Antarctica, Days 9, 10, 11

Post: Days 9, 10 and 11 – written on day 12 

Hi everyone,

Currently we are on the Drake passage. It’s officially Day 12 of the trip and I have three days of catching up, as I try to recount the last expedition days. I really wanted to be outside as much as possible – and so finding time in the afternoons or nights to write was difficult. I’ve learned in a whole new way how the body expends a tremendous amount of energy to stay warm. When you are in a colder climate for extended periods of time, you may start to notice that by the end of the day you feel depleted. It’s also light outside for nearly the whole night, never really getting dark so I could be whale watching or just looking out at the horizon for hours and not even realize it’s nearly 11 pm! I have thoroughly enjoyed this trip and while disconnecting from emails and texts felt strange at first – it’s been a very welcomed change. I realized this morning, out on the Drake it may not be possible for me to send this update. I’ll try and if it lands in your inbox within the next few hours on Sunday, you know I will have been successful. If not, I shall send this when I am at the airport with WiFi. Tomorrow is Monday and if I were home, in Brooklyn I would be checking work emails, writing the Monday Morning Memo, talking with Hannah and then doing my mental preparations for the launch of school after winter break. Imagining how the students are feeling and hoping the teachers all come back revitalized and ready for action. So, even though I may not be home for the usual preparations – they are all in my mind right now.

The past three days have been just as wonderful as the days prior. We have been generally very lucky with the weather and despite some gray skies and cold winds – we’ve successfully completed multiple mainland and island landings with zodiac cruises. The Western Peninsula resembles what I would imagine the Himalayas in the winter to look like. Sharp jagged peaks with rough cut edges like a used steel blade. Glaciers and snow caps as far as the eye can see. The waters are calm inside the bays and then choppy at sea. There have been many whale sightings as this area is informally known as “whale soup.” On day 9 we took a zodiac cruise to Portal Point. Along this cruise we were lucky to experience the largest pod of humpback whales I’ve ever seen bubble feeding. From above the water you can see a lot of dorsal fins and flukes (tail). As the whale dives it rounds its spine, the dorsal fin is exposed above water and then if the whale wants to go deep down the fluke will come out above the water. The dive is next. From deep in the ocean, the whales will release air bubbles which disorient the krill. The krill surface up and then the whale swims up to take a huge mouthful. The whale filters the water through its mouth so the krill remain. Dinner is served! The whales repeat this behavior over and over eating tons of krill at a time. In order to protect the wildlife and stay safe we need to keep our distance but we are close enough to hear the whales breathing. Propelling large bursts of air through their blowhole which rockets into the sky. The sound is fulfilling. At one point given the directionality of the wind we could smell fish – this was essentially the breath of the whale. It was a complete sensory experience inclusive of sight, hearing and smell. I even had the privilege of seeing a whale breach – a younger whale, much smaller in size, jumped from the ocean and landed on its side causing a splash and a unanimous oohing and awing from all the spectators in the surrounding zodiacs. Unfortunately my camera was not ready as the boat was turning and some people (Obi included) missed it all together. The image of the white and pink belly with black spots and markings will forever be part of my memory now.

Day 10 and 11 were similar days in that we remained on the Western side of the peninsula making stops at various islands or mainland. Given the blessed weather nothing was cancelled and each day included two outings. We’ve all gotten really good at the dressing routine, and transition into the mud room for our final gear. Getting on and off the zodiacs come naturally and we understand how the cold will feel knowing exactly what to wear or not to wear. These two days were significant Gentoo penguins observation days. Each day we found our way to large Gentoo penguin rookeries. Where the penguins have laid their eggs and for the next five to six weeks the female and male will take turns incubating the eggs until hatched. Most penguins will lay one or two eggs. The Gentoos, unlike the Adelle, are much more adaptable. They prefer the snow and colder temperatures and can eat a broader range of foods which helps their survival. They can adapt to what is available. One thing all the bird colonies or rookeries have in common in the guano – so much bird poop. The smell is all the same. An odor that fills the air and your nostrils and lungs. The smell is so thick you can almost taste it. After having been in the rookeries for a few hours over these past few days even back in the room, I get subtle whiffs of the guano on my clothes. I even gave Obi a kiss and could smell the guano in his beard! I’ve been considering not washing some of my outdoor gear upon arriving home, so that I can remember for just a bit longer, what penguins smell like. Observing the penguins in their natural habitat is a learning experience. First of all, we all know that penguins are not so graceful on land, waddling in order to swing their webbed legs from side to side in order to move. In order to navigate the deep and fluffy snow they build penguin highways. Actual pathways which take the birds from one point to the next Typically from the shore to their nests. The highways are deep so at times you can only see their heads moving as the whole body is concealed. The highways are reddish/brown from their poop and mud which is tracked on their feed or bodies from laying in the nests or walking on the shore. As I wrote in an earlier post, ideally the penguins mate for life (unless one is killed this is generally the case). So once the birds have gotten to their nest, you can often see a male or female sitting on the egg and their partner standing guard. The one standing guard seems to be doing one of two things. Either this bird is adjusting the nest which is made of small rocks, by adding more stones, or repositioning the stones that exist for quality assurance. The one fixing the next seems to get approval for each rock from the other sitting on the egg. Additionally, the one guarding the nest spends time fending off two different predatory birds. The Skua is a large brown and white bird that will attach chicks after they are born or kill sick, fully grown penguins. Then the Snowy Sheathbill is the other bird that is informally known as the “cleanup crew.” These birds are known to feed off the penguin poop or scavenge for anything else they can find at the colonies. They are opportunistic feeders which means they will eat anything they can find. So, while observing the penguins a few guests ahead of us noticed a penguin rise up from her nest for a few moments and the Snowy Sheathbill birds attacked their eggs immediately. The two eggs were dragged from the nest and devoured. The eggs were new, as the inside contents were still soupy. We learned that Gentoos in particular will lay eggs again especially this early in the season. Later in the afternoon I was in the bridge observing and noticed three Skuas feeding on a dead penguin. The bird was floating in the water bobbing up and down while the three sharp curved beaks pecked away, tearing the feathers and flesh off. Another reminder of the life and death cycle.

On each of the landings these past few days we also had opportunities to walk around. Some included small hikes to various lookout points. I hung back on one walk so that all the other guests would carry on. I was lucky to be literally the last guest (a guide stood nearby). I stood at the top of a hill for about 15 minutes in silence. Taking in the whole picture. Watching the ice-bergs drift by, the penguins porpoising in the water, the zodiacs shuttling people to and from the land and boat, ripples in the water drifting in concentric circles, the sun kissing the snow caps on the mountain peaks, clouds at various heights drifting in and out. My eyes teared up. It was a moment I needed to simply just be. No pictures, no swishing of the goretex pants, no lagher from tourists and no words. Pure inner silence. Antarctica is called the “silent continent,” which I disagree with. When you stop and really listen, there is so much to hear. At this moment I wanted to hear it all.

We also visited another research station called Brown Station. The original station was burned down by a sciencetist many years ago who was told to stay and winter over a second season (after just completing a full season). He was unhappy about this, as he had a lady friend he was longing to return home to, so he burned down the base forcing his return (romantic arson?). SInce then the base has been rebuilt and is regularly supplied by Argentina as this is their permanent base. One of the talks we listened to on the boat earlier this week was a guide who spent a little over a year at McMurdo station. Wintering over is a huge deal and requires training and strong mental capacities. I have found myself dreaming of an opportunity like this. They do take volunteers!

The final outing on land was on Danco Island. The highlight of this landing was hiking to a lookout point but then given the steep gradient we got to slide down. Yes – a real snow slide! We’ve not been allowed to touch anything on our trip – only our feet which we clean before and after every trip. HOwever this particular area on Danco island does not have much wildlife, so it’s a camping site for people. As a result we were granted permission to lay down, hold our backpacks on our stomachs and cruise on down. What a thrill, the slide was fast and curved. It’s best when you let yourself go and allow gravity and ice to work its magic. Eventually you just slide into snow which slows you down. Obi and I completed the slide and then wanted to visit the other spots along the planned route. However, on our way back to the zodiac’s I had an urge to do the slide again. Obi held my backpack and I ran up the steep switchbacks with my 10lbs of gear on. At the bottom one of the guides said I had time to go again…lol up I went a third time. Huffing and puffing. The gear is heavy and utterly cumbersome. The boots hardly bend and are so thick – serving their purpose to keep our feet warm and dry, but totally not designed for running up snow trails. The Franimal powered on and up she went for one more joy ride.

Last night we listened to a talk during the recap from a scientist who shared with us why and how penguins project their poop. It was informative and entertaining. Apparently there were a group of engineers who studied this phenomenon to better understand what is happening and wrote a scientific paper. Given that penguins spend a lot of time sitting on their nests (and as we learned already if they get up and leave their egg unattended even for a moment, it’s vulnerable) so rather than sitting in their own poop they have adapted to projectile shoot it up to 40 cm away! I saw this happen a few times, they lean slightly forward and pow – out it goes. Penguins have two stomachs and only one exit. Unlike humans, penguins allow everything, pee, poop, and all sexual reproduction needs to enter and exit from one place. In their body is specialized muscle which contracts (like our bodies do when we need to push something significant out) and this contraction is so strong that it can fly its guano far away.

As I said at the beginning, we are on day 1 of the Drake passage. Thankfully, Obi is not experiencing major motion sickness right now, and we just feel a bit drowsy from the meds we took to prevent getting sick (I’m not going to take them again as I am clearly not experiencing any motion sickness). The Drake swells are medium sized. The boat shifts up and down and side to side with persistence, never letting up. Every now and then we hit a sequence of swells or waves which cause the boat to crash down making a loud sound of metal. Imagine a dumpster being slammed to the hard ground – a crashing sound filled with a hollow boom!

Tonight will be a special plant base dinner – and tomorrow night our last dinner will be followed by a slideshow with drone footage and pictures from the professional expedition photographer.

I will leave you with one more story. Yesterday after the recap we were all asked to head to the bow of the ship (the very front) which is usually sectioned off to guests, for a group photo. The photographer stood outside the bridge on the balcony harnessed in for safety ready to snap a few pictures. The wind was howling, and it was snowing. Obi and I moved to the center like a NYC train move (you know how people always stay at the doors – but there is space in the middle). It was also much warmer as we were protected by the wind. There was much laughter and cheering as we geared up to smile and waved big. After the picture we were heading inside for dinner and we heard someone yell “Orca’s!” A very large Orca pod (we later learned these were Type B Orcas – there are four different types) was swimming on the port side. We were right there at the edge and sure enough looking out at sea we saw the sharp black dorsal fins peering up through the water. Everyone was cheering and a joyful panic erupted as folks tried to run to their rooms for the cameras. I had mine with me (always ready) and started to take a few pictures. There were so many whales, as we watched more just appeared from the distance, at first they looked like sharks but then you see their black and white bodies glide up and back down. It was amazing. Even though we all needed to zoom in pretty far with our cameras, the Orcas are visible. This felt like such a magical moment – because we were heading out from Antarctica into the Drake and this was the final whale pod we saw. It’s unlikely to see more whales on our journey (maybe some Orca’s) so this was our very special send off.

It was hard for me to set my last foot on land. I naturally longed for this experience to never end. What a journey it has been.

I will send one more update as we close out the Drake passage and hope to sail into Ushuaia with ease and on time to catch our flights.

Love,
Franziska