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In the Wake of Penguins

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In the Wake of Penguins In the Wake of Penguins The route/purpose of this 5 week expedition is the extraordinary chance to see far flung corners of the South Atlantic. We will be leaving from Puerto Madryn, a coastal town in picturesque Patagonia. Our aim is to reach South Georgia, an island positioned in the South Atlantic about 800 nm to the south east of the Falklands. It is true oasis set in the chilly waters surrounding the Antarctic continent. Millions of penguins, seals and elephant seals live in this harsh environment, hundreds of miles from civilization. The expedition is a real challenge for sailors - to this day, very few have reached there. It is an incredible chance to see nature at its wildest and the remnants of the whaling industry. For seven days we will observe penguins, seals and elephant seals in their natural environment. Glaciers and icebergs will surround us as we sail, as well as derelict whaling stations and memories of some of the first Antarctic Expeditions. The next leg will take us to the Falklands where for three days we will attempt to grasp at least some of the history of these islands. The expedition will finish at the "end of the world", in Ushuaia – the capital of Tierra del Fuego. It is the most southerly situated town on Earth and the springboard to the Antarctic. 3rd November Puerto Madryn : embarkation and preparation for the expedition. 3rd – 14th November : Puerto Madryn - South Georgia Distance: 1300nm , 11 days 15th – 21st November : exploring South Georgia 7 days 22th – 30th November : South Georgia - Falklands Distance: 800nm , 9 days 1st – 7th December : Falklands - Ushuaia Distance: 350nm , 4 days 8th December : disembarkation South Georgia When looking at a satelite picture of South Georgia one visualises it as a large congregation of clouds. But in fact what we see is a glacier – covered island, a continuation of the Andes. Practically the whole area is mountainous with precipitous cliffs and rock walls (the highest peak, Mount Paget, is 2934m above sea level). The glaciers flow steeply towards the sea around the whole coastline. This ground configuration and position of the island creates one of the most important places for animal colonies in the South Atlantic. There are about 2 million Southern Fur Seals- about 95% of the world population. It is also a refuge for large colonies of elephant seals, albatrosses and petrels. The biggest attraction by far is the sight of millions of penguins. It is the largest population on earth. Emperor, King, Gentoo and Chinstrap, among others, can be met, face to face. The severe climate conditions and isolation from populated earth masses keep the island safe from human impact. Today, the island is inhabited by a handful of people – a small British military garrison and a group of scientists. It was not so in the past. There have been different claims regarding the first sighting of South Georgia, since XVII century. The first landing was by Capitan James Cook , aboard HMS Resolution on 17th January 1775. His ambition on this voyage was to discover the Antarctic continent. So imagine his disappointment - he had only found an island! Despite his bad luck he predicted the great potential of the seal and whaling industry for that area. Very soon after his first landing the island become the centre of the commercial seal and whale industry in the South Atlantic. By the end of the XVIII century the British and American sealers were keeling tens of thousands of seals per season. The mass keelings had brought down the population of seals significantly by mid XIX century. In 1909 the American sealer ship Daisy managed to obtain only 170 animals in the coming months. At this point commercial whaling took off in a big way. During the season around 5000 animals were taken. The whaling era ended with the closure of the last whaling station in 1965. One can still see sad reminders of whaling activities on South Georgia. Places of Interest Grytviken - a whaling base set up in 1904 by an international joint venture funded with Argentinian capital. One year later the British whalers arrived there and established the competitive base "Albion Star". Soon after, other whaling bases and settlements started sprouting in neighbouring fjords. Grytviken flourished. Today the sleepy town is covered with grass and rusting machinery. The harbour is now home to sunken whalers and whale bones lie on the beach. These are sad reminders of a bloody era. Similar scenes are visible at Husvik , Leith and Godthull . At Ocean Harbour we will be able to observe the well preserved wreck of a XIXth century whaling ship. St Andrews Bay - a picturesque bay with Hearney and Cook's glaciers nearby. The biggest colony of King Penguins is based here (approx 100 000 birds). The other conglomeration of these large birds is situated at Royal Bay . Large colonies of Chinstrap penguins are visible in Stromness , Fortuna and Hercules bays. Drygalski Fjord with its glacier is a delight to behold. A sea covered by ice pack and ice bergs is the first real test of an Antarctic adventure. Similar views will be awaiting us at Larsson Fjord . There, in addition, we may see South Atlantic Fur Seals and Elephant seals. Albatros Island is the perfect place to watch Albatrosses and Petrels. There is one incredible story connected with South Georgia's past. One of the most heroic Antarctic expeditions started there. In the year 1914 Sir Ernest Shackleton on the boat "Endurance" left the shores of South Georgia and headed towards the Weddell Sea. The aim of this expedition was to traverse the Antarctic continent. After many months of struggling with the pack ice the "Endurance" was ice-set permanently near the South Shetland Islands. The ice crushed the hull of the ship and the whole party needed to escape from the cosy environment of the ship quarters and move directly on to the floating pack ice. After some time Shackleton and a few of his comrades sailed to reach the safety of South Georgia to organize a relief party. This extraordinary venture took place on the life boat, rescued from the "Endurance", over a distance of 1200 nm on of the most treacherous seas in the world. After their eventual arrival on the south shores of the island, his company traversed the uncharted icy and mountainous interior. They managed to reach the whaling base in Stromness. The following day they left the base on the whaling ship "Samson" to rescue the rest of the crew waiting for them on Elephant Island. After their third attempt they reached the shores of the Island on the Chilean vessel "Yelcho". All the crew from the "Endurance" made it home safely. Six years later Shackleton came back to South Georgia again with the aim of circumnavigating the Antarctic continent. He had a heart attack and sadly his plans were geopardised. He was buried in a cemetery on South Georgia. One can still visit the grave of this great sailor and explorer. The Falklands These islands are an archipelago lying on the Argentinian continental shelf. It consists of two main islands (named East and West) and seven hundred smaller ones. The islands were colonised in the XVII century and since then have been the subject of an on-going dispute between the two colonial powers Great Britain and Spain and in more recent times Argentina has claimed its rights as well. Britain made its views clear by arranging the first permanent settlement on the island (Naval Garrison) in 1833. This situation was fairly stable until the year 1982, when the Argentinian Army attacked the Falklands. Seven weeks later British forces arrived on the island and made the occupying army capitulate. Barricades and mine fields remind us of the bloody battles of 25 years ago. Nevertheless, one must remember that Argentinians consider Falklands as Malvinas and believe that they still belong to them. In 2007 – 25th anniversary of the Falklands War – the Argentine government again proposed to renegotiate the status of these islands. Today, 3500 people, twice as many sheep and some large penguin colonies populate the islands. You can fly there from Buenos Aires. One must remember that once it was the centre of a vibrant fishing industry and there remains visible proof of these days of plenty. The life is centred on Port Stanley – the capital. The main income is provided by the sheep industry and more recently, by tourism. Beside the wild nature one can also visit the South Georgia Museum and other varied historical sights. In Stanley there are, for example, colonists' cottages, Christchurch cathedral, Falkland Island Museum , Brittania House Museum. Taking part in the Expeditions Requirements for participants. No previous sailing experience is necessary but it is welcomed. All members will be expected to be part of the yacht crew. Each person will be required to participate in all the essential activities of a sailing vessel. For example- being part of the deck watch (working with sails, mooring, anchoring etc) and galley watch (helping and cooking meals), keeping the yacht clean and tidy. The skipper: Jerzy A. Kosz - Ocean Master, sailing instructor. As skipper he has sailed more than 50 000 nm on the Atlantic and Pacific. Many days spent on boats in the Baltic, North Sea, West Indies and Mediterranean Sea. In 2000 he took part in the record breaking Atlantic Crossing on the maxi boat "Lodka Bols". For years he has been sailing in the polar regions. He gained more experience on sailing trips to Iceland, Svalbard, Antarctica and in the Chilean Channels. He rounded Cape Horn a few times and in February 2008 he sailed to 70 degrees south.
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