious weather that threatens even the modern steel behemoths that ply these waters today. In point of fact, just two days ago as we last crossed the Drake we were happily navigating through moderately calm waters whilst another ship, just hours ahead of us, came into some serious strife. A big wave crashed over the bow driving steel railings through the bridge window. The bridge is the heart of a ship and salt water crashing around is obviously not a great thing… within seconds she had lost all electronic and communications and was in serious trouble. Luckily for them a passing ship was able to deliver a satellite phone which as it turned out was the only possible form of communication for the vessel after this disaster.
Luckily for them they managed to get all systems running after a short period, but it is a timely reminder for two in the blue that these are serious waters and we need to be prepared! It also stresses the importance of reading weather patterns. As noted we had a relatively calm crossing (I use relative for I’m sure our little yacht would be tossed around in waves that barely rock a big ship like this). This was almost entirely down to choosing the right path in relation to shifting weather systems. When Widdershins takes to the Southern Ocean we will need to be on the ball and ahead of the game to get comfortably down to the most isolated continent on Earth!
Posted in Drake passage, Patrick in Antarctica
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Ice is nice
Today we climbed up to a ridge overlooking the British base Port Lockroy and had a stunning view over to the mountain range named snow white and the seven dwarfs – the range has a white peak followed by seven smaller peaks all in a row. The horizon stretched forever, the sky was a deep blue and the white sparkled. But despite all the wondrous scenery, my eyes were drawn to the foreground where a small red yacht was tucked into a sheltered bay behind Port Lockroy. Two years and we’ll be here under our own sail, and despite the daunting barrier of the Drake Passage, stunning days like this make me long to be here with the freedom of the southern winds in our sails. It also makes me think … I’m pretty lucky to get down here, privileged in fact. The Antarctic holds a rare beauty that draws you in and holds you fast. We head back to Ushuaia tonight but already I’m looking forward to coming back in four days and watching the penguin colonies change with the passing season and welcome the whales back to the Southerly feeding grounds. It’s a tough job …
Colour remake
Just 5 days since we were last in Antartcica but it is a different world. Where last time it was grey windy and waves crashed on the black shore this time the sky is a vivid blue dome covering a crystal clear sea – the ice is a brilliant white suffused with every shade of blue ever conceived. Days like these make Antarctica splendid. The highlight? Today it had to be lying on my stomach in the snow with the sun beating upon my back while I watched carving glaciers crash into the sea over the Weddel seals on the ice in front of me… or maybe cruising through a million sculpted icebergs in Cierva Cove … the down side? Well, I won’t complain too much about sunburn …
High seas and strong breeze
Today we were up at 5:00 to launch zodiacs in a strong swell off Half Moon Island. My job was to run the skiers up to the landing around the back of the island, which is a long haul in big swell carrying a lot of gear. All went pretty well until we got to the steep beach landing, only to be deluged with a steep swell that must have originated from a glacial carving event. Ended up with waves crashing over the back of the boat and chunks of ice swilling around my feet. Yet another day in wet trousers. Still another fantastic day in Antarctica – and the wet cold feeling rapidly disappears while wandering around the chinstrap colony.
Next landing was at Deception Island were the swell had also picked up and the wind was howling through at about 35 knots. These passengers have had an exciting trip so far with pretty challenging conditions but most of them have taken it in their stride … perhaps its just insanity since nearly a third of them insisted on swimming at Deception despite the weather! But as I said … an early start and I need my sleep…
Surfing into the Shetlands
We made good speed over the Drake this time and managed to arrive in the South Shetland islands early enough today to squeeze in a quick and cheeky landing at Yankee Harbour. It’s a fantastic landing with a huge spit, which is actually the remnant of a glacial moraine wrapping around a bay flanked by a glacier. On the spit are gentoo penguins and elephant seals. The later attracted the Yankee sailors whom the bay is named for who descended upon the seals for blubber that was sold for oil. The remnants of the sealing are scattered on the beach including the rusting remains of a tripod that was once used for boiling down those seals unlucky enough to be around when the sailors where in port.
The landing was spiced up somewhat by a stiff breeze and a rolling swell that built up over the moraine causing the zodiacs to surf in over the break in the spit. Great fun, but a few of the passengers wore a somewhat grim expression as the waves crashed around us and the spray flew up into the boats… but the staff were having a ball! I was at least … or at least until one of the passengers life vests inflated. The only gallant thing to do for a guide is to sacrifice my warm floatation jacket, give it to the passenger and don the inflated collar jacket over my under coat … very wet and cold trip back to the boat… but still a lot of fun. Welcome to Antarctica!
Bits and birds
Another Drake passage with a long swell setting the boat to a slow swinging roll. The wind is quite and the birds are drifting long behind the boat as if drawn to this small speck of steel adrift in the endless ocean. We have Royal and Wandering albatross that ghost in occasionally to inspect and a cloud of black browed albatross, giant petrels and cape petrels that seem loath to stray far from our wake. We also spotted a spectacled porpoise today which is a rare sight in the Southern Ocean (I say “we” because I missed it ..damn). Otherwise it is plain sailing with Antarctica at the bow… hoping to reach land by tomorrow afternoon!