HDS30-20, trip log, Antarctica - Learning and Discovery

Finally, we arrived in Ushuaia! All of us came to this town in the very south of Argentina from everywhere around the world on an overcast day that was not too cold. Known as ‘the End of the World’, Ushuaia is just the beginning of our adventure as we will venture much further South to the great White Continent. For most of us this is a lifelong dream, and for many, this will be the seventh continent and last continent on the list to visit. However, Ushuaia is not just a port for us; it is a beautiful city set in beautiful landscape. The mountains that rise up from the ocean behind the city are topped with snow, and the streets are buzzing with excitement for those about to embark on the voyage of a lifetime while a silent smell in the air makes it clear to us that winter is not far away anymore. In the morning, we strolled around Ushuaia’s old roads, doing some last-minute shopping and grabbing a coffee before embarking upon the expedition ship M/V Hondius. Finally, it is 4:00pm and we are slowly making our way to our home for the next 10 days, Hondius. Whilst waiting to board, you could feel the excitement in the air. The expedition team greeted us at the gangway and their excitement for the upcoming journey was palpable. We were met at reception by DJ, the ship’s hotel manager, where we then checked into our cabins with the assistance of our fabulous crew. We had a little bit of time to get familiarised with the ship before we all convened in the lounge on deck 5 to formally meet our Expedition Leader, Adam, and our Hotel Manager, DJ, for the first time. They gave us an overview of the ship, a floating hotel with a lot of comfort, and a short introduction of the next couple of days. Then, we met the chief officer, Matei, who led us through all the details of the required SOLAS briefing (Safety of Life at Sea). One last time before dinner, we gathered in the lounge with a glass of Prosecco as it was time for the captain´s welcome cocktail hour. We were introduced to our captain, Remmert Jan Koster, who toasted to a safe and amazing trip. At 19:30 we were welcomed to the dining room, where we sat at shared tables, making new friends and wondering what awaits us in the days to come.

Today was our first morning in the infamous Drake Passage. For some, it felt like the swell had woken them up like a baby in a cradle. However, there were some mixed opinions about this, with some much preferring the comforts of a bed on solid ground than at sea. Most people did come down for breakfast, though, which was a great start. After our first delicious breakfast onboard Hondius, we all had to meet up in the Lounge for the introduction of all the expedition staff. After the introductions, Expedition Leader Adam gave us a mandatory IAATO briefing where we learned what we can do and, more importantly, what we can’t do in Antarctica. We also been given the important basics for the zodiac operations, how to use the sailor’s grip, and the use of the life vests that we have to wear when we leave the ship. The briefing was followed by the handing out of the rubber boots. Many shoesizes flew around the room. Regardless of if you need a big size or small size, the expedition staff had a pair of boots with you in no time. Therefore, it also did not take very long until everybody had a pair and was ready to go for lunch. In the afternoon, we had a full program filled with lectures and activity briefings. Martin lectured about his favourite topic, seabirds. Also, on the list was the biosecurity check, where everybody had to bring down their outer clothing, which was thoroughly checked by the expedition staff. All pockets had to be vacuumed and all Velcro straps were checked and cleaned with pincers to ensure that we don’t bring any foreign species with us to the pristine White Continent. After the biosecurity check, some of us headed to the lecture room for the kayaking briefing with Pete and Paul, and the camping briefing with Ben and Marcel, for those who had signed up for some adventurous activities in Antarctica. To end the day, we had our first Daily Recap in the observation lounge. Here, we got to hear the plans for the next day from our expedition leader Adam while some of the expedition staff had some interesting topics to educate us all about to end the day. Directly after dinner, we saw an amazing sunset over the Drake Passage, which we were very lucky to see due to the day’s fog and low-lying clouds. In the evening, we had a lecture from Massimo and Myriam, where we were given an introduction to photography in Antarctica. Soon enough, it was time to head to bed to get some rest before yet another busy sea day on the Drake Passage.

During the night, we sailed through the Antarctic Convergence and when you got on the outside decks, the cold chill in the air reminded you that we were sailing ever closer to the Antarctic Peninsula. We expected some more sea birds, but probably because of the calm sea, there were not that many birds, as many of the birds of the Southern Ocean depend on high winds to soar across the open seas. But most people felt very good due to the calm seas and most of us had a delicious breakfast. During breakfast there was an announcement about a contest: when will we see the first iceberg? After yesterday’s mandatory briefings, we had a day full of interesting lectures. We first gathered in the lounge to hear Gaby tell us about the glaciology. We learned about glaciers and ice so we are able to read the landscape when we will reach the White Continent. Just before lunch, Sara took us on a visual journey of the different penguins we can see and discussed the many adaptation penguins have to survive in such a harsh environment. Then it was time for the lovely lunch buffet. During lunch, the fog came in and as we were completely surrounded by the fog, Pippa taught us about marine mammals of Antarctica. During Pippa’s lecture, we learned how to identify different species of whales and dolphins while also getting a closer look in some scientific research programs. In the afternoon, our two resident acoustics scientists, Morgan and Sara, told us about their research and how we can help them on our journey to Antarctica. During our voyage, we will all be able to see how they work and what they are able to record for future publication into scientific journals. After all the ice and wildlife information, it was time for Massimo and Myriam to show us how we can make beautiful videos of all the things we will see the coming days in their videography lecture. Before dinner, we gathered in the lounge to hear the plans for tomorrow. It will be a day everybody is waiting for, because after leaving Ushuaia it will be our first outing in the zodiacs or the kayaks. After dinner’s 4-course meal, the kayakers met up with their guides to get a close up look at a kayak, to get familiar with the seats and steering system, and to collect all of the kayaking gear. For the rest of us, it was time to relax. As we sailed further south, the ship rocked throughout the night, but we got more and more excited for the adventures to come in the White Continent.

After two days heading south through the ‘Drake Lake,’ we arrived at the Antarctic Peninsula with beautiful sunny skies and glassy, calm seas. In true expedition style, we planned to make a landing at the unchartered Anagram Islands, a location that was new for Hondius and the expedition staff. Due to swell conditions, we unfortunately could not make a landing, however, with perfect Antarctic summer conditions around us, we dropped the zodiacs and went for a cruise around the ice and the unexplored islands. This provided the ultimate welcome to Antarctica, with an abundance of wildlife and some truly stunning scenery under the summer sun. We were first provided excellent close up views of crabeater seals, followed by Antarctic fur seals, humpback whales and our first penguins! The afternoon provided us all with the opportunity to finally stretch our legs at Port Charcot, the sight of the 1903-1905 overwintering French expedition led by famed explorer, Jean-Baptiste Charcot. This landing provided us with close-up encounters of gentoo penguins as well as a small number of chinstrap penguins. We had officially ticked off all three of the brush-tail penguins within the first day of our expedition in Antarctica (an achievement that is very rarely achieved). As well as making a landing, we also went out on a zodiac cruise amongst the many towering icebergs found throughout the bay. Tucked amongst the icebergs were numerous species of seal, including crabeater, leopard and Weddell seals. Not only had we now seen all three species of penguin that we were hoping for but also all of the main true seal species as well. We were event treated to some excellent views of Antarctic minke whales and humpback whales from the zodiacs and from Hondius as we returned to the ship at the end of a very rewarding day for another informative recap lecture and dinner. To end the perfect start to our Antarctic expedition, some of us even went out for a night of camping in the evening as the calm summer conditions continued into the ephemeral darkness of the Antarctic night. After a full day of activities and back on Hondius, Ben and Marcel organized the camping for the adventurous people who dared to spend the night out in the wilderness and extreme conditions of Antarctica. We had the chance to have a good meal and time enough to get ready. The zodiac ride wasn’t very short because the best spot the guides could find was on one of the small islands near Pleneau Island and the ship couldn’t get closer due to the depth of the area. Once there the guides briefed us and we started to get ready digging holes and setting up the gear provided. Didn’t take to long but as soon as the sun went down it started to get dark and colder. The timing could not be better, just when everybody was inside of the sleeping bags and after Ben and Marcel checked all us out to see if we were OK and put our boots in the correct way to keep them dry, the drizzle appeared and the temperature kept going down so it didn’t take too long until it became snow and Antarctica showed to us how changeable, unpredictable and extreme can be. Around 4:15 was the wakeup call and the time to get ready for the pickup and as planned the zodiacs were ready loading us at 5 o’clock to go back to the safety and comfort of Hondius to have a warm shower but not before to enjoy the tasty Danish pastries made by the galley team and a hot chocolate at the bar.

Once again, we awoke to find ourselves surrounded by the majesty of Antarctica: icebergs, penguins, and the odd humpback whale that floated past the ship as we glided under overcast skies towards our objective for the morning. The Argentine Islands are the location of Ukraine’s Vernadsky scientific research station and Wordie House, the historic station that preceded it. Originally built by the British, these two stations arguably represent the longest continually occupied station complex on the Continent. Wordie House was built in 1947 on Winter Island to replace an earlier structure that was washed away in a tsunami in 1946. In 1955, it was replaced by a larger base just a few hundred meters away on Galindez Island. This latter base was later named Faraday Station. In 1996 it was sold to the Ukraine Government for £1 on the condition that Ukraine would continue a decade’s old program of astrophysical observations. The morning’s program kept us fully occupied as we visited the base, where we received a warm welcome and went on a comprehensive tour of the facility. This was followed by a visit to the gift store and the famous “Faraday Bar” where shots of base-brewed vodka could be traded for cash or donation of a bra! Then, there was a zodiac cruise around the islands and though the region’s many channels, a great habitat for spotting crabeater seals. Finally, we were able to walk through Wordie House, named after James Wordie, the geologist on Shackleton’s Endurance Expedition. Wordie House has been restored to its original state complete with stocked food shelves, library and guitar propped against the wall. We almost expect the original inhabitants to clatter through the door after a day of research in the field. During all this, the kayakers even found the time to embark upon thorough exploration of the area while also managing a tour of the station. Then, it was back to the ship for the usual excellent and restorative lunch followed by a very short rest. Soon enough, however, it was time to once again board our trusty zodiacs for the afternoon’s objective, the Yalour Islands. These small rocky islands are just across the Penola Strait from the Argentine Islands, tucked in close to the actual Peninsula. Ideal for a landing, zodiac cruising and kayaking. Whilst the kayakers went off for a great paddle, half the remaining group zodiac cruised as the rest of our number went ashore for great viewings of adelie penguin colonies. Here, the penguin chicks were approaching their full size and frantically chasing their parents around in order to get a feed of partially digested krill. This exercise, in addition to losing their fluffy chick feathers, would help them prepare for taking the plunge into the ocean, and adult life, in just a very few short weeks. Adding to the excitement were the ever-present skuas angling to snatch a chick to a premature end. If hectic penguin life was not enough, there were a number of fur seals scattered around, observing the scene through half-closed eyes. Oh, but then there was the scene itself! A backdrop of scattered icebergs, glacier faces and the odd view of a granite peak through gaps in the cloud. In the zodiacs there were other things to entrance a visitor: a massive iceberg arch through which the sea swell surged, humpback and minke whales, penguins in the water and on ice, weddel and crabeater seals on ice floes and even a curious leopard seal that followed the zodiacs back to the ship. All of which added up to a complete day in Antarctica, though the activity wasn’t over yet! After our evening recap, the action moved aft on deck 5 where we had our voyage barbeque and deck party featuring mouth-watering food, mulled wine, and music. The dancing was well under way when the cry “orcas” was heard for the first time. For the next long while, we were able to watch as a group of ‘Gerlach Type B’ orcas hunted a minke whale (successfully? we don’t know) and chased penguins. There was a very large male with a distinctive staggering dorsal fin - a familiar sight in these waters. So, then it ended, a fabulous day in Antarctica… a land that never disappoints!

In Antarctica, even the best planned itinerary just doesn’t go as expected. Soon after we woke up on our third day of excursions in Antarctica, we learned that our original plan of going to Waterboat Point and Gonzales Vidal Station wouldn’t go ahead due to rapidly changing and challenging weather conditions. Luckily, Expedition Leader Adam and his team had alternative activities in store for us. Instead of heading to Waterboat Point, we opted to make a landing at Sony Point, located in the heart of scenic Paradise Harbour. Here, we were given the opportunity to make a continental landing on the actual continent of Antarctica and we even got to cruise around in glassy calm waters and experience some magnificent wildlife in the bay. On land there was a possibility of taking a walk up to a viewpoint and along the way, we could see some very cute Weddell seals snoozing in the snow. On the water we also had lots of entertainment as we meandered through brash ice on calm waters and no winds, making it a very enjoyable moment to be on the zodiacs experiencing Antarctica at its best. There were even some leopard seals were around checking the visitors in their home and, if that wasn’t enough, there were feeding whales close to the Argentinean station “Almirante Brown. The morning wasn’t finished, yet, however, as our hotel department had a surprise in store for us all. Hotel Manager DJ, Assistant Hotel Manager Rafa and Maitre’d Davor were wondering around on a zodiac with hot chocolate and whisky to keep us warm and happy while having one of the best mornings of our life. Unfortunately for the afternoon we were not lucky enough to do landing or cruising due to the strong winds that went up to 57 knots, but of course the experienced team had a backup plan at the ready to fill the time before dinner, but guess what? A group of excitable humpback whales gave us a fantastic breaching show for over 20 minutes, and everybody had a good time in the outer decks taking amazing pictures. Later on, Pippa gave a lecture about orcas so we could learn and understand more about them as they showed up before bedtime on the BBQ day.

We awoke on our final day of landings as Hondius approached Deception Island – the caldera of a live volcano into which we can sail. The volcano itself erupted some 4000 years ago; an explosive eruption, causing the volcano to collapse in on itself and form the water-filled caldera we see today. These days, to gain access to our morning’s landing site, we sail through the entrance of Deception Island, known as Neptune’s Bellows – an impressive sight to see as the volcanic rock towers above the ship on either side – the gateway to the bay within; Port Foster. Inside the caldera, we land at a site called Whalers’ Bay, a place steeped in history. Originally known as Hektors Whaling station, Whaler’s Bay is where thousands of whales were processed for their blubber. Large boilers and oil tanks still remain; rusting and decaying, yet leaving a lasting reminder of the history of this iconic Antarctic locale. The site was later used as a British Antarctic Survey base, which included a runway, where the first flights over Antarctica began their adventures. Here, you can still see the remains of the accommodation buildings and the aircraft hangar. In the morning, we landed on a black ash and sand beach, where we were greeted with the sight of steam rising from the beach, and the smell of sulphur - indications that we’re now inside an active volcano. We walked amongst the old remains of the whaling station and research base; and imagine what it must’ve been like for the whalers that lived here. Indeed, the morning’s overcast weather was the perfect match for the sombre feeling of this place. We also walked up along the bay and up to a viewpoint known as Neptune’s Window; a small gap in the crater wall looking out towards the Bransfield Strait and south to the Antarctic Peninsula. From here, we have fantastic views over Port Foster on one side, and out to the open ocean on the other, where we spotted some whales surfacing. While half of us are on shore here, the other half go on a zodiac cruise; where the zodiacs cruised through Neptune’s Bellows, past towering rock stacks, and past the chinstrap penguin colony found to the south of the Bellows. By mid-morning however, it was clear that the weather had other plans in store for us. Around the time we were meant to swap activities, the wind increased to a level which meant we had to cancel the landing and head back to Hondius. On the bumpy ride from the landing to the ship, however, everyone got quite wet in the zodiacs, giving us a taste of true Antarctic conditions for our last landing on the White Continent. By the time the last zodiac was back on board the wind was even gusting up to 45 knots! Once back onboard, everyone was able to warm up again with a warm drink in the lounge before another delicious lunch was served from our fabulous galley and dining room team. During lunch, Hondius sailed north to our afternoon landing site on Livingston Island. Unfortunately, as we got closer, the wind got stronger; reaching speeds of 60 knots, stirring the sea up with a growing swell and breaking waves. Due to these conditions we were unable to proceed with our afternoon activities and our adventures in Antarctica drew to a close. As we were unable to get off the ship, the expedition team scheduled an afternoon of lectures instead. First, Ross gave us a fantastic lecture on the History of Whaling in Antarctica. He talked of the first sealers in the 1700s, followed by the whalers that came south in the early 1900s and began an era of incredible destruction, where over a 90-year period, over 2 million whales were slaughtered for their blubber. The scars of this time still remain, with remains of whaling stations like Whalers’ Bay, and the varying recovery of the whale populations. After the International Whaling Commission Moratorium came into effect in 1986, banning commercial whaling around the world, scientists have monitored the growth of the Southern Ocean whale populations; some bouncing back well, like the humpback whale, and some taking a much longer time, like the blue whale. Later in the afternoon, Laura gave a lecture on the geology of Antarctica and its formation. She told us of continental movements and how the meeting of great tectonic plates shaped the Antarctic continent. As we leave the incredible continent of Antarctica, and head north, we have time reflect on our incredible adventure before settling in for another delicious dinner in the restaurant. What more could you ask for?

A cloudy sky greets us as we wake up to our first sea day on the Drake passage, making out way north towards Ushuaia. The sea state has somewhat calmed during the early morning hours, after a night of some “Drake Shake”-like conditions. As always, sea days on the Hondius are filled by an extensive education programme hosted by the expedition team. Following breakfast, an insight of the political aspects of Antarctica was examined in a presentation of the Antarctic Treaty, its history and importance to all activities on the continent. This was followed by a presentation about the history of female adventurers in Antarctica, an often-overlooked aspect of Antarctic history, shadowed by the accounts of the male-dominated expeditions of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Expeditions. With relatively calm seas, the dining room at lunch time filled up quickly and previous seasick nausea seemed to given way for healthy appetites once again. With the full schedule of landings and zodiac cruises while at the Antarctic Peninsula, sea days are often a great time for reflection, contemplation processing of both emotional experiences and photographs. Many guests took the opportunity in the afternoon to process and share their photographs on the ship’s computers and to discuss their experiences together in the ship lounge. In addition to this, the expedition team’s educational program continued in the afternoon, where guests were invited to learn more about cloud observation and weather forecasting, giving an opportunity to relate what has been observed during our journey to more theoretical concepts. With a quick break in the programme so we could return all the boots that that kept us warm and dry during the wet Antarctic landings, by late afternoon, following on from the weather observation and forecasting lecture, the important and highly relevant topic of climate change was addressed in form of a factual based lecture followed by an opening up of the floor for questions and discussion. The theme of educational programming followed into the daily recap, where we learned more about about the next day’s plan from our expedition leader Adam, and even got the opportunity was given to learn more about navigation. Additionally, we were given a sneak peak of the acoustics workshop work that Morgan and Sara carried out throughout the voyage. To wrap up the day, we enjoyed dinner in the dining room, along with a buzz of energy and laughter, the sharing of experiences, memories, and formation of new friendships. As per usual after dinner, many of us enjoyed a social drink in the lounge and even watched a beautiful slide show of the kayaking programme to cap off the evening. With the sun once again setting in the horizon, it was time to retreat to the comforts of our cabins, reflect on another beautiful day on board and drift off to sleep before the forecasted overnight storm made for another sporty night in the infamous Drake Passage.

We woke up for our last day in the Drake Passage, rocking steadily in the sea, thanks to the 4 to 5 meters swell around us. The wind was blowing unabated across the open ocean and most of the outer decks were closed for our safety. We knew we were getting closer to the tip of Patagonia when we started seeing albatrosses again. The usual black-browed albatrosses were flying effortlessly around the ship, using the strong winds to keep them afloat. After another amazing breakfast in the dining room, we all gathered in the lounge to see some of the bigger waves around us slamming against the bow of the ship. Alternatively, some of us chose to either cosy up with a book in the lounge or take the time to have a chat with our fellow passengers. Some of our number took the conservative route, however, and decided to go straight back to our cabins to ward off any lingering feelings of sea sickness. At 9:30 am, we were called in the lecture room for the first lecture of the day. Marcel and Ross gave us some interesting information about the environmental impact of cruising ships and took us on a the behind-the-scenes tour of Hondius. Soon after this lecture, our favourite acousticians, Morgan and Sara, showed us the sounds and data they gathered during our adventure and compared this information with the videos they took at the penguin colonies. Just like the previous nine days of our voyage, many of us felt that the morning flew by and, before we knew it, we were called down for our last buffet lunch by our beloved hotel manager, DJ. Thankfully, by this point, the seas had calmed and we could enjoy the delicious meal prepared by our galley team. After our usual 1:00 to 2:00 pm nap, we all went back to the lecture room to listen to Adam talk about the other adventure options that Oceanwide offers for polar travellers. After an amazing trip down to Antarctica, some of us were dreaming of visiting the other side of the world: the Arctic. Finally, for our last lecture of the voyage, Ben introduced the history of the Beagle Channel, especially the native peoples that living along the coastlines of Tierra del Fuego long before the arrival of European sailors in the 1500s. The history of these populations is fascinating and Ben’s lecture helped us realized how the culture and people of Patagonia are inextricably linked to the places we travel through today. At that time, we were slowly making our way into the entrance of the channel, where more stunning seabirds welcomed us to the Beagle’s safe waters. Like all good things, however, our trip can’t last forever. By the early evening, our voyage was officially drawing to a close when we got called to the lounge for our last recap. We shared a glass of Prosecco and cheered with the captain to a wonderful voyage, before we sat back to enjoy the voyage slideshow, thanks to the talents of both Massimo and Myriam. Finally, we enjoyed another dinner and the dining room was buzzing with conversation, sharing memories of the past few days. Before going to bed, we finally saw the first light of the civilization. It was such an emotional journey and a perfect way to end this voyage.

During the late hours of the previous evening, the M/V Hondius pulled into its berth in Ushuaia. Some of our number took the opportunity to venture out into the bustling city streets of Ushuaia for a drink or simply to stretch our legs, while others busied themselves with packing and preparing to disembark from the ship that became our home over the last ten days. By the early morning, however, it was time to get ready to leave our adventures behind. With our bags packed and left out in the hallway, we headed down to the restaurant one last time for yet another scrumptious breakfast. After breakfast, we gathered up our hand luggage, and awaited the announcements that called us down to the pier to disembark. Once on the pier, we picked out our luggage, boarded our buses and taxis and waved a fond farewell to the Hondius and her crew. As we made our way to the airport, or simply into town for an extended stay in Tierra del Fuego, we bring with us the endless memories of time well-spent in Antarctica, while silently planning our next trip to the Arctic or elsewhere in the polar regions.   Thank you all for such a wonderful voyage, for your company, good humour, and enthusiasm. We hope to see you again in the future, wherever that might be! Total distance sailed on our voyage: 1572.11 nautical miles Furthest South: 65°13’,711S On behalf of Oceanwide Expeditions, Captain Remmert Jan Koster, Expedition Leader Adam Turner, Hotel Manager DJ Nikolic, and all the crew and staff, it has been a pleasure travelling with you.