27th March 2018 – Staten Island and KILLER WHALES!
It was with heavy hearts that we left the Antarctic Peninsula with the threat of an imminent storm and a rough Drake’s Passage in mind. However, with some help from Dr Tanya’s magic seasick patches, and some careful avoidance of the worst of the storm, the Drakes Passage passed relatively uneventfully.
Our spirits rose with the news that the expedition crew had organised an impromptu-cruise around Staten Island with the promise of potential exciting wildlife sightings. Staten Island (Isla de los Estados) is an Argentine island found 29km from the eastern edge of Tierra del Fuego. The island is a national park and is part of the Andes mountain range. The famous lighthouse El Faro del Fin del Mundo (Lighthouse at the end of the world) is also found on the Islands east coast.
This was an exciting destination for everyone onboard. It was the first visit for the Oceanwide crew and it proved to be an excellent alternative plan given the weather forecasted further south.
The morning of our 8th day at sea began promisingly: early morning surveys were accompanied by a beautiful sunrise whilst the ship was circled by numerous royal and black-browed albatrosses.
During breakfast the long longed for announcement then got us all startled: “Killer Whales, off port side at less than 100 metres”. A stampede of students and passengers filed out of the dining room and rushed on deck to view the pod alongside the ship. This was the first killer whale sighting for many of our group and is a serious contender for the highlight of the trip.
Later that morning, once the earlier killer whale excitement had almost subsided, our avid observers spotted the first of several Peale’s dolphins. They approached the Plancius closely and everyone on deck was treated to fantastic views as dolphins leaped and played in the bow-waves of the ship.
As the Staten Island circumnavigation neared its end we encountered the fourth penguin species of our trip, the rockhopper penguin. The rockhoppers appeared to be precariously balanced at the top of sea cliffs and left us all wondering how they could climb so high when penguins we saw further south were so clumsy on land. Further sightings from today included; South American fur seals, Imperial shags, Southern royal albatross and Wandering Albatross. There were also rumours of an elusive Dusky Dolphin.
Our last evening aboard the MV Plancius was celebrated in style, with complementary cocktails and a speech by the ship’s captain. Before our usual three-course dinner (which we have all become quite accustomed to) we were treated to a compilation of staff and passenger photographs which was a nice chance to reminisce on our days in the Southern Ocean.
written by Clare McCarty
