Unoccupied Argentina Research Base

Gentoo Penguins

Gentoo Penguin

Hiking up to the top of the hill behind the base.

Skua

One of the Zodiacs passing by an iceberg.

Part of the Argentine research base.

Then it was back on board the Polar Pioneer for lunch and to head to our final location of the trip.

Our final stop was for a Zodic cruise around Melchior Islands.

Snow and Ice

Chinstrap Penguins with the Polar Pioneer in the background.

Iceberg

Antarctica

Our first stop for the day was at Curerville Island. The plan was to do a short Zodiac cruise around some of the icebergs in the area and then do a landing at a Gentoo Penguin colony. The short Zodiac cruise was so interesting that it turned into a much longer cruise as Dave weaved our Zodiac through the icebergs. Then after the Zodiac ride we stopped for a couple of hours at the Gentoo Penguin colony.

Icebergs

Black Ice

Crabeater Seal

Gentoo Penguin

The second stop for the day was Port Lockroy, a former British Antarctic research base that has been turned into a historical site and museum. Port Lockroy also has several Gentoo Penguin colonies in the area.

Port Lockroy

Two Gentoos work on their sencronized wadling

Gentoo Penguin Colony

Earlier in the voyage on South Georgia, several of the Aurora staff had freed a fur seal from at piece of netting that had been tangled around it’s neck. It took four guys, a boat paddle and a knife to get the job done. At Port Lockroy I got to do my part to free a tangled animal and risked life and limb to rescue a penguin who had tangled himself in some string. Ok, it might not have be as dangerous as helping the fur seal, but I could have been poked with his beak or given a vicious head slap from his stumpy little wings.

Little Gentoo is into bondage?

When I had told my friends that I was going to Antarctica, the first thing everyone wanted to know was if I was going there to ski. But no, I was going for the photography. When we were at Port Lockroy I looked up at the side of one of the mountains lining the bay and saw several people skiing down the mountain. Crap, I wish I had brought my skis.

Skiers in Antarctica

After leaving Port Lockroy the Polar Pioneer headed for our final location of the day by sailing down the Lemaire Channel. As our ship sailed toward the end of the channel we could see that the way looked blocked by a large area of pack ice and I thought that the ship might have to turn around. But the Polar Pioneer with it’s ice strengthened hull was able to plow right through.

Or final location for the day, a Zodiac cruise around some massive icebergs at Pleneau Island.

The Polar Pioneer looks tiny in the Antarctic landscape.

One of the other Zodiacs seen through a hole in an iceberg.

The day ended with a barbecue and party on the rear deck of the ship. Because of the long Antarctic day, it was still somewhat light outside at midnight with I headed in to go to bed. This turned out to be my busiest day for taking photos with 2136, which really was not that many compared to a couple of the other photographers.

When we arrived at deception Island the weather was pretty nasty; strong wind, fog and wet blowing snow. But after over three days on the ship most people were ready to brave the elements and go ashore. We landed on a desolate black sand beach in Whalers Bay where the remains of an abandoned whaling station and research base were located. The base had been partially destroyed and buried by a mudflow in 1969. Once ashore, the weather was not super cold, but the sticky, wet blowing snow made things tough. The harsh weather along with the abandoned buildings, half buried rusting machinery and lack of vegetation gave everything an eerie post-apocalyptic feel.

Gentoo Penguin in the blowing snow.

Abandoned Buildings

Rusting Machinery

Abandoned Building

Abandoned Airplane Hanger, Deception Island, Antarctica

You can see in the photo that the snow was blowing almost horizontally

Cape Petrels

Cape Petrel

During dinner, after almost three days at sea and 779 miles we pass Elephant Island, our first sighting of Antarctica. Just a barren, rugged rock and ice.

Southern Giant-Petrel flying in front of Elephant Island