Hope Bay

January 3, 2016 – Esperanza Station / Hope Bay 63.23S,57.00W

Weather permitting, we will be at our final Antarctic destination tomorrow. The weather is reputably deteriorating so it remains to be seen whether we will actually be able to even take a zodiac tour.

Glacier at the head of Hope Bay, the source of the wind that cancelled most of the tours

Esperanza Station

When we got up at 0400, the ship was stopped in fog as the crew decided on what to do for the rest of the day. Finally, at about 0600 we started moving and headed into Hope Bay, where there was little wind at the time. Hope Bay is the location of Esperanza Station, an Argentine outpost manned year round by 55 people.  Patrick had the opportunity to go on a 0700 zodiac tour before his planned kayak tour at 1100.

 No landings were planned, just zodiac tours and kayaking. The captain found a lee in front of a glacier and Patrick was in the first group of 8 zodiacs that went close to shore to see the Adelie penguin colony of more than 60,000 spread out across the hillside near the station.

Adelies on bergs

 The Adelie Penguins were the most active, jumping off the bergs, lining up to jump off cliffs and climbing up the rocks with remarkable ease.

The hillside was a sea of nests

Stretching up to the top of the hill

The wind is starting to really increase

The Adelies shove and push each other off the cliffs and bergs

The seem to want to go both ways

Who is going to jump first

As his zodiac headed into the beach, the wind began to increase, but still manageable.

Then the wind came up quickly, gusting to more than 40 knots. The seas quickly built and water was splashing over the side of the zodiacs.  In Patrick's zodiac an Adelie penguin jumped out of the water right into the zodiac and stayed for about 4 minutes. It is on video as well as a picture.

This Adelie thought we were a berg and stayed about 4 minutes

All the zodiacs were recalled, the kayakers were retrieved, and we had a wet return to the ship, with some zodiacs taking waves over the bow. Everyone got back safely and the captain cancelled the rest of the tours, so Patrick was fortunate to get pictures.

Retrieving the kayaks, some had overturned in the wind

A very wet ride getting back to the ship

The Seabourn Quest departed the Antarctic Sound via Bransfield Strait, cruising past enumerable tabular icebergs as the fog and wind rolled back in. Continuing northeasterly, we set a course for South Georgia Island, 2 days and 900 nautical miles away.

As we departed, the Adelies were like porpoises alongside the ship

It is no wonder they were able to leap into the zodiacs

Departing the Antarctic Sound

Bergs stretched into the mist as far as we could see

Some were tabular, some had calved from tidewater glaciers

The ship rocked and rolled all night in 30 knot winds and 3 meter seas on the beam and we headed out into the eastern Drake Passage, no longer a "lake".   During darkness we passed Elephant Island, where Shackleton left most of his crew while he went by open boat to South Georgia Island, also our destination.  The story of his expedition is one of the great stories of seafaring.

January 4 – At Sea

Rough all day, the ship shudders heavily at times. We spent the day attending seminars and cleaning our outdoor gear in preparation for the bio-security checks tomorrow prior to arrival at South Georgia Island. We also worked on sorting pictures. Patrick's Adelie penguin video has gone viral on the ship.

Tonight was the first night with the ship blacked out.  Lights have been dimmed, covers put over all windows and doors, and the outside decks closed. With the wet, chilly and windy weather not many people have a desire to go out anyway. Even for seasoned mariners the motions were uncomfortable, as well as the sounds of the ship shuddering in the seas.

January 5 – At Sea

As predicted, the winds and seas were even rougher overnight, with many slams and shudders as we headed to South Georgia Island. The ship has slowed to less than 12 knots and we have entered an area with extensive icebergs and brash ice, which combined with the wind, makes for interesting navigation.

We had our bio-security clearance in the morning after photography lectures by the Keough’s in the Grand Salon. Lunch was in the Colonnade with a focus on Pacific Rim cuisine. The wind and seas continue to be Beaufort Force7-8 and occasionally Beaufort Force 9, with rain.  Even so, the Patio Grill was open, with plenty of blankets and “snugglies”.

The evening briefing continued to emphasize the bio-security requirements. The ship has even altered meal hours to have the dining rooms dark before full darkness to minimize bird strikes. All the outside decks are closed and all the windows are covered. We are living in a large white submarine. We expect to arrive at South Georgia Island at 0500 and Patrick is scheduled for a kayak trip at 0700, weather permitting. The sun will rise before 0400, and dawn twilight will be at 0300.