Antarctic Explorer 17 – 26 January 2020 | Greg Mortimer About Us Aurora Expeditions embodies the spirit of adventure, travelling to some of the most wild opportunity for adventure and discovery. Our highly experienced expedition team of and remote places on our planet. With over 28 years’ experience, our small group voyages naturalists, historians and destination specialists are passionate and knowledgeable – they allow for a truly intimate experience with nature. are the secret to a fulfilling and successful voyage. Our expeditions push the boundaries with flexible and innovative itineraries, exciting Whilst we are dedicated to providing a ‘trip of a lifetime’, we are also deeply committed to wildlife experiences and fascinating lectures. You’ll share your adventure with a group education and preservation of the environment. Our aim is to travel respectfully, creating of like-minded souls in a relaxed, casual atmosphere while making the most of every lifelong ambassadors for the protection of our destinations. DAY 1 | Friday 17 January 2020 Ushuaia; Southward ho’ across the Drake Passage Position: 18:00 hours Course: In port Wind Speed: 15 knots Barometer: 997 MB & steady Latitude: 54°48’ S Speed: In port Wind Direction: NW Air Temp: 9° C Longitude: 68°17’ W Sea Temp: 7° C The land was gone, all but a little streak, away off on the edge of the water, and Onboard we total 122 passengers with many nationalities represented, including Australia, down under us was just ocean, ocean, ocean – millions of miles of it, heaving Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, and pitching and squirming, and white sprays blowing from the wave-tops, ..... Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, UK and the USA, along with 22 Aurora Expeditions’ team and we had the sky and the ocean to ourselves, and the roomiest place I ever did members and 85 capable crew. see and the lonesomest. The sound of seven-short-one-long rings from the ship’s signal system was our cue to —Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer Abroad don our new blue jackets, bulky orange lifejackets and gather at the muster stations to run through an important safety briefing and drill, including making our way to our two Polar After months of preparation, weeks of anticipation and long-haul flights from around the Class life vessels. globe, we finally arrived at Ushuaia, known locally as el fin del mundo (the end of the world), ready and raring to begin our Antarctic adventure. At 1930 we headed to the Restaurant on Deck 5 to enjoy a delicious first dinner, complete with panoramic views of the Beagle Channel shadowed with the mountain ranges of Tierra Following a brilliant tour of this bustling town; including stops at the Old Prison and del Fuego. With Argentina to our starboard and Chile to our port; we were enchanted by Maritime Museum, we loaded onto buses headed for Ushuaia Port, and pulled alongside the snow-capped peaks, diversity of seabirds and mountain ranges brilliant in the steely the Greg Mortimer waiting patiently for our arrival. light. We smiled for the cameras, before heading onboard to meet our Expedition Team, Hotel The soft evening light enticed many of us out onto the outer decks. We encountered Team and to become acquainted with our staterooms. Half unpacked and slightly settled southern giant petrels, dolphin and kelp gulls and our first black-browned albatross as we in, it was time to meet our fellow adventurers down at the Elephant Island Bar for afternoon made our way out into the unknown. tea, while others headed to the outer decks to start exploring our home for the next few weeks. We returned to the Lecture Theatre when Expedition Leader Stephen called us A few of our number remained up on deck to watch our pilot disembark at the edge of the together. Stephen gave us an update on weather conditions as we head down to Antarctica, Argentinian mainland, while others made their way to their cabins for much-needed sleep. before introducing the rest of the Aurora Expedition Team for this 10-day voyage to the Icy Continent. DAY 2 | Saturday 18 January 2020 Drake Passage Position: 08:00 hours Course: 145° Wind Speed: 25 knots Barometer: 995 MB & steady Latitude: 56°32.66’ S Speed: 13.3 knots Wind Direction: SW Air Temp: 5°C Longitude: 064°42.70’ W Sea Temp: 6°C I now belong to the higher cult of mortals, for I have seen the albatross. Antarctica and the surrounding islands have unique and fragile ecosystems that can easily be disrupted by human activity. In order to have the privilege of accessing this part of the —Robert Cushman Murphy world, we have to follow protocols concerning biosecurity, safety and wildlife watching We woke up to our first true sea day, with our ship charging across the waves, some found guidelines. IAATO (International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators) is the organisation it easier than others to find their sea legs – though most agreed that the motion of the ship that oversees that cruise ship companies are operating respectfully in the area and educating was noticeably smooth. their guests about the natural environment. We undertook a thorough biosecurity check on outdoor gear, checking all the time for pesky seeds that could be taken on land along The day’s programme kicked off with a fantastic lecture given by Naturalist Heidi, on the with our clothing. seabirds that can be found in this part of the world. People are often surprised by the variety of hardy birds that grace the waves around the Antarctic continent, and some of them With Antarctica having such a rich and interesting history (despite being a relatively new look very similar, so it was very helpful to be given some pointers on identification. We adh history), some may find it a challenge to get their head around the series of events that have already seen some petrels and albatrosses from the deck of the ship, and were happy to happened on the continent in the last 200 years. Thankfully Alasdair was here to bring us a learn that we have very good chances of seeing the bird with the longest wing span in the fascinating lecture summarising the heroic expeditions that have occurred here. world, the wandering albatross. As the evening went on, we enjoyed Captain’s cocktails – that is we were introduced to The rest of the morning passed quickly, some attending bridge tours thanks to our very Captain Joachim and his officers who put in so much work to keep the ship running along accommodating bridge officers. Many people were interested in the photography smoothly. Another great evening with the chance to have a drink with new friends and presentation and inspired by the beautiful photos that were shown. Lunch was a happy toast our upcoming expedition! affair of getting to know each other a little more, and making new friends. DAY 3 | Sunday 19 January 2020 Penguin Island Position: 08.40 hours Course: 140° Wind Speed: 34 knots Barometer: 973 hPa & steady Latitude: 61°08.85’ S Speed: 13.5 knots Wind Direction: NE Air Temp: 3°C Longitude: 058°26.51’ W Sea Temp: 3°C To dine with a glacier on a sunny day is a glorious thing and makes feasts of Along the shoreline we met our first gangs of penguins – large gatherings of chinstrap meat and wine ridiculous. The glacier eats hills and drinks sunbeams. penguins, as well as the odd Adélie and gentoo penguin. We watched the penguin antics within the chinstrap rookery, as parents hopped, waddled and clambered their way to and —John Muir from their nests; or paused to preen and preen and preen. Lazy Antarctic fur seals snoozed Antarctica, you beauty! It was not long after our day started that our first icebergs were the afternoon away, occasionally raising their heads to see what the blue-jacketed visitors spied, and these impressive icy monoliths heralded our arrival in Antarctica. Together with were up to. We soon learnt to keep a keen eye on the larger “boulders” about the beach, the snow-capped, rugged islands that appeared from the distant horizon; and with the having become aware that fur seals are able to perform very convincing impersonations frolicking whales in the waters below, we were lured out onto the outer decks to marvel of such rocks! Southern giant petrels soared, while Antarctic terns flitted above us. Brown and muse. skuas loitered and lurked, patient and sure of their next opportunity for a penguin snack. Meanwhile, the large flotilla of hardy kayakers paddled their way into a steady breeze to Having previously enjoyed our morning presentations from Alexander and Pete to learn enjoy their own wildlife bonanza at nearby Turret Point. about some of the critters that inhabit these waters – the penguins and the whales – we were ready to put our newfound knowledge into practice. Smiles a’plenty were seen as we all gathered back on board, and the dining room buzzed with the chatter of first impressions and stories shared. It was clear that as our first Antarctic Penguin Island was our playground for the afternoon. While some of us took to the Zodiacs day came to a close and we headed off to bed, “sweet dreams” were most certainly going to enjoy the busy beaches from the water, others scaled the peaks of this once-active vol- to be had by all. cano to take in the expansive views from above. Across the water we enjoyed views of more than 180 degrees of nearby King George Island and the expanse of glaciers upon it - made even more spectacular as the sun emerged and these rivers of ice were transformed into a sparkling backdrop.