Reaching 70 degrees south and closer to the south pole than any ship this year presented an exciting opportunity. How can we not go for it? However, it does impact our itinerary as do weather and seas conditions. The envelope of our journey requires we reach the Falkland Islands by Tuesday.
The Antarctic world at 70 Degrees South
This demands we modify our plans. The Vernadsky Research Station stop, for example, was the result of the 70 degrees south decision, the high headwinds, and the risk of encountering ice build-up on the original course. As the captain announced, they settled on Plan E. It was a fortuitous consequence. I find it hard to believe that Plan A to stop at Port Charcot Island would have been better. Sometimes things work out far better.
Vernadsky Station
However, executing changes like this don’t just happen. It demands a highly skilled team to pull it off. That includes the crew that runs the ship, the ‘hotel’ staff responsible food services and cabins, and the Expedition Team. The Expedition Team is central to what makes this Antarctic experience truly unique. It is made up of 25 women and men, ranging in age from the early ’20s to the late ’60s, from more than a dozen countries, representing a full range of scientific disciplines…geology, biology, birds, animals, Antarctic history, sea life, photography, to name a few. Members are all degreed, with most having earned advanced degrees, including several with doctorates. They select and secure landing sites, define the trails to minimize human impact, transport us via Zodiaks, lead kayaking outings, and collect sea samples with the Science Ship. The list goes on. Also, many present classes and lectures, which can number from 4 to 6 per day in both English and German. Many have visited or have spent time in Antarctica for multiple years. They bring their passion and knowledge and offer a rich perspective and point of view. Whenever the captain decides on changes, the team must quickly adjust plans and schedules.
The Expedition Center occupies the front half of deck 6 and includes books, charts, and a science center with a range of state-of-the-art instruments, including microscopes. The unique lecture hall is a rapidly reconfigurable area that uses floor-to-ceiling video screens that are, in effect, moveable walls.
Much of what I write, I’ve learned from lectures or 1:1 discussions with expedition team members. Expanding on a question I raised in an earlier blog following the Vernadsky stop, Larissa, an expedition team member, presented an hour-long lecture and slides of Life on the Antarctic Station. She is from Russia and has worked in the Arctic and Antarctic areas for more than 10 years as part of scientific teams, or working on supply ships delivering supplies to Antarctic stations during the 3-month summer window. This gave her a view of what life is like at a station.
While the population on the continent is about 4,000 during the summer, it dwindles down to 1,000 during the dark winter period. There about 70 research stations, some permanent, and others during summer periods only. Thirty countries have stations with the U.K having the most significant number with 27. The United States has 16, one of which is the closest to the south pole. The majority of the stations are located along the Antarctic Peninsula. Antarctica experiences brutal storms that prevent anyone from going outside. But it also has storm-free periods when personnel can work and play outside (snowshoeing, skiing, ball games, dog sledding, etc.). On those days, they may also be able to see and visit other nearby stations. Most stations are not as desolated as I had imagined. It almost seems crowded.
With few exceptions, scientists only come and stay for the summer. Those that remain during the dark period are focused on maintenance. Members sign a contract for a year or longer and rotate out on completing their time. Connection to the rest of the world is minimal. They don’t have internet access but may purchase time to call home via a satellite phone. They are indeed off the grid, with a rather simple daily rhythm and a challenge to prevent boredom. A critical component of everyday life is food. This is a challenge. No one wants to eat the same thing, the same menu, day after day, and week after week. Fresh vegetables and fruit that arrive via the annual supply ship are quickly consumed. What remains are frozen supplies, powdered, canned, or dried goods.
Cooks are challenged continuously, given the narrow spectrum of supplies in the storerooms. At a station, Larissa resupplied, the team was so unhappy with the cook, that everyone was given a chance to cook whatever their creativity could deliver. Station leaders put a lot of energy in coming up with tasks, games, entertainment to keep everyone engaged.
Larissa spiked her presentation with several anecdotes to give us a sense of life in the Antarctic. Several years ago, one of the stations included a female doctor, who experienced an atmosphere of conflict. Without elaborating, the doctor was rotated out early, and stations adopted a policy that females should not be on staff. This changed a couple of years ago. Vernadsky now has two female team members.
In another case in 1984, the Argentine Brown Station’s doctor had signed up for a year and desperately wanted to get home when his time was up. Unfortunately, they could not find a replacement and assigned him to stay through the winter. Despondent, he burned down the station. The station team was evacuated by the U.S. Navy and relocated to the American Palmer station. The doctor was fetched and put in jail.
The third story involved a stabbing at Russia’s Bellinghaus Station. The perpetrator loved reading books. Every time he started a book, a co-worker immediately revealed how the book would end. He asked the man not to do that several times. After many incidents, his request was ignored again. He suffered a meltdown and stabbed the guy in the chest. Whoever said there was no drama in these stations?
Leaving Vernadsky as dark to set in, we set course for the next mornings’ landing on Orne Island in the Wilhelmina Bay. The attraction was penguins. As we approach the landing area, the seas were rough with high winds. The designated landing site was a challenge requiring we clamber over large boulders to get ashore. The island is the breeding home to a large group of penguins and a variety of birds. We found the population much smaller than anticipated. Understandable since it is late summer, and much of the community had already returned to the sea and would not be back until next year.
At anchor by Orne Island
Orne Island excursion
Penguin colony
Once everyone was back on board, we moved to another area of the bay, about a 3-hour sail away. We chanced upon a pod of humpback whales that put on quite a performance. The captain paused the ship so we could watch and encourage their play. I was fortunate enough to capture one breaching, displaying its colorful fluke.
Watching us move around their territory
Humpback whale flashing his colorful fluke next to our ship
Proceeding further, we stopped at our destination in the most beautiful setting in the bay. The scenery here was spectacular…the day was sunny with blue skies and just a few puffy clouds. The very best, most stunning stop yet. Icebergs floating around us, glaciers moving down steep slopes on the rocky cliffs, kissing the bay with caves that invite exploration. This was not going to be a landing site. Instead, we used our Zodiaks to cruise the surrounding waters. The bay was very calm with streams of growlers, snaking around the various icebergs that were as high as 5 story buildings. Many looked like ice sculptures, carved by wind and rain. Many were striking artistic creations. Our guide Boo explained that they might have flipped and so the carving was done by underwater currents.
Exploring the ice shelf…but at a safe distance
Our ship bidding behind icebergs
Juvenile penguins racing to get away from us
Motoring very slowly, we were surprised by several rafts of penguins porpoising in the waves ahead of us. The wanted to get away from us as fast as possible. They were probably juveniles, who just recently lost their plumage and returned to the water. Intersecting one a stream of growlers, Boo reached overboard to retrieve chunks of ice for us to taste. Surprise, it tasted just like ice. Anyone with a glass and some Vodka?
I preferred more time to drift, to turn off the engine, and to listen to the sounds of ice, wind, and birds. Well, Boo boohooed that request! So much for the attitude: “Anything the guest wants.” It was undoubtedly my highlight of this trip to date.
View from our ship as the sun begins to set
Dinner with a view-surreal!
It was a great day!
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