Straits of Magellan and Torres del Paine

Leaving Ushuaia we continued along the Beagle Chanel and moved up to Punta Arenas and the Straits of Magellan.  We chose a long day trip to Torres del Paine (Towers of Blue) an outcropping of mountains in the Patagonia pampas.  Even more dramatic than the Tetons.  Pictures really do not do justice.  It took us a bus to the airport, a flight to Puerto Natales and then a 2 hour bus ride to the mountains and the park.  We had a fantastic day, particularly for Patagonia.  We had clear skies over the mountains and little wind.  I can only describe the pampas as amazing.  It was then a reverse trip back, so essentially we started as the ship landed and arrived just before departure.  It was worth it!!!!

Guanaco, cousin of the llama

Drake Passage and Ushuaia, Argentina

Our return crossing of the infamous Drake Passage was essentially uneventful.  We left in 3-meter swells that progressively diminished to 1 meter.  The captain was able to throttle up and we made the crossing 12 hours early.  He put into Ushuaia, the southern most city in the world.   We berthed beside National Geographic’s ship, “Orion”, which is considerably smaller than ours.

This morning in Ushuaia we took an excursion through the forest on a logging trail at the foot of the Andes.  There were five 4x4s four of which had to be winched out of one of the mud holes we encountered.  We stopped at a beaver dam.  Beavers have become a serious invasive species with no predators so they grow to 70 pounds.  We ended up driving through an area of homesteading which is part of the government program to encourage people to live here.  It is beautiful but harsh living.

We are now cruising the Beagle Channel at the very southern end of Tierra del Fuego.  This is an alternate to the Straits of Magellan but much narrower.  We have not seen any commercial traffic as anything that could go through here would alternatively use the Panama Canal.

Forest destroyed by beavers

Squatter's home

Homesteaders

Chasing Whales; Neko Harbor, Grahm Island

We drew the straw for the 6AM Zodiac tour and landing, but because a nearby glacier had calved and the ice blocked our landing beach.  We were restricted to traveling around in the Zodiac chasing 4 humpback whales as they fed in the harbor.  Later in the day the captain informed us we had set the southern record for Seabourn Quest at 65 degrees 12.3 minutes South Latitude.  We started our departure for South America cruising with a pod of 18 killer whales and more humpbacks out into the open seas with 3 meter swells but little wind.

Fair warning #2:  If you visit us in the next 6 months;  after we have bored you with penguin (and now whale) pictures I am prepared to lecture on glacial thermodynamics and the tectonic plate movements of Gondwanaland.

Deep diving humpback

While we were under way our expedition team chased the whales shooting over 1500 pictures in order to catalog the individual Orcas

Two adults and one young calf

Port Charcot, Booth Island (65 degrees, 04 minutes South)

Cloudy, somewhat windier and a path shoveled across the deck to breakfast.  Another day, another rookery.  But!!!!! Although the winds and seas got stronger we headed out on our Zodiac tour to beautiful icebergs and were joined by 4 humpback whales that fed around us and then came right up to check us out.  We stayed and played with them for 20 minutes.  The hike on shore was an Antarctic challenge.  Winds now greater than 15 knots and blowing sleet and rain.  We got a few pictures of the Adelie penguins before heading back to the ship in heavy seas.  The Zodiacs are remarkably stable but we took sea spray nonetheless.  In true Seabourn style we were met at the top of the gangway, wet and cold with trays of aquavit and vodka.  At least our tummies were warm.  Off with the gear and into a hot bath and we call the day a marvelous victory.

Adelie penguins have no white on their head but white eye rings

Gentoo and Adelie nesting together

Waterboat Point (64 degrees 49”S, 62 degrees 59” W)

The weather is more typical Antarctica, low clouds, light rain and 3⁰C.  This is a social stop at a Chilean station built on a Gentoo rookery.  I think the pictures speak for themselves.  It is only occupied in the summer.

We had light rain that transitioned into snow and fog, so we are slowly moving toward our next destination.  The speed is to avoid the ice in the low visibility.  Just as we were about to have our “Caviar on the Ice” cocktail party outside in the snow and rain, we were surrounded by somewhere near 15 Orca, like Free Willie, swimming along side the ship.  Two are named and registered but last seen 3 years ago.  One of our naturalists is an Orca specialist and maintains and updates an international registry.  This siteing included 2 of their calves.  It made the dreary day much more exciting.  During the early evening we passed through a strait only 600 meters wide with 1000-meter mountains on both side and icebergs in the channel.  It was very interesting and although nicknamed the Kodak Channel, was so foggy no pictures worked.

Penguins on their pebble nests

Cuverville Island and the Gentoo Penguins

Fair warning:  Do not visit us in the next 6 months if you do not want to see pictures of penguins!!!

Only a couple of miles from our stop yesterday, Cuverville Island is home to many Gentoo penguins.  They differ in a white patch behind the eye and a tail that they drag behind them when walking and fan at times on the nest.  You smell the island from a mile away,  (Kind of like Iowa).  The sky was grey but little wind and moderate temperature.  We had a short Zodiac ride to the beach.  Penguins everywhere.  They are never boring to watch or photo (thus the warning).  We climbed over the ice and snow about 200-300 vertical to a several small rookeries.  At the top, we enjoyed a sip of champagne, the residual of an engagement that had occurred only minutes before and was provided to the couple by the ship’s staff.  The climb for us was mostly for exercise, but the penguins do this multiple times a day to feed and return to feed the young.   Of course for those not as foolish as us there are many nesting sights right at shoreline. All along the shore and out to the boat they darted and porpoised lightening fast and streamlined in the water.  They walk up and down this hill awkwardly.

Our reward on return to the ship was a fabulous lunch and a nap.

Antarctica Seabourn style

Feeding a chick

Charlotte Bay, Antarctic Peninsula

Our first Zodiac tours were to begin at 6AM this morning.  At 4AM they woke us with a public announcement that the winds were 45 knots and we would be cancelling our tours for the day.  Two hours later we arrived at an alternate location, Charlotte Bay.  This is a true hurricane hole surrounded by 5,000-foot mountains and glaciers.  The wind all day was no greater than 5 knots, the sky was as blue as the water and the temp rose to 45 degrees. Ours was the last departing ride at 1:30.  Calm waters, bright sun and icebergs all around.  I think it was the best Antarctica has to offer. 

Fur seals sunning on an iceberg

Half Moon Bay, South Shetland Islands

Yesterday was our first footing on land in 5 days and our first contact with Antarctica.  We anchored in Half Moon Bay in the South Shetland Islands.  Our captain placed us only a couple hundred yards from shore so the Zodiac ride to the beach was only 2 minutes.  All bundled against the cold, our group was the first to depart.  We go ashore in groups that alternate in their turns for any outing.  Approx 10 to a Zodiac, we stepped into shallow water on a rocky, pebbled beach and climbed and hiked across snowfields to the rookeries of Chinstrap Penguins.  We had a sunny early start, but the weather changes constantly. 

We cannot stop taking pictures, Deb stills and me video.  I lost Deb among the penguins snapping happily with her camera.  I witnessed two petrels capturing and eating a penguin chick.  Life is harsh in this environ.  Some are included.  There is a constant smell of guano that we cannot include with the pictures.  Each group has a 90 minute outing and our return was in 15 knot winds with some spray over the bow of the Zodiac.

Day 5 at Sea

We have been at sea now for 5 days.  Passing Port Stanley in the Falklands we could see why the captain had chosen to go by.  There is a narrow entrance between the outer and inner harbor and we had winds of 45 knots.  He would be unable to make it through safely.  With the extra time he slowed down in the heavy seas on our way to Antarctica.  He also avoided a second low at the Cape and moving east.  So we are now well into the Drake Passage and out of the heavy seas and wind.  Neither of us became sea sick and most of the passengers did very well.  It is a nice and very stable ship.  So we have proceeded to eat the great food and drink moderately.

There are lots of lectures and today more drills and briefings on safety, riding the Zodiacs, and behavior on the shore.  It has been snowing on and off today and the temp is in the high 30s.  We are to expect temps around freezing while ashore.  We are well drilled on the use of our cameras with 2 lectures or workshops most days.  Our gear was all vacuumed today to prevent us from introducing any foreign material onto the land.  We will have shores excursions that last about 1 1/2 hours each with lots to see and photo from the ship.  We have about 18 hours of daylight.  So far all our pictures are for practice so we have none to send along.

We are supposed to receive the football games today and are promised a grand tailgate party for the Superbowl.

Tomorrow the adventure begins.

Dave

From the other side, More

Our trip has not been quite what the cruise line would like to promote, but not all has been on their watch.  It started with American Airlines on our 3^rd flight from Miami to Buenos Aires.  We were loaded on the plane according to schedule but as all 350 of us were settled the announcement came that we were going to deplane for maintenance purposes for about 1 to 1 ½  hours.  Then the announcement that plane would be taken from service and another brought from the hangar, then that plane was not ready for service, by this time 1 AM.  There were no rooms available in Miami and we were given blankets.  Settling into the Admiral Club, which was to remain open because of the delay, we were rousted and removed because of cleaning.  On departure the couple in front of us received the “last” room available in town until we got to the counter where we received vouchers for the Best Western.  Settling in at 2 AM we had boarding passes for our delayed flight at noon.

While having breakfast at 8 in the morning, the AA mobile app, stated the flight leaving at 9:30.  After much angst I convinced Debbie there was no hope getting to the airport in time so we would simply get there and find out what we might do.

After security, the departure board listed our flight as 5 AM.  (What the f***).  At the first gate agent we found that the departure would be from that very gate at 12.  Actual push away was at 1.

We had a day in BA walking the streets and then taking a nap.  We enjoyed a typical tourist Tango show and went to bed.

The next morning we flew with a group of 16 to Iguazu (E’ waaz U) falls. A mile and a half wide with over a hundred falls.  Very impressive.   The temp was 95 and >90%.  We had guided hikes of about 2.5 miles and were exhausted.  In the morning our return flight to BA was delayed hours because of extensive thunderstorms over BA grounding all flights.  We arrived at the ship  had which they held 4 hours for us.

We are currently aboard a lovely ship with spectacular food and service.  We have made some good friends.  We are nearing the Falkland Islands in gale force winds and moderately heavy seas.  The captain just decided we cannot enter port in the night, so we are proceeding directly to Antarctica to beat the next low in the Drake Channel.  We have fabulous lectures and a great expedition staff, most with PhDs.

Our stomachs are so far very good!!!!!

Time for a drink.

On a sea adventure to Antarctica and Patagonia...

We have been on the road, in the air, and at sea for a week now and it has been quite a journey, not without some wrinkles. I'll let "the guy on the other side of the boat" tell the story later on. Meanwhile, I just wanted to set up the blog and say hi to our family and friends. Now I'm off to a photography session.  Debbie