A visit to Paradise
March 22nd, Antarctic Peninsula.
This fantastic day, (which is my favourite one so far!) has basically been a succession of incredibly exciting episodes!
Our day started with our first visible Antarctic sunrise while we were sailing in the Gerlache Strait. The Antarctic mountain range was ablaze with intense shades of red. Our ship dropped anchor in Paradise Bay – and what an icy paradise it was. Soon we were out in the zodiacs cruising amongst icebergs and up to some impressive glacier fronts in Scontorpe Cove. The sea was flat calm and fresh sea ice was starting to form in the bay. We cruised in blazing sunshine among towering icebergs – some formations looked like antique Greek pillars. We then changed over with the group who had gone ashore first and got to set foot again on the Antarctic continent, the second time this trip. We walked up a snowy hill above the closed Argentine station Almirante Brown and enjoyed the superb views of Paradise Bay.
The ship relocated to Andvord Bay while we enjoyed our lunch. What a dramatic change in conditions – very strong winds whipped up the sea and thick drifting snow veiled the views of our next landing site. We maintained a keen eye out for the elusive Arnoux’s beaked whales which are sometimes sighted in this bay. As we approached our afternoon’s destination and third continental landing at Neko Harbour conditions improved sufficiently for us to get into the zodiacs again to visit the local Gentoo penguin colony. Although I am always enthusiastic about seeing such cute penguins, I was slightly apprehensive as the wind was incredibly strong making the air very cold. I was part of our student team tasked with doing today’s oceanographic measurements with the CTD which also meant a longer zodiac ride in these changeable blizzardy conditions.
An amazing wildlife encounter completely changed my mind! While we were cruising towards our second oceanographic recording in Lars’ zodiac, we sighted a hungry leopard seal. Leopard seals are huge and impressive top predators and mainly feed on penguins during the summer using a stealth and ambush technique. They grab the penguin while it is swimming and in order to reach the meat and remove the feathers, they thrash it forwards and backwards. Thanks to our zodiac driver we managed to get close up views of the gruesome action. We witnessed three consecutive kills. Some of us on the zodiac felt sorry for the penguins, but then leopard seals also need to feed….
The unfortunate penguins likely were naïve juvenile Gentoo penguins which went to sea for the first time after moulting and getting their waterproof adult plumage. Unfortunately they did not get a second chance…
After we landed at Neko harbour some students climbed a small hill overlooking Andvord Bay. We experienced what it is like to be a penguin in the Antarctic: steep icy hills to conquer, and then very strong wind gusts at the top, stinging snow and cold temperatures. When a particularly strong gust of catabatic winds hit us we hunkering down in a penguin huddle trying not get blown off the edge. The way down was made easier – to avoid slipping we resorted to sliding on our hind-sides feet first – something that penguins cannot do! On the way back to the zodiac, Caroline made a new friend, a hungry juvenile penguin that was jumping at her legs begging her to regurgitate some of her lunch (which she kindly refused to do).
As the winds whipped up the sea again we sailed out of Andvord Bay via the Errera Channel and into the Gerlache Strait heading towards the South Shetland Islands for our last day in Antarctica tomorrow. The sun set on a superb day and we watched humpback whales flipper slapping and fluking as if they were saying goodbye to our ship sailing away from the Peninsula. This was also the ship’s last visit of this season…
Pauline