Ship's Log: Last night’s gale in the Bransfield Strait ensured a sound sleep for everyone. Today we woke to a much less tempestuous Antarctica with light winds, grey skies and ice! Our ship was positioned a few miles off Brown Bluff, a volcanic formation that rises over 2,000 feet out of the sea and provides nesting grounds for Cape Petrels (Pintados) and Snow Petrels on it’s precipices, while down on the beach there is a large aggregation of breeding Adélie Penguins. Unfortunately, due to uncertain ice conditions, the Captain decided it was safest to abort the landing and move the ship to another site. So in expedition style, we synthesized a new Plan A as we cruised among a myriad of large and varied icebergs.
The overnight storm left the ship decks covered with snow.
A crew member using a board as a makeshift snow scoop to clear the deck.
Ship's Log: As all the drama of Iceberg Alley was unfolding around the ship, Expedition Leader Claudia was
working hard scheming a new plan A. She managed to negotiate a visit to the famous Esperanza
Base in nearby Hope Bay. This Argentine Base was established in the early 1950’s and has
special notoriety for where the first child in Antarctica was born! We soon found ourselves back
in the zodiacs and heading for shore where several base personnel awaited us on the landing
beach. Here we toured the collection of orange huts, including a cute Chapel, Museum and the
communal restaurant/bar. We also saw one of the small stone huts that was built and occupied
by the Nordenskjöld (Swedish Antarctic Expedition) expedition 1901-1904. Our first up-closeand-personal experience with nesting penguins was wonderful. Here, a plethora of Adélie
Penguins were feeding their ravenous chicks. We thanked the Argentinians for accommodating
us at this working base and headed back to the ship.
Esperanza Base in the distance.
In preparation for our visit to the base (and for every excursion off the ship), we gathered in the conference center of the ship and geared up.
Everyone was assigned a number and we had to turn our number over from black to red on the board as we went to board the zodiacs. This was a way for the crew to keep track of who was still on the ship and who was on the excursion. We then turned them back over to black upon our return.
The waters weren't real rough going ashore.
The advance expedition team waiting to welcome us.
YES!!!!! I made it to my Seventh Continent. Simply exhilarating!!!!
There was a large rookery of Adelie Penguins at the base.
In 1902, 3 men were left behind for the winter. They built this stone hut and were able to survive until a ship rescued them the following summer.
Adelie peguins
On our tour of the base we visited a museum.
A unique chess set made from whale bone.
We visited the school. As part of Argentina's continuing claim to Antarctica, they use this base as form of a permanent settlement. Families are brought in to spend the winter. They average around 15 children each winter.
There is also a church on the base.
Father seemed happy to have some visitors to talk with. I guess it would get pretty lonely with just a few of the same people to see every day.
Adelie penguin chicks waiting for some food.
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