Antarctic Peninsula the Extended Expedition to the White Continent 1 to 16 January 2013

AntA rctic PeninsulA t he e xtended e x P edition to the White c ontinent

C heesemans’ e C ology s afaris e xpedition l og 2013 CHEESEMANS’ ECOLOGY SAFARIS

EXPEDITION LOG Antarctic Peninsula The Extended Expedition to the White Continent 1 to 16 January 2013

Markus Eichenberger Willian Draisma Willian Draisma

Designed by Debbie Thompson and Kate Spencer Dailies coordinated by Joe Kaplan and written by Tom Fleischner, Jessica Joganic, Rosemary Joganic, Joe Kaplan, Samantha Oester, Christina Prahl, Clemens Vanderwerf, and Shirley West; with contributions from other participants Images by passengers and sta as credited Cover Photo Almirante Brown By Kathy Richardson

Back Cover Photo Grandidier Channel By Dustin Richards

This Page Photo Almirante Brown By Willian Draisma

ii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION

Introduction 1 For over twenty years, Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris has op- The Expedition 2 erated the longest, most in-depth expeditions to the Ant- arctic region, a destination of supreme splendor and seren- Ushuaia and Embarkation 1 January 4 ity that deserves no less. We are honored that each of you At Sea to The Peninsula 2 January 6 chose to travel with us on this lifetime journey. Much time Half Moon Island 3 January 8 and e ort was invested, most of it “behind the scenes,” to ensure that you had the same life altering experience that Cierva Cove and Danco Island 4 January 10 so many of our previous expedition participants a rm. Cuverville Island and Port Lockroy 5 January 12 On 31 December we celebrated New Year’s Eve in Ushuaia, Antarctic Circle and Detaille Island 6 January 16 Argentina, and then boarded our ship the Ortelius the fol- Hugh Rose David Meeks Petermann and Booth Islands 7 January 18 lowing morning, sailing 2,337 miles over the next 16 days, with 97 passengers, 13 Paradise Bay and Almirante Brown 8 January 22 expedition sta , and the hardworking ship’s crew. We plied the famous waters surrounding the majestic Antarctic Peninsula, where new and unexpected adventures Deception Island 9 January 24 greeted us every day. A crowning expedition milestone was the crossing of the Ant- Brown Bluff and Hope Bay 10 January 26 arctic Circle with a landing at Detaille Island on 6 January 2013. Whales seemed to Gourdin Island 11 January 29 accompany us throughout the trip and daily landings with penguins and seals set in landscapes of unimaginable beauty kept us wondering what the next day would Penguin Island and Yankee Harbour 12 January 30 bring. Our journey came full-circle and to a close on 17 January, when we arrived Hannah Point and Aitcho Islands 13 January 32 back in Ushuaia, Argentina, a er a tranquil crossing of the Drake Passage. At Sea to Ushuaia 14 January 34 e success of an expedition is dependent on many factors including weather, sea At Sea to Ushuaia 15 January 35 conditions, and insightful planning. But the most important ingredient by far is the Disembarkation 16 January 36 open attitude and persona of our expedition-mates. Our entire expedition sta is very grateful to each of you for making this a successful journey lled with memo- Postcards from the Field 36 rable lifelong experiences that we all now share. is expedition has extended the The Route 38 Cheeseman family with many new friends and old friendships were strengthened The Staff 40 during the many days of adventure! The Group 41 I would like to express heartfelt gratitude to everyone on the trip for your will- Photo Montage 42 ingness to protect these remote environments, each in your own way. Remember, Carpe Diem and until our paths cross again on another adventure, never stop ex- Species List 44 ploring! Retrospect: Nature’s Sculpture 46 Warmest regards, Hugh Rose Expedition Leader

1 THE EXPEDITION

January 1 Sakari Reitamo January 2 Clemens Vanderwerf January 3 Clemens Vanderwerf January 4 Leen Brans Ushuaia and Embarkation page 4 At Sea to The Peninsula page 6 Half Moon Island page 8 Cierva Cove and Danco Island page 10

January 9 Barbara Klesel January 10 Monika Egli January 11 David Cook January 12 Marc Hester Deception Island page 24 Brown Blu and Hope Bay page 26 Gourdin Island page 29 Penguin Island and Yankee Harbour page 30

Marc Hester Joe Filer Leen Brans

2 THE EXPEDITION

January 5 Dick Rhudy January 6 Dick Rhudy January 7 Ron Niebrugge January 8 Sue Lloyd Cuverville Island and Port Lockroy page 12 Antarctic Circle and Detaille Island page 16 Petermann and Booth Islands page 18 Paradise Bay and Almirante Brown page 22

January 13 Clemens Vanderwerf January 14 Patrick Endres January 15 Marc Hester January 16 Jessica Joganic Hannah Point and Aitcho Islands page 32 At Sea to Ushuaia page 34 At Sea to Ushuaia page 35 Disembarkation page 36

Leen Brans John Clark Markus Eichenberger

3 1 January 2013 Ushuaia and Embarkation Day 1

Tierra del Fuego National Park Clint Heiple Tierra del Fuego National Park Marc Hester

By Joe Kaplan Black-chested Buzzard Eagle, White- bellied Tree Runner, orn-tailed Ray- USHUAIA AND TIERRA DEL adito, and Austral Negrito. One of the FUEGO NATIONAL PARK highlights for many was the magni cent Our trip began in earnest on New Year’s Magellanic Woodpecker, the largest Day with nearly a full day of natural in South America, which inhabits ma- history observation, birding, and pho- ture stands of Nothofagus or Southern tographing along the Ushuaia water- Beech forests. We observed the male front and the Nothofagus forests and woodpecker with its showy re-curved tidal bays of nearby Tierra del Fuego scarlet crest, rst spotted (thanks Rose- National Park. e observations today mary) basking in sunlight on a dead nicely represented typical species of the snag with wings spread wide preening southern Austral forests and mountains ectoparasites from its feathers! Later it including the majestic Andean Condor, provided close views as it foraged for Magellanic and Flying Steamer Ducks, grubs in deadwood with its chisel-like the showy Dolphin Gull, Red Shoveler, bill. Black-necked Swan, Austral Parakeet, Grey Fox David Everett

4 Day 1 Ushuaia and Embarkation 1 January 2013

EMBARKING ON THE ORTELIUS By early evening we boarded the Orte- lius (named a er the eenth-century Flemish cartographer), settled into our cabins, and enjoyed a welcome cocktail and toast by expedition leader Hugh Rose, thus setting the mood for a great adventure to the ice-dominated land and seascape of Antarctica.

THE BEAGLE CHANNEL A er dinner and required lifeboat drills, we set sail against a backdrop of mountains and so evening light. Sail- ing down the Beagle Channel provided our rst opportunity to spot seabirds and mammals as we got to work identifying Black-browed Albatross, South- ern Giant Petrel, Chilean Skua, South American Tern, Rock and Imperial Magellanic Woodpecker male Monika Egli Shag, Magellanic Penguin, and our only Embarking on the Ortelius Patrick Endres South American Sea Lions of the trip.

Magellanic Penguin Anita DuPratt Parasitic fungus in the Beech forest Clint Heiple Chimango Caracara Clint Heiple

5 2 January 2013 At Sea to The Peninsula Day 2

By Joe Kaplan

DRAKE PASSAGE Today was spent crossing the Drake Passage en route to the South Shetland Islands, an o en-tumultuous 500-mile wide ocean waterway. Atypically, conditions were extremely mild with light winds and comfortable temperatures. While it’s hard to nd fault with such pleasant conditions, it did make seabird watching a little challenging since dynamic ight is di cult in sustained winds of only ve knots. Still, we man- aged to identify some fantastic seabirds including diving petrels, Wandering, Biosecurity inspection of clothes and gear Patrick Endres Royal, Black-browed, and Gray-headed Albatrosses, Antarctic Prion, Cape Pe- trel, both Giant Petrels (including our only Northern of the trip), Blue Petrel, White-chinned Petrel, Wilson’s and Black-bellied Storm Petrels. Pelagic penguins also showed and included Macaroni and all three Pygoscelis or brush-tailed penguins: Adelie, Gentoo, and Chinstrap. Unfortunately, today reveled very little in the way of marine Cape Petrels Eleanor Briccetti mammals with distant blows providing our only encounters with cetaceans. tting. We also started biosecurity inspection of all our clothes and gear to Meanwhile, on ship we prepared for assure that Antarctica stays free of for- Antarctica proper with a full day of eign plant and animal pests that have informative lectures and presentations wreaked havoc the world over. by expedition sta , Zodiac orientation, Antarctic Treaty protocols, and boot

Informative lectures Limo John Janson

6 Day 2 At Sea to The Peninsula 2 January 2013

Antarctic Petrel Clemens Vanderwerf Watching wildlife from the Ortelius Roberta Rhudy

DAY 2 AT 7:30 A.M. Location Drake Passage Latitude 56°28.5’ S Longitude 65°15.1’ W Total Sailed 158 miles Wind 5 m/s NW Air Temperature 6°C Water Temperature 10°C Seas Slight Weather Cloudy

Eleanor Briccetti Pat Rea Sue Lloyd Pat Rea Jim Clinkenbeard Pat Rea

7 3 January 2013 Half Moon Island Day 3

By Joe Kaplan Light-mantled Albatross. A showing rants, and penguins appeared en masse ready for action. Making my way to the of an Antarctic Petrel was a welcomed against an incredible backdrop of rocky ship’s gangway, I couldn’t help feeling ANTARCTIC CONVERGENCE surprise. is species, though an Ant- peaks, islands, and icebergs. as sti as Ralphie’s little brother in A Conditions remained mild for our sec- arctic endemic with a large population Christmas Story. I waited for my turn By Christina Prahl ond day at sea allowing for a full sched- in the Ross and Weddell Seas, is rarely then climbed down the gangway stairs ule of sta lectures and continuation of observed around the Peninsula during FIRST ZODIAC RIDE hanging on the side of the ship, boarded biosecurity inspections. As we passed the Austral summer. is petrel joined the Zodiac, and made my way to the the Antarctic Convergence the cold a ock of thirty or so Cape (Pintado) A er dinner, we made our rst land- very front of the Zodiac. I had a blast waters of the Southern Oceans created Petrels providing fantastic views as the ing on Half Moon Island, a crois- riding to shore—laughing and giggling a fog that limited visibility and unfor- squadron of birds circled round and sant-shaped volcanic remnant found the entire way as cold seawater splashed tunately also our ability to see pelagic round the Ortelius. We were so en- between Greenwich and Livingston Is- all over me. I guess I didn’t pull my wildlife. Yet despite these conditions thralled with the sighting that it almost lands, all parts of the South Shetland Is- jacket down well enough, because water (we did remain grateful for calm seas!) eclipsed our rst sighting of land in lands. Honestly, I was slightly apprehen- even went down my pants! Once ashore our list of wildlife encounters grew with two days as the South Shetland Islands sive and part of me wished we would at the landing site, I took count of the the addition of our rst Fin and Hump- emerged from a heavy ocean fog. e wait until morning to land. Despite this, back Whales, Southern Fulmar and excitement continued as skuas, cormo- I pulled on all my layers and was soon

Zodiac cruising around Half Moon Island Dick Rhudy

Chinstrap Penguin watching Ron Niebrugge

8 Day 3 Half Moon Island 3 january 2013

Leaving Half Moon Island Mark Hopgood Zodiac ride back to the Ortelius David Cook Unloading the Zodiac at the gangway David Cook mistakes I made on my rst Zodiac ride: quite an experience. My camera batter- On my way to a penguin colony, I was me more at ease. When we arrived back 1) My gloves were soaking wet and my ies died before I even got to the other told that everyone needed to head back at the ship my adrenaline was owing, pockets even had little puddles in them. side; I didn’t mind however, the light to the landing site since the weather was go, go, go, as I walked up the gangway. Solution: bring an extra pair of gloves was bad and now I could concentrate on worsening. You don’t need to tell me Once I was safely back on board, all I and zip-up pockets. 2) A er getting fully absorbing the new experience. e twice—I marched right back. Two lines could think was, “Oh that wasn’t so totally soaked, I couldn’t dry o . Solu- sta marked a place with ags along the of people formed at the landing site, one bad.” I trotted back to my cabin to get tion: bring a small towel. 3) My hand path where we weren’t allowed to stop— line for each side of the Zodiac, so we ready for bed, a er a hot cup of tea at warmers were in my pockets oating in the Chinstraps had the right-of-way on could rush aboard the boat waiting in the bar, of course. puddles of water. Solution: Stow hand this part of the penguin highway. e the surf. Luckily, I was ready and got warmers someplace dry. ese things wind started to pick-up making the on the rst Zodiac back to the ship. e DAY 3 AT 7:30 A.M. are probably common sense, but hey, it snow feel like little needles hitting my seas were rough and now I understood Location Drake Passage was my rst time. face. ank goodness for glasses. why the decision to return was made. Latitude 60°56.4’ S Hugh, the Expedition Leader, was my Once at the top of the hill I could see Longitude 61°10.1’ W HALF MOON ISLAND Zodiac captain. As we pushed through that the trail descended to another the surf at the beach, a big wave sud- Total Sailed 486 miles e beach on Half Moon Island was cov- beach; I was warned that the descent denly came over the back of the Zodiac Wind 9 m/s NE ered in dark grey rocks and waddling was slippery. I stood by a large rock lling it with a couple inches of water. I Air Temperature 1°C Chinstrap Penguins, and the sky was avoiding the wind while I decided if I thought, “What did I get myself in to?” I slightly overcast and gray. I decided to wanted to continue. I went for it with Water Temperature 0°C looked down at the water in the bottom take a path through the snow on a pen- Juan’s, one of the sta , help to get past Seas Moderate of the boat and back up at Hugh. He guin highway up and over to the other the icy part. I nally reached the beach looked completely unconcerned putting Weather Fog side of the island, which turned into that looked very much like the rst one.

9 4 January 2013 Cierva Cove and Danco Island Day 4

By Tom Fleischner in the brash ice closer to the tidewater glaciers. While most boats saw only CIERVA COVE one or the other whale due to their dis- Today was a day of many rsts. Dur- tance apart, almost everyone got good ing the night we crossed the Brans eld close looks at Leopard Seals on ice oes, Strait—the broad waterway between the their massive heads occasionally reveal- South Shetland Islands and the Antarc- ing a daunting set of teeth suitable for tic Peninsula. Just a er breakfast we ar- this aggressive marine predator. Most rived at lovely Cierva Cove, providing penguins here were Gentoos with some our rst close look at the Antarctic con- Chinstraps on a single ice oe. Antarc- tinent. Cierva, home to Argentina’s Base tic Terns ew overhead, chattering, as Primavera, is an enchanting expanse of did an occasional Southern Giant Petrel oating ice, penguins, seals, and whales. and a single Lesser Snow Petrel. Every- By 8 A.M., we launched all ten Zodiacs one was back on the ship by 12:30 for and set o on our rst Zodiac cruis- a welcomed lunch during which excite- ing. Each boat followed its own path ment was palpable as everyone shared of discovery amongst bergs, crossing stories of their morning. paths with one another and converg- ing at times at sites of special interest. GERLACHE STRAIT Both Humpback and Antarctic Minke A er lunch we began to head south whales were spotted—the larger Hump- down the Gerlache Strait, a passage be- Ortelius anchored in Cierva Cove John Clark backs surfacing in the more open wa- tween the Palmer Archipelago and the ter away from shore, the much smaller mainland of the Antarctic Peninsula. Minkes, with sickle-shaped dorsal ns,

Chinstrap Penguin Jos Permentier Weddell Seal Samantha Oester Minke Whale Susy Huysmans Gentoo Penguin Rosemary Hopgood

10 Day 4 Cierva Cove and Danco Island 4 January 2013

is area is an excellent place to nd ce- populations, or “ecotypes,” of Orcas dispersed so the ship turned around to DAY 4 AT 7:30 A.M. taceans, but for the rst three hours of in the Antarctic region, each with its resume its course southward. Infused Location Cierva Cove the passage wildlife was not abundant. own characteristic body type, habitat with the thrill of such a stunning expe- Wilson’s Storm-petrels and Southern and food preferences. While traveling rience, we ltered back into the dining Latitude 64°08.6’ S Fulmars—both members of the tuben- through Gerlache Strait, we were in the room for dinner. Longitude 60°56.3’ W ose order—were seen frequently, criss- “type locality” for Gerlache Orcas—the Total Sailed 709 miles DANCO ISLAND crossing our bow or following alongside. place where they were rst described. Wind 7 m/s NE Occasionally, we spied a Humpback When we rst saw them they appeared A er dinner we anchored at Danco Is- Air Temperature -1°C Whale surfacing or blowing, but always to be in pursuit of a small Humpback land, where we landed in the evening. at some considerable distance. is Whale, and some of us anticipated that e island featured a Gentoo Pen- Water Temperature 1°C relative absence of marine wildlife was we might witness erce predation at guin colony on its lower terraces and a Seas Slight about to come crashing to an end. close range. e Ortelius turned com- high snowy dome, which many people Weather Partly Cloudy pletely around to allow continued ob- At about 5 P.M., near the southern climbed for an outstanding view of dra- servation of these top marine predators end of the Gerlache Strait, we spotted matic glacially carved mountains. and the passengers crowded onto the a small group of small cetaceans and bow and bridge were rewarded with we quickly identi ed them as Orcas or quite a show. At times, a dozen or so Killer Whales. ese Orcas were dis- Orcas crossed directly under the bow of tinctive: smaller and conspicuously yel- the ship and at other times they fanned lowish identifying them as “Small Type out for over a kilometer. We ultimately B” or “Gerlache” Killer Whales. What saw four Humpbacks, none of whom does this mean? Since the 1980s, ma- were harassed by their predatory rela- rine mammalogists have become in- tives. A er about 45 minutes of action creasingly aware of several distinctive the cetacean activity became widely

Leopard Seal Clemens Vanderwerf Orcas Luc Ongena Gentoo Penguin superhighways on Danco Island Alain Verstraete

11 5 January 2013 Cuverville Island and Port Lockroy Day 5

By Clemens Vanderwerf

CUVERVILLE ISLAND e next morning the ship was relocated a short distance from Danco to Cuverville Island. e landing beach was full of little icebergs and brash ice, which made it di cult to nd the right South Polar Skua o ers a gift Marc Hester spot to land the Zodiacs. Gentoo Pen- guins were most numerous here, with many walking up and down the pebble beach in anticipation of a swim in the cold water. When I laid down at the water edge, it did not take long before I was surrounded by plenty of Gentoos, curiously looking at this strange 6.6 long creature. With the brash ice as background, it was fun to photograph the penguins arguing and japing at each other, resulting in very intimate images. For the second part of the stay at Cuver- ville, I went Zodiac cruising with Rod Planck. Rod is a great photographer himself and fully understands what makes a good image. He always man- Port Lockroy Chris Parsons aged to put the Zodiac in the right posi- tion to get the hoped-for image. At one PORT LOCKROY point we pulled up against some rocks A er midday the ship sailed to Port to photograph a group of nesting Ant- Lockroy, a natural harbor on the north- arctic Shags and Antarctic Terns. It was west shore of Wiencke Island with a funny to watch a couple of Antarctic long history. e harbor was used for Terns dive bomb a sole Gentoo Penguin whaling between 1911 and 1931. en who apparently came too close to their during World War II the British military nest. conducted Operation Tabarin to estab- Gentoo Penguin overlooks Cuverville Island Markus Eichenberger

12 Day 5 Cuverville Island and Port Lockroy 5 January 2013

can have your passport stamped with a past the Graham Coast on our way to DAY 5 AT 7:30 A.M. penguin as a souvenir. Opposite Goud- cross the Antarctic Circle. South of the Location Cuverville Island ier Island is Jougla Point that hosts a Circle there is almost 24 hours of day- colony of Gentoo penguins and a whale light in the summer and total darkness Latitude 64°40.7’ S skeleton that has been preserved over in the winter. During our voyage south, Longitude 62°37.1’ W the years and according to local lore was the sun set at around 11:30 P.M. and rose Total Sailed 762 miles assembled by Jacque Cousteau. again around 2:30 A.M. e prolonged Wind 2 m/s S and late light shined stunning colors in Air Temperature 3°C LAMAIRE CHANNEL AND SOUTH the sky and on the nearby icebergs and We le the Port Lockroy area in late af- distant snow-covered mountains. Water Temperature 0°C ternoon on our way to famous Lemaire Seas Calm Channel located between Kiev Penin- Weather Partly Cloudy sula, part of Graham Land, and Booth Island. Steep cli s hemmed in the iceberg lled channel that is eleven kilo- meters long and only 1,600 m wide at its narrowest point. It was rst seen by the German expedition of 1873–74, but not traversed until December 1898, when the Belgica, part of the de Gerlache expedition, passed through. De Gerlache named it for Charles Lemaire (1863– 1925), a Belgian explorer of the Congo. A er we passed through the channel Jougla Point Lindy Fung we rendezvoused with the small sailing vessel Golden Fleece to drop o Ron lish a base on adjacent tiny Goudier Naveen, Steve Forrest, and Paula Casa- Island at Port Lockroy (Station A). e novas, all from the Oceanites research base continued to operate as a British organization. ey will spend several research station until 1962. e base additional weeks in Antarctica to con- was renovated in 1996 and is now a mu- tinue their research for the Antarctic seum and post o ce operated by the Site Survey. British Antarctic Heritage Trust. is is We then continued our southern path the only place in Antarctica where you through the Grandidier Channel and Gentoo Penguins on Cuverville Island Clemens Vanderwerf

13 5 January 2013 Cuverville Island and Port Lockroy Day 5

January 5 at 10:36 P.M. Rosemary Hopgood January 5 at 10:37 P.M. Joe Filer January 5 at 10:41 P.M. Chris Parsons January 5 at 10:47 P.M. Marc Hester

January 5 at 11:48 P.M. Ron Niebrugge January 6 at 12:43 A.M. Barbara Klesel January 6 at 12:44 A.M. Dustin Richards January 6 at 1:24 A.M. Mark Hopgood

January 6 at 2:59 A.M. Lindy Fung January 6 at 3:07 A.M. Mark Hopgood January 6 at 3:44 A.M. David Cook January 6 at 7:01 A.M. Lynn DuPratt

14 Day 5 Cuverville Island and Port Lockroy 5 January 2013

January 6 at 3:17 A.M. Monika Egli

15 6 January 2013 Antarctic Circle and Detaille Island Day 6

By Jessica Joganic

ANTARCTIC CIRCLE is morning started early with excitement: we motored across the Antarctic Circle at 66° 33’ 44” south of the Equa- tor! is is the furthest south most of us have ever been. How strange to think an imaginary line in the water gives one such a sense of accomplishment upon crossing it. We failed in reaching our initial destination of the Fish Islands due to the presence of thick sea ice. It was too much for even our mighty ice- Adelie Penguins at Detaille Island Clemens Vanderwerf Adelie Penguins at Detaille Island Eleanor Briccetti breaker.

Adelie Penguins at Detaille Island Mark Hopgood DETAILLE ISLAND But all was not lost as our great Captain navigated to Detaille Island. Much of lunch was spent debating the pronun- ciation of the place. Upon landing in the a ernoon, the ever-knowledgeable Craig Poore nally set us straight: “dee- tie.” He also gave us a tour through Base W of the mid-century British military operation. e building is a little worse for wear, but considering the conditions endured, I’m not surprised it looked rough around the edges. e cabinets inside were chock-full of rusty cans of pickles and sardines, the sight of which de nitely made me appreci- ate the fresh-baked bread awaiting us on the Ortelius! e workbenches were covered with tools and clothes hooks

16 Day 6 Antarctic Circle and Detaille Island 6 January 2013

still had wet-weather gear hanging on DAY 6 AT 7:30 A.M. them, as though the inhabitants of Base Location Crystal Sound W dropped everything in its place and ran out the door, never to return. I felt a Latitude 66°29.6’ S bit the intruder as I wandered the nar- Longitude 66°58.8’ W row hallways, almost like I was peering Adelie Penguin humor Chris Parsons Total Sailed 936 miles at skeletons in strangers’ closets. Prob- Wind 11 m/s SE ably my favorite antique found during new territory. Hearing the booms and Air Temperature 1°C my inspection was the homemade fab- bangs as the ice made contact with the Water Temperature 1°C ric Scrabble board. I imagined the men hull never ceased to thrill us. e disap- sitting around their oil lamps long into pearing sun set the ice on re, as though Seas Moderate the Antarctic half-light nights, arguing they’d been ambéed. e pink and or- Weather Partly Cloudy over word spellings and scoring. ange glow on the pristine surfaces of the A Zodiac ride through the surrounding far-distant mountains was breathtaking. Adelie Penguins at Detaille Island Sue Lloyd waters revealed icebergs with amazingly It was quite a sight to shut our eyes with! delicate icicles attached. A Crabeater Adelie Penguin at Detaille Island Jos Permentier Seal was spotted snoozing on a oating slab of ice. And, of course, the ubiqui- tous sight of penguins, Adelies in this case, greeted us wherever we looked. We certainly were blessed with wonderful weather that allowed us to explore this land in the far south before turning back.

BREAKING ICE A er dinner the night stretched late as the ship broke through sheets of ice so at that it appeared as if it were run over like Wile E. Coyote in a Warner Broth- ers cartoon. Carving a path through the pancake ice was exciting and a bit unnerving, this must be what Shackle- ton felt as he chugged along charting

17 7 January 2013 Petermann and Booth Islands Day 7

By Jessica Joganic east side of the island. e crystalline e scene that greeted us this morn- surface of the glacier is deceptively frag- ing as we anchored o Petermann Is- ile. What looks to be solid snow quickly land was beautiful to behold. It was a turned into a trail of postholes making true present on this Eastern Orthodox the going slow. A er many pauses to Christmas morning. We were lucky to ll in these penguin death traps, I was have such a capable Russian crew not nally at the base of the dome. Look- only for their seamanship skills, but also ing expectantly upwards I was lled for blessing us with good Christmas with glee, as though I was once again weather! e sun was bright and warm, a youngster with a sled in tow trudg- the water was clear and calm, and the ing uphill to experience those few sec- wind was so ly blowing. What a way to onds of downhill glory. And so, with experience Petermann Island! labored breathing, I began the climb. I was almost across the rst switchback PETERMANN ISLAND when I conceded that achieving my goal might not be possible. at wonderful A er the excitement of past treacher- sun for which we were so thankful did ous Zodiac cruises, today’s peaceful its job well, turning the snow to slush. Petermann Island view Willian Draisma taxi to the island seemed too benign. e stu beneath my feet didn’t support Upon landing, I immediately set o for my weight without the cold to harden the alluringly giant snow dome on the it. Regretfully, I turned back, somehow managing to resist the temptation to try out glissading.

The Ortelius near Petermann Island Kathy Richardson Gentoo Penguin Rosemary Joganic Gentoo Penguin Elaine Heron

18 Day 7 Petermann and Booth Islands 7 January 2013

standing up in their stone nests. A er DAY 7 AT 7:30 A.M. taking an obscene number of penguin Location Peterman Island pictures, I switched the camera o and simply watched the stone-stealing antics Latitude 65°10.7’ S of the birds. It took me a few minutes to Longitude 64°07.9’ W place the noise, but without the clicks of Total Sailed 1,096 miles the shutter I actually heard the chicks Wind 1 m/s E hungrily peeping. It’s amazing! It’s easy Air Temperature 6°C to get lost behind a lens and forget these are living, breathing and eating animals. Water Temperature 0°C As I sat pondering this photographic Seas Calm phenomenon, my gaze dri ed to the Weather Blue sky bay below and I happened to be looking in the right direction at the right time ing lunchtime. Apparently, I will not be to see the mushroom-cloud exhalation staying on the island all day a er all. of a pair of Humpbacks. Animal sight- I started back towards the conspicu- ings down here truly are 10% experi- Humpback Whale near Petermann Island Grace Meeks ous red Argentinean hut, attempting ence and 90% luck! e noise carried so to step in the footprints I made on my well in the crisp cold air that it sounded Once down o the slope, I located the task of counting all colony members so outbound journey. is proved more as though they exhaled right into my di cult than I would have guessed and largest guano-free chunk of granite and the nesting birds were still hunkered ears. My patience was rewarded a short plopped down to photograph the nearby down protecting their chicks and eggs I stretched my arms out to maintain time later with the eagerly-sought and balance. About halfway back I realized Gentoo colony. Heather and Michelle of from those “scary” researchers. It didn’t crowd-pleasing image of a uking tail. Oceanites just completed the impressive take the penguins long to assure them- that my outstretched arms and wob- selves that the “danger” passed because Lost in thought, my stomach announced bling body exactly mimicked the pen- soon both parents and chicks were itself with a loud grumble—it was near- guin march. And, given the depth of the

Adelie and Gentoo Penguins John Clark Newly hatched Gentoo Penguin chick Jim Reid Humpback Whale watching Patrick Endres South Plar Skua Leen Brans

19 7 January 2013 Petermann and Booth Islands Day 7

Iceberg near Booth Island Jim Reid Iceberg Marleen Claessens

snow, I even walked at a penguin’s pace. think the cross honors all those early peared and I was quickly hoisted up and hand of Marlene Planck. Icebergs were I smiled because it seemed absolutely explorers, those who made it back and zooming along the placid water. Lunch our goal, preferably those that were appropriate to follow their customs, those who died trying. was eaten and then it was back to don- blue in color, oddly shaped, or sporting given that I was in their “country”. ning the layers. e a ernoon was spent penguins. We’d settle for some whales, By the time I waded (the sun is really Zodiac cruising under the expert pho- too. Marlene pointed us in the direc- I returned to the landing site and dis- melting the snow at this point) my way tographic tutelage of Rod Planck and tion of the ice arch only to nd that it covered I had enough time to check back to the landing site, a Zodiac ap- driven by the impressively experienced crumbled in the time it took to stu out the commemorative cross under our faces with lunchtime tacos giving the guidance of Craig Poore, our im- us a rst-hand lesson learned about the mensely knowledge sta historian. I was ephemeral nature of the Antarctic land- a little in awe as I gazed at the simple scape. We were thwarted again on the wooden structure. Many individuals far side of the island as the triple arch risked their lives over the years to ex- fell as well. And we never did nd those plore the uncharted and unpredictable whales again either. But all is not lost! It southernmost continent. ose men was a beautiful a ernoon: the sky was (and trusty sled dogs!!) are responsible cerulean, the water was sparkling, and for giving me the opportunity to follow the penguins were granting our wishes in their pioneering footsteps. I like to by standing so nicely in formation be- Weddell Seal Hilda De Vos Gentoo Penguins Sakari Reitamo

20 Day 7 Petermann and Booth Islands 7 January 2013

Kelp Gulls on an iceberg Hilda De Vos Gentoo Penguin colony on Booth Island Limo John Janson fore diving o their ice perches in quick BOOTH ISLAND on the other side of the island all three chicks. e Chinstrap chicks appeared succession. Hard to complain with that! We all boarded the ship without in- species of brush-taileds nested togeth- to be slightly older than the Gentoos cident, the anchor was weighed, and er. I spent the rest of my time onshore and they were already fairly large com- we headed north through the Lemaire watching these penguins and their pared to their parents. It must be hard Channel again. Dinner was delicious, work to keep two of these little peep- as usual, then a erwards we Zodiac-ed ers well fed! To reach the Chinstrap to Booth Island. A short hike over the neighborhood, birds returning from the resident glacier took me to a peaceful water with full bellies had to navigate shoreline overlooking the impressive through the Gentoo nests. Within the iceberg graveyard. e quietly oating mass of Gentoos resided a single pair of bergs were eerie in their proximity— Adelies who looked very uncomfortable like a crowd of expectant observers at a with their neighbors. A er a few more zoo pressing ever closer to the animals minutes of penguin watching, I headed behind the glass as they invaded the back to shore, boarded a returning Zo- narrow beach to squeeze the penguin’s diac, and fell gratefully into my waiting activities. bed. It was another phenomenal day in the Antarctic! And speaking of penguin activities… Adelie Penguin Jessica Joganic Leopard Seal Alain Verstraete

21 8 January 2013 Paradise Bay and Almirante Brown Day 8

Atop the dome at Almirante Brown Dick Rhudy By Joe Kaplan

NEKO HARBOUR SCRAPPED Our plan to visit Neko Harbour this morning had to be abandoned due to katabatic winds. ese o en-intense winds carry high-density colder air from a high elevation down a slope under the force of gravity. is morning these winds coming from the top of the glacier were estimated at an impressive 80 knots—not ideal for Zodiac cruising. Luckily katabatic winds are o en local- ized, especially here in Antarctica, and nearby Paradise Bay proved calm as we tucked in for an impromptu morning visit.

ALMIRANTE BROWN Lone Chinstrap Penguin Patrick Endres Located along Paradise Bay is Almirante Brown, another of Argentina’s Antarctic ing climb, some were treated to won- ing black-and-white plumage but by Bases and the site of our improvised derful view of icebergs, brash ice, and their surprising loud and raucous calls. landing. For the purists among us, this glaciers set against a beautiful blue sea. Zodiac cruising in the bay a orded us site generated much excitement since Below this vantage point, the vaulted views of striking marine mammals, in- it represented our rst o cial landing rock concealed and protected a large cluding Minke and Humpback Whales on the Antarctic continent proper (all rookery of Antarctic Cormorants, pro- plus Crabeater and Leopard Seals. e other landings were on coastal islands) viding our best study of them so far. We seals were hauled-out on ice oes, al- and ful lled the dream of some of our were also captivated by smaller num- lowing for lengthy study and ample more itinerate travelers to touch all sev- bers of breeding Snowy Sheathbills and photographic opportunities against a en continents. Cape (or Pintado) Petrels. e familiar magni cent landscape of ice and rock. Our Zodiacs soon delivered us onshore petrels were our constant pelagic com- to a cluster of historic buildings situated panions during the long passage across We reluctantly le Paradise Bay in the at the bottom of a prominent large rock the Drake’s Passage. However, they a ernoon as the Ortelius sailed across dome. A er a short but lung-challeng- proved di cult to spot among the moss the Brans eld Straight toward Decep- and lichen—reveled not by their strik- tion Island. Tales of the massive Chin-

22 Day 8 Paradise Bay and Almirante Brown 8 January 2013

Leopard Seals greeting Jos Permentier Curious Leopard Seal Rosemary Hopgood strap Penguin colony at Bailey’s Head Breeching Humpback Whale Monika Egli passed from passenger to passenger. is will be a notoriously di cult land- DAY 8 AT 7:30 A.M. ing that requires a mandatory brie ng Location Neko Harbour for passengers and sta . Expectations and energies were running high in an- Latitude 64°50.4’ S ticipation of our visit. Longitude 62°32.4’ W Total Sailed 1,160 miles Wind 14 m/s SE Air Temperature 3°C Water Temperature 0°C Seas Slight Weather Partly Cloudy

Gentoo Penguins Rosemary Joganic Humpback Whales in Paradise Bay Jen Filer

23 9 January 2013 Deception Island Day 9

Hiking from Bailey Head over the volcano rim into Whalers Bay Willian Draisma

By Clemens Vanderwerf uation of the nearby Argentine, British and Chilean research stations. BAILEY HEAD Chinstraps are the most numerous pen- Chinstrap Penguin colony on the volcanic cladera at Bailey Head on Decpetion Island Willian Draisma Deception Island, located on the north guins on Deception Island with several side of the Brans eld Straight between rookeries exceeding 50,000 pairs each. the South Shetlands Islands and the A scenic natural amphitheater divided by a stream of melt-water at Bailey Head Michelle LaRue Buyarski e colony here at Bailey Head is the Antarctic Peninsula, is easily recog- largest, occupying a scenic natural am- nized on any map by its broken-ring phitheater divided by a stream of glacial shaped volcanic caldera. is unique melt-water. island provides one of the safest natural harbors in the world called Whalers e weather had calmed down sub- Bay. Deception Island has a rich sealing stantially by the time we reached Bai- and whaling history and its volcano is ley Head a er the horrendous weather classi ed as “a restless caldera with sig- just passed in the Brans eld Strait. e ni cant volcanic risk.” In the late 1960s weather gods were on our side again, and early 70s eruptions forced the evac- and landing with the Zodiacs in calm

24 Day 9 Deception Island 9 January 2013

seas was fairly easy. Once ashore we found masses of Chin- straps waddling in a continuous pa- rade between the beach and the nesting colony higher up on the surrounding hills. Hundreds of penguins were also clumped on the black volcanic sand Chinstrap Penguins come ashore Alain Verstraete beach gathering the nerve to dive in the surf to catch food for their o spring while trying to dodge the odd Leopard Seal on patrol for its own food. It is fas- cinating to watch the comings and go- ings of these Chinstraps that continued for 24 hours per day.

WHALERS BAY Taking the Antarctic plunge in Whalers Bay Barbara Klesel Chinstrap Penguin Roberta Rhudy During midday the ship relocated from Bailey Head, on the south side of De- not to go to shore again. ing a gang of Brown and South Polar ception Island, to secluded Whalers Bay Skuas loa ng around a small pond near inside the ring-shaped caldera of the is- Some of those who did return to shore our landing site. land. We had the option to sail on the enjoyed an a ernoon dip in a natural ship during the relocation or to hike to pool of ocean water heated by an ac- meet the ship. I took the hike. It covered tive thermal vent providing us with an DAY 9 AT 7:30 A.M. about three miles and traversed the vol- Antarctic hot tub of sorts. Some took Location Baily Head canic sediments and knee-deep snow this a step further—plunging into the Latitude 62°58.1’ S Curious Chinstrap Penguin Marleen Claessens over the rim of the volcano then down cold Antarctic waters then following it Longitude 60°29.7’ W into Whalers Bay. It seemed like an easy up with a warming plunge in the “hot enough hike except if you carried extra tub.” Many looked forward to this must- Total Sailed 1,308 miles camera equipment and did not shed do part of our Antarctic itinerary giv- Wind 1 m/s SW enough layers as I did. Exhausted and ing each bragging rights to a swim in Air Temperature 2°C soaking wet from sweat, I arrived at the Antarctica! Other, more slightly sane Water Temperature 1°C beach in Whalers Bay and took a Zo- activities included a scenic walk down Seas Calm diac back to the ship. A er a refreshing the beach to Neptune’s Window to view shower I was done for the day and opted cli nesting Pintado Petrels and watch- Weather Partly Cloudy Chinstrap Penguins Clemens Vanderwerf

25 10 January 2013 Brown Bluff and Hope Bay Day 10

Iceberg at Brown Blu Markus Eichenberger By Rosemary Joganic something that looked like a minnow!

BROWN BLUFF Zodiac cruising a orded many opportunities to observe Adelies diving into is morning we landed at Brown Blu the sea from icebergs perfectly shaped occupied by a huge Adelie Penguin as penguin diving boards. ey execut- colony. I spent the time onshore at the ed jumps that Olympic judges would edge of a rocky outcrop where the Ade- grade a “10”. Of course an occasional lies were coming and going to and from Adelie misjudged the jump and belly- the sea. ey were so utterly amazing in opped right onto the berg, making for their fearlessness, curiosity, and in their a painful, yet comic, show. Adelie Penguins land in the Zodiac Juan Salcedo propensity for group behavior. ey do nothing individually. In many ways they DEVIL ISLAND they escaped through the water, jump- seemed like Wildebeest crossing the ing onto or o of the nearest iceberg as Mara River in Kenya: Adelies entered We turned south a er lunch to attempt the ship approached. On one iceberg we and exited the water en masse. ey had a run for Devil Island. Alas, the ice at saw six Crabeater Seals slithering away such personality as they stared upwards three meters thick proved the victor. We as fast as they could from us, the ap- at me with their slightly askew eyes reluctantly turned back and headed for proaching monster. e nal reward for wondering, “is this thing friend or foe?” more hospitable waters. But all was not lost since the passage to and from Dev- our failed attempt at Devil Island was e tidal pools were marvelous. We ils Island yielded a plethora of penguins the sight of four (4!) Humpback Whales were fortunate to be onshore at low tide and seals. So many penguins, in fact, playing on our starboard side as we ap- revealing wonders such as kelp, krill, that if we listened carefully we could proached Hope Bay. Our Captain was and jelly sh. Also limpets, and even hear the sounds of thousands porpois- kind enough to stop the ship so that we ing though the sea in front of the Orte- could enjoy their antics. lius in a mad dash to get away from us, a giant intruder. In many places the sea HOPE BAY seemed black with their tiny bodies as By Samantha Oester As we boarded Zodiacs in the a ernoon, we expected a leisurely cruise among penguins on ice in Hope Bay. But my Zodiac, driven by Patrick En- dres, was caught o -guard by a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. We ini- tially cruised around the bay, capturing photos of Adelie penguins posed on ice Photographing Adelie Penguins Roberta Rhudy Porpoising Adelie Penguins John Clark

26 Day 10 Brown Bluff and Hope Bay 10 January 2013

prised when a dorsal n exploded from in this life-changing experience. DAY 10 AT 7:30 A.M. the water just a few feet from him. e Hopefully, everyone will relay this Location Brown Bluff whales now circled our boat as we were unique experience and do all they pos- the sole object of the attentions of a Latitude 63°30.2’ S sibly can to ensure the future of not only young, inquisitive Humpback calf, with Longitude 56°52.1’ W these two whales, with whom we now mother trailing behind. ese baleen share an intimate connection, and with Total Sailed 1,432 miles whales, unique in their own genus, live all others of their species. ey need our Wind 7 m/s SE up to y years and have curious calves, concern and compassion so future gen- Air Temperature -2°C learning necessary behaviors and mi- erations of whales have a suitable place gration routes. But our calf seemed Water Temperature -1°C Adelie Penguins jump ashore Jen Filer in the ocean to ourish. en our future particularly curious. First, dorsal ns Seas Calm generations can follow in our footsteps, circled all around our boat. en, a blow in front of breathtaking mountains. We as ambassadors of the Antarctic. Weather Cloudy from the calf sprayed both our cameras then paused near the shore and were and us. e playful calf dove under our entertained by the seemingly endless Zodiac several times, mother staying march of Adelies to and fro, leaping, close but letting her o spring explore. and sometimes falling, into the bay. e e calf then spy hopped only inches passengers in my Zodiac were amused from our Zodiac to get a better look at to no end by the gracefully bumbling us. A er taking us all in, the calf slowly penguins. slipped his head back under the water. en, Whitney spotted the blow of a Mother and calf circled us just a bit Humpback Whale in the distance! We more and then moved away. As the dis- collectively decided to move a little tance between us grew, we sat for a few closer, hoping to get an identi able moments in awe, looking back and forth uke. Patrick approached slowly while at each other and our cameras, reveling still keeping a safe distance. Much to our enjoyment, we got a few uke photos of not one, but two, Humpbacks showing several distinctive marks that made both individuals identi able. Feeling satis ed with our photos, Patrick no- ticed the whales headed straight toward us but then disappointedly disappeared. Moments later, Chris was totally sur- Humpback Whales Dick Rhudy Hope Bay Marc Hester

27 10 January 2013 Brown Bluff and Hope Bay Day 10

Adelie Penguins jump o an iceberg in Hope Bay Jim Clinkenbeard

Adelie Penguin highway at Hope Bay Luc Ongena Adelie Penguins jump o an iceberg near Brown Blu Roberta Rhudy Adelie Penguins jump o an iceberg near Brown Blu Rosemary Joganic

28 Day 11 Gourdin Island 11 January 2013

Gourdin Island through a porthole David Cook Zodiacs in the fog near Gourdin Island Lindy Fung

By Joe Kaplan the downtime to catch-up on rest, so- cialize with new and old friends, pro- is morning we were all still elated DAY 11 AT 7:30 A.M. GOURDIN ISLAND SCRAPPED cess photographs, and attend a few in- from the fantastic day yesterday in formative lectures given by the sta . Location Gourdin Island Hope Bay featuring charming Adelie A er a short cruise, we arrived at Latitude 63°11.5’ S Penguins, whales, and a wonderful sun- Goudin Island and Hugh, as usual, sent BRANSFIELD STRAIT set barbeque on the Ortelius. But today the sta in Zodiacs to scout the landing Longitude 57°17.8’ W Meanwhile, the ship cruised northward we faced the reality of sea ice blocking site. However, the scouting party had Total Sailed 1,482 miles about ninety miles across the Brans- our ambitious route through the Ant- di culty nding their way through the Wind 5 m/s NE eld Strait as we bid a sad farewell to arctic Sound and Weddell Sea all the fog back to the ship (not good!), so our the Antarctic Continent. Our next stop Air Temperature -1°C way to Paulet Island. With a back-up planned landing at Gourdin Island had is the South Shetland Islands located Water Temperature 0°C plan always up our sleeve, we turned to be cancelled. e prospect of a day just north of the Trinity Peninsula, the our ship toward Gourdin Island located without landings was surprisingly well Seas Calm northern terminus of the Antarctic along the Antarctic Peninsula. received, including audible cheers by a Weather Cloudy few. Most everyone took advantage of Continent.

29 12 January 2013 Penguin Island and Yankee Harbour Day 12

By Joe Kaplan pairs counted in 1997 to only 230 pairs in 2010. PENGUIN ISLAND Highlights of our morning at Penguin is morning we enjoyed a sunny and Island included our rst sights of South- calm landing at Penguin Island, a small ern Elephant Seals loa ng at the long- island located along the south coast of established wallow on the east end of the King George Island in the South Shet- beach. We also found a surprise among land Island group. e most prominent them—a Weddell Seal! Many of us feature of this volcanic island is the 560- watched nesting Southern Giant Petrels, Deacon Peak, a basaltic cinder cone. including the all-white form familiarly Many people decided to hike up onto called “White Nellie,” while maintain- the peak to get a good view of the sur- ing a respectable distance from this sen- rounding dynamic landscape. sitive breeder. Others spent some time True to its name, Penguin Island is observing a large and remarkably mud- home to all three species of Pygosce- dy Chinstrap Penguin colony perched lis penguins, although we observed on the edge of a crater. We also found many more Chinstraps and Gentoos young and cute South Polar Skua chicks than Adelies. Due to climate change, hiding among moss and hairgrass while numbers of Adelies have declined pre- being tended by their parents. cipitously in almost all of the northern reaches of their traditional Antarctic YANKEE HARBOUR range. In fact, numbers on this island Penguin Island whale bones Marc Hester Returning to the ship for another deli- have plummeted from 2,400 nesting cious lunch, we ate while the captain

Chinstrap Penguin Markus Eichenberger Lichens on Penguin Island Alain Verstraete Three penguins: Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adelie Alain Verstraete

30 Day 12 Penguin Island and Yankee Harbour 12 January 2013

and crew repositioned the ship 62 miles southwest. A er the sail, we continued exploring the South Shetland Islands with a late a ernoon landing at Yan- kee Harbour. A unique cobbled spit of land forms a protective cove around this harbor on Greenwich Island’s southern coast. Warm light shining through the gray sky combined with fresh snow created perfect conditions for photographing and observing wildlife or to simply enjoy a long walk along the beach to a nearby glacier. is area is home to mosses, lichens, and algae as well as both species of owering plants that inhabit the Antarctic—Antarctic Hair- grass and Antarctic Pearlwort—form- ing a complete continental ora in one convenient location. Pearlwort and Hairgrass John Clark Yankee Harbour Marc Hester

DAY 12 AT 7:30 A.M. Location Penguin Island Latitude 62°05.9’ S Longitude 57°57.9’ W Total Sailed 1,594 miles Wind 8 m/s SE Air Temperature -2°C Water Temperature -1°C Seas Moderate Weather Cloudy

Chinstrap Penguin Roberta Rhudy Gentoo Penguin hatches Shirley West Skua Willian Draisma

31 13 January 2013 Hannah Point and Aitcho Islands Day 13

By Shirley West anchor in the rough seas. A er a ten- minute wait for the seas to calm, our HANNAH POINT Zodiac returned to the ship to pick up e wake up call sounded at 6 A.M., I the remaining passengers and we were drank co ee in the bar then ate break- o to shore. fast. Next I suited up with the usual Damn it was cold! I put hand warmers three pairs of long-johns and rain pants, in my gloves almost immediately since three sweat shirts and rain jacket, three they were wet from the spray over the pairs of woolen socks, rubber boots, bow of the Zodiac. I walked along the two pairs of gloves, and two hats. shore to the Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals Marleen Claessens All that clothing and I still made the wallow, where I found some molting. second Zodiac to go ashore. Marco e Gentoo Penguin chicks were really skip the second landing today, making loaded up four passengers and me but big here—some almost as big as their it the only one I missed! I was so ex- A lone Macaroni Penguin Jan Goddefroy then had to move away from the gang- parents. To me, Gentoo chicks seem to hausted that the crewmember cleaning way since the ship was swinging on the be more advanced than the Chinstraps. the rooms helped me take o my boots. I walked up to the blu to see the one I went to the bridge a er lunch and and only Macaroni Penguin, one bird amongst thousands. Patrick Endres and Rod Planck, both on our sta , were giving eld photography talks. e wind was blowing 18 knots—too cold for me to function, so I took a Zodiac back to the Ortelius. It turned out to be a pretty hairy ride and I got soaked, plus it was a big challenge trying to get from the Zodiac onto the ship. e ship and gangway went up and our Zodiac went down or our Zodiac went up and the gangway went down plunging at least a foot into the water. anks to our trusty crew, we nally made it up the gangway and onto the ship to clean our boots, as we must do a er each landing. I was thinking perhaps I would Gentoo Penguin checks a Southern Elephant Seal Susy Huysmans Gentoo Penguins Anita DuPratt

32 Day 13 Hannah Point and Aitcho Islands 13 January 2013

found out that Hugh Rose, Expedition e ort was begun to rid all our clothing DAY 13 AT 7:30 A.M. Leader, called o the a er-lunch land- of guano stains and odors in order to Location Hannah Point ing due to challenging sea conditions. look presentable on our return home. Instead we watched the scenery and As the intensity in the bar increased so Latitude 62°38.9’ S some Orcas from the bridge. did the activity in the sea, as waves grew Longitude 60°37.1’ W larger and more Drake-like. By dinner- Total Sailed 1,697 miles AITCHO ISLANDS time, many people were sporting seasick Wind 10 m/s SW patches and the serving sta was strug- We sailed to the Aitcho Islands located Air Temperature 0°C in a more protected area of the South gling to move with a steady gait. Several Shetland Island chain and found hospi- of the group excused themselves from Water Temperature 0°C table conditions for a landing. At 4 P.M. the dining room and others who went to Seas Slight everyone loaded into the Zodiacs for their cabins a er dinner did not venture Weather Cloudy Skua chick Susy Huysmans our last landing of the expedition. It was forth again. As we sailed into the “ e a much smoother Zodiac ride, though Ominous Drake,” we wondered what we did get wet from some salty spray. the night might bring. e wind on the island was very cold as I walked along the beach. I saw loads of Southern Elephant Seals and some were molting. Penguins nested amongst the seaweed and old weathered whale- bones. Scenery was pretty spectacular. e funniest sight was a Zodiac tied up to a huge chuck of ice with the sta Gentoo Penguins Kathy Richardson leaning against it. We all went back to the ship with regrets that this was the last landing.

DRAKE PASSAGE Our last boot cleaning took place with brushes and hoses to dislodge all the guano and small rocks. e anchor was li ed as the last Zodiac was safely stowed for the trip back across the Drake Passage to Ushuaia. A concerted Chinstrap Penguins Alain Verstraete Southern Elephant Seal wallow Mark Hopgood

33 14 January 2013 At Sea to Ushuaia Day 14

By Joe Kaplan appearance of the distinct petrel actually conveys an element of protection as DRAKE PASSAGE it whips back and forth across the waves Today we had a full day sailing through with a command that would make an the Drake Passage under 10-knot winds Olympic bobsled team envious. and unsettled weather in seas that were manageable for most. A full compli- ment of sta lectures and presentations DAY 14 AT 7:30 A.M. along with good wildlife observations Location Drake Passage from the bridge made this an enjoyable Latitude 60°29.3’ S day of transition as we headed north Longitude 62°07.0’ W towards Cape Horn. Wildlife sighting Total Sailed 1,885 miles highlights during the passage included a nearby Fin Whale accompanied by Wind 10 m/s SW Gray-headed and Black-browed Al- Air Temperature 0°C batrosses. Prions were conspicuous in Water Temperature 1°C open ocean along with Blue Petrel—the Seas Rough two easily separated by the white tail Weather Cloudy ash and g-force maneuverability of the Watching from the Ortelius at sea Patrick Endres petrel. Some claim that the helmeted

Iceberg Marc Hester Iceberg Joe Filer Iceberg Lynn DuPratt

34 Day 15 At Sea to Ushuaia 15 January 2013

By Joe Kaplan ful trip, gathered for the group photo gettable trip. DAY 15 AT 7:30 A.M. on the deck of the Ortelius, and o ered Location Drake Passage WINDING DOWN our appreciation to our gracious hosts OCEANITES Latitude 56°41.2’ S is was our last morning at sea as we at the nal meal—a celebratory “thank We had an educationalopportunity dur- approached Cape Horn. Unfortunately, you, thank you, thank you,” to the many ing this trip to work with personnel Longitude 66°33.3’ W our desire to see the Cape was thwart- talented people on the ship’s crew and from Oceanites, a U.S. nonpro t orga- Total Sailed 2,153 miles ed by an ominous voice over the ship’s expedition sta that made our trip a nization, and its long-running Antarctic Wind 10 m/s W brilliant and safe rst-class experience! radio that warned to “keep a safe dis- Site Inventory (ASI) project. Air Temperature 5°C tance from my coast.” Unfortunately Signi cantly, the ASI is the only nongov- Water Temperature 10°C the fog obscured the coveted view from AUCTION AND RETROSPECTIVE ernmental, publicly supported research that distance so we continued on. e A er dinner we retired to the lecture Seas Rough project working in Antarctica. Plus it Captain ordered the Ortelius eastward room (AKA the “Church”) for a fund- Weather Cloudy is the only project monitoring penguin towards the Beagle Channel just three raiser bene ting both Oceanites that is population changes across the entirety miles from this world-renowned land- conducting an Antarctic Site Inventory of the Antarctic Peninsula, an area that mark. and the American Bird Conservancy’s is warming as fast as or faster than any- Seabirds Program that is working to of the Antarctic Peninsula. While we were disappointed about miss- where else on Earth. ey are tracking solve many issues a ecting albatross ing the Cape, the morning still proved the declining populations of Adelie and Data collected by the ASI assists the and other seabird populations. e auc- unforgettable with a contingency of Chinstrap Penguins and the increasing implementation of the 1991 Protocol tion was conducted by Craig Poore and seabirds to welcome us back to South population of Gentoo Penguins. on Environmental Protection to the proved both entertaining and success- America. Sightings included our second Antarctic Treaty and enables a variety ful, raising over $7,600. Juan Salcedo, Heather Lynch, co-principal investiga- Wandering Albatross of the trip along of conservation measures adopted by a member of our sta , donated a trip tor and chief scientist of the ASI, and with near-shore denizens such as Chil- the treaty signators. In nineteen seasons for two to the Galapagos Islands on his Michelle LaRue sailed with us for the ean Skua, South American Tern, Mag- from November 1994 through Febru- wonderful ship, the Samba. anks to entire voyage, providing invaluable site ellanic Penguin, Sooty Shearwater, Fin ary 2013, the ASI visited 1,354 sites and Juan for his awesome generosity that guidance and dutifully surveying wild- Whale, Humpback Whale and the near collected data from 206 Antarctic Pen- helped make this auction a huge suc- life while also capturing scenes with endemic Peale’s Dolphin. e Beagle insula sites. While accompanying us on cess! Also thanks to everyone, both Google’s otherworldly Street View cam- Channel welcomed us with calm waters Ortelius, the ASI team accomplished passengers and sta , for contributing so era array stowed in a backpack. Ron and signaled the end of our adventure. penguin censuses at 17 di erent sites. charitably to such worthy causes. Naveen, founder of Oceanites and co- We nished making arrangements for principal investigator of the ASI, Steve Data and information about Oceanites e grand nale of the evening was Pat- the next day’s early morning departure Forrest, and Paula Casanovas sailed and the Antarctic Site Inventory project rick Endres’ Antarctica In-Depth Retro- in by settling chit accounts and prepar- with us during the rst few days of the are available at www.oceanites.org, in- spective, a visual journey set to music ing to leave the Ortelius, our home for voyage, before we delivered them to the cluding a link to their news blog, Oce- of the amazing images and people that the past two weeks. e mood is festive yacht Golden Fleece for a round of tar- anites Feed. A free iPhone App is also made this a successful and very unfor- as we raised a glass to toast a success- geted census taking in the southern part available.

35 16 January 2013 Disembarkation Day 16 POSTCARDS FROM THE FIELD

Gentoo Penguins David Cook Antarctic Tern Petra Draisma

Ushuaia waterfront Jessica Joganic

By Joe Kaplan

DAY 16 AT 7:30 A.M. Danco Island Dustin Richards Adelie Penguin Monika Egli DISEMBARKATION Location Ushuaia Our trip came full circle this morning as our ship docked in Ushuaia, Argen- Latitude 54°48.7’ S tina. Everyone disembarked the Orte- Longitude 68°17.8’ W lius, biding sad farewells to many old Total Sailed 2,337 miles and new friends—our family for the past few weeks. With lupines now in full bloom we take one last look at our ship and port city before heading to destina- tions across the globe. Until next time, good health to you and your planet!

Chinstrap Penguin Marc Hester Snow Petrel at Cierva Cove Leen Brans

36 POSTCARDS FROM THE FIELD

Orcas Alain Verstraete Gentoo Penguin at Cuverville Island Joe Filer Southern Elephants Seals Roberta Rhudy Booth Island shadows on iceberg Kathy Richardson

Booth Island Sue Lloyd Graham Coast Chris Parsons Lemaire Channel shoreline Limo John Janson Crystal Sound Jim Reid

Cape Petrels at Hope Bay Elaine Heron Leopard Seals at Booth Island Sakari Reitamo Leucistic Gentoo Penguin Michelle LaRue Buyarski Booth Island Limo John Janson

37 THE ROUTE 3 January 4 January 4 January 4 January 5 January 5 January 6 January 6 January 6 January 7 January 7 January 8 January 9 January 9 January

Joe Kaplan 5, 7 January

1, 16 January

22 18

Route drawn by Master Sergey Nesterov

Map photos by

23 2 Ushuaia Half Moon Island Cierva Cove Gerlache Strait Island Danco Cuverville Island and Jougla Point Lockroy Port Circle Antarctic Crystal Sound Detaille Island Island Petermann Channel Lemaire Booth Island Bay and Andvord Neko Harour Brown and Almirante Bay Paradise Island Baily Head on Deception Bay Whalers 8 January

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 24

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

16, 17 16,

6 6

5 5 15

9 10

38 THE ROUTE 10 January 10 January 10 January 11 January 12 January 13 January 15 January 20 14, 15 January 19 18 21 22 23 2 17 24 16 3 Brown Bluff Brown Devil Island Hope Bay Island Gourdin Island Penguin Island Harbour on Greenwich Yankee Hannah Point 12 January Passage Drake Beagle Channel Note: Locations may not be marked on all maps. may Locations Note: 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 14 6 4 15 5 7 11 26 12, 13 26 1 9 8 10

39 THE STAFF

Hugh Rose David Meeks Marlene Planck D. Meeks Rasmus Halvorsen D. Meeks Patrick Endres Pat Rea Michael Wald K. Richardsons Marco Restani R. Rhudy Expedition Leader

Rod & Marlene Planck Patrick Endres Joe Kaplan Ron Niebrugge Juan Manuel Salcedo Pat Rea Loading Zodiacs Marleen Claessens Ron Niebrugge P. Endres

Craig Poore David Meeks Tom Fleischner David Meeks Bill Mohrwinkel Juan Salcedo Marco Restani and Michael Wald Juan Salcedo Rod Planck David Meeks

40 THE GROUP

Patrick Endres

41 42 43 THE SPECIES LIST

16-Jan √ √ √ √ 15-Jan √ √ √ √ √ √ 14-Jan √ √ √ √ √ √ 13-Jan √ √

12-Jan

11-Jan √

10-Jan √

9-Jan √ √ √ √

8-Jan √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ 7-Jan √ √ √ √ √ √ √

6-Jan

5-Jan

4-Jan √ √ √ √ √ √ √√√√√√√√√√√ 3-Jan √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √√√√√√√√√√√√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √√√√√√√√√√√√√√ 2-Jan √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √√√√√√ √√√√√√√√√ √ 1-Jan √ √ (page 1 of 2) SPECIES LIST BY DATE SPECIES LIST BY Upland Goose Kelp Goose Steamer-Duck Flightless Duck Crested Chiloe Wigeon Red Shovler Pintail Yellow-billed Teal Yellow-billed Penguin Adelie BIRDS Swan Black-necked Steamer-Duck Flying Gentoo Penguin Penguin Gentoo Chinstrap Penguin Penguin Chinstrap Magellanic Penguin Penguin Macaroni Gray-headed Albatross Gray-headed Albatross Black-browed Albatross Light-mantled Royal Albatross Royal Albatross Wandering Southern Petrel Giant Northern Petrel Giant Southern Fulmar Cape Petrel Cape Antarctic Petrel Antarctic Blue Petrel Snow Petrel Snow Antarctic Prion (and uniden. Prion Antarctic prion) White-chinned Petrel Sooty Shearwater Petrel Storm Wilson’s Megellan Cormorant (Rock Shag)Megellan Cormorant Shag Antarctic √ Black-bellied Storm Petrel Storm Black-bellied ed diving-petrel Unidenti Cormorant Neotropic Imperial Cormorant (Shag)Imperial Cormorant √ Andean Condor Andean Black-chested Buzzard-EagleSnowy Sheathbill √ Black-crowned Night-HeronBlack-crowned Ibis Black-faced √

44 44 THE SPECIES LIST √ 16-Jan √ √ √ √ √ 15-Jan √

14-Jan √ √ √ 13-Jan √ √ √ √ 12-Jan √√ √ √ √

11-Jan √ √

10-Jan √

9-Jan √

8-Jan √ √ √ 7-Jan √ √ √ √

6-Jan √ 5-Jan √ √ √ √ √ 4-Jan √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √√√√√√√√√√√ √√√√√√√ √√√√ √√√√√√ √√√√ √ √ √ 3-Jan √ √ √ 2-Jan √ √ √ √ √ √ √√√√√√√√√√√ √√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ 1-Jan √ (page 2 of 2) SPECIES LIST BY DATE SPECIES LIST BY Antarctic Tern Antarctic Arctic Tern South American Tern South Polar Skua South Polar Chilean Skua Chimango Caracara Parakeet Austral Treerunner White-throated Rayadito Thorn-tailed White-crested Elaenia Negrito Austral Chilean Swallow Thrush Austral Pipit Correndera Sierra-Finch Patagonia Sparrow Rufous-collared Meadowlark Long-tailed House Sparrow Magellanic Woodpecker Black-chinned Siskin CETACEANS Killer Whale Humpback whale Unidenti ed skua Unidenti Brown (Subantarctic) Skua (Subantarctic) Brown Fin Whale Whale Fin Southern Right Whale Sperm Whale Dolphin Peale's whale sp. Minke Whale Leopard Seal Leopard PINNIPEDS Seal Fur Antarctic South American Sea Lion Seal Weddell Crabeater Seal Crabeater Southern Seal Elephant Blackish Oystercatcher Magellanic OystercatcherSouth American Snipe Dolphin Gull √ Southern Lapwing Kelp Gull

45 RETROSPECT: NATURE’S SCULPTURE

Patrick Endres

Clemens Vanderwerf Ron Niebrugge

Marc Hester Marleen Claessens Elaine Heron Anita DuPratt Mark Hopgood

46 AntA rctic PeninsulA

expedition log 2013

Cheesemans’ eCology safaris (800) 527-5330 20800 Kittridge road www.cheesemans.com saratoga, California 95070 Usa [email protected]