Passenger Logbook
HAN 1601
Expedition Antarctica
The World’s Southernmost Nursery
USHUAIA – USHUAIA
10th – 28th January 2016
aboard MS HANSEATIC
South Georgia Island (Mount Paget is the rounded dome on the left, Grytviken is hidden out of sight in a harbor; photo January 2014).
Text: Richard MacDonald
Photographs: Richard MacDonald
& lecturer staff
“One hand for the boat.”
2
MS HANSEATIC
MS Hanseatic anchored New Island, Falkland Islands, 12 January 2016.
Built:
March 1993
Registered Port:
Nassau
Flag:
Bahamas
Weight:
8,378 GRT
Overall length:
122.80 m/403 ft
Beam:
18 m/59 ft
Draught:
4.91 m/16 ft
Main Engines:
2 MAK 8M453 C
2 x 2,940 kW
2 Propellers CP, 300 cm
Speed:
16 knots
Complement:
171 passengers
125 officers and crew
3
DECK & ENGINE CREW
Ship’s Officers
Captain:
Thilo Natke
Chief Officer:
Nicole Schnell
Chief Engineer:
Giulio Vlacic
Hotel Manager:
Doris Adler
Maître d’hôtel:
Mirko Kirchhöfer
Ship’s Surgeon:
Dr. Ursula Bellut
Chief Purser:
Hendrik Fongern
Chief Chef:
Udo Grigas
Pianist
Magdelena Majerovả
The shore party prepares to greet the first Zodiac of passengers landing at Whaler’s Bay, Deception Island, Antarctica.
4
HOTEL & EXPEDITION STAFF
Cruise Director:
Ulrike Schleifenbaum
Hostess:
Bettina Schlennstedt
Cruise Sales
Birgit Volberg
Zodiac driver:
Claas Stanko
Expedition Leader:
Dr. Arne Kertelhein
Lecturer (climate & glaciology):
Dr. Gerit Birnbaum
Lecturer (geology):
Heike Fries
Lecturer (polar history):
Dr. Arne Kertelhein
Lecturer (polar history):
Dr. Hans-Joachim “HaJo” Lauenstein
Lecturer (biology):
Richard MacDonald
Lecturer (biology):
Sylvia Stevens
Your Expedition Lecturer Team for Hanseatic Cruise 1601 (from left to right): Sylvia Stevens, Gerit Birnbaum, Heike Fries, HaJo
Lauenstein, Richard MacDonald, and Arne Kertelhein.
5
BIOGRAPHIES
Thilo Natke – Captain
CaptainThiloNatke,whoresidesinLowerSaxony,hastheseain
hisblood.Atthebeginningofhiscareer,heworkedoncargoships.
In1993,hebecametheChiefOfficerofHapag-Lloyd’svariouslyon
theBremen,Hanseatic,andColumbus.In1997,hebecameCaptain
oftheBremenandsince1999hasbeencaptainedtheHanseaticon
worldwideexpeditions.Thepolarareasarehisfavoritesandhe
hasmadeover80expeditionstotheAntarctic.Onvacations,
CaptainNatkelikestotakelonghikes.
Nicole Schnell – Chief Mate
Formanyyears,NicoleSchnellhasworkedontheshipsofHapagLloydAdventureCruises.OntheMSHanseatic,shewasfirst
SecurityOfficerandeventuallymadeChiefMate.Asthe“right
hand”ofthecaptain,Nicoleis“Admiral”ofthefleetofZodiacs.She
alwayshasthesafetyofguestsanddriversclearlyinherview.
Giulio Vlacic – Chief Engineer
Asseniorengineer,GuilioVlacicandhistreamareresponsiblefor
keepingtheshipandallitssystemsrunningsmoothlyand
seamlessly.OnhisfirsttripwithHapag-LloydGuiliowentto
Antarcticaand,likesomany,hefellinlovewiththeEarth’spolar
regions.So,wheneveritispossible,youwillfindtheChief
Engineertravelinginthesecoldregions.Giulioliveswithhis
familyinRijeka,Croatia,onthebeautifulAdriaticcoast.
Doris Adler – Hotel Manager
Theguestswenttoexploretheworldofpenguins,icebergs,and
glaciersonaZodiactour.Backaboard,theyhavecometoexpect
fragrantpastries,hottea,andabeamingsmile.Allofthisismade
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possiblethanks,inlargepart,totheeffortsofDorisAdler,our
hotelmanager,andherwonderfulstaff.
Ulrike Schleifenbaum – Cruise Director
UlrikeSchleifenbaumlivesinhernativeHamburgandis
responsibleforthedailyprogramandcoordinatingbetween
departments.ShehasextensiveexperienceinGermany,France,
NorthAfrica,Spain,Cuba,theMaldives,andtheCaribbean.Spring
2000sawherfirstcruiseontheColumbus;shehassincetraveled
onmostHapag-Lloydships.Herfavoritedestinationsincludethe
Arctic,Antarctic,andtheMediterraneaninlateautumn.
Bettina Schlennstedt – Hostess
Bettinaalwayswantedtotravelandworkwithpeople—thisshe
hasdonesince1985.Havingpreviouslysailedonseveral5-star
ships,in1993shejoinedtheHanseaticonhermaidenvoyage.For
nearly10yearsshehasactedastourmanager,hostess,andcruise
director,withaparticularpassionforthenorthandsouthpolar
regions.Later,shesailedonice-breakers,rivercruiseships,and
sailingships.Aftersomeyearsashore,Bettinaispleasedtobe
workingagainforHapag-Lloyd,accompanyingspecialprograms,
andnow,tobesailingon"her"ship,thistimeashostess.
Birgit Volberg – Cruise Sales
BirgitVolbergisyourcruiseconsultant,responsibleforadvising,
planning,andbookingyourfuturecruiseswithHapag-Lloyd.A
qualifiedtravelagent,shehasspent20yearsinsomeofthemost
beautifulregionsoftheworld,alwayslookingforuniqueplacesfor
guestsonthego.Birgitisparticularlyfondofcruiseships,having
accompaniedmanygrouptrips.ShehasnowcometotheHanseatic
tosharewithyouthiswonderfulwayoftraveling.
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Claas Stanko – Zodiac Driver
ClaasgrewupinbeautifulAmmerland.Afterhighschoolandthen
militaryservice,hecompletedacommercialapprenticeshipasa
forwardingmerchant.In1996,Claasenteredthecruiseindustry
workinginthe“shoreexcursions”department,awakeninghis
passionsfortheindustry.Since1998,hehasbeenactive
worldwideaboardtheHanseaticastripleaderandZodiacdrive.
Dr. Arne Kertelhein – Expedition Leader; Lecturer
ArneKertelheinhailsfromHamburgwherehealsoearnedaPh.D.
inScandinavianhistoryinHamburg.Overtheyears,hehas
workedformuseums,archives,andhaswrittentravelguides.
Polarexplorationbeingalong-time,Arnenowworksyear-round
onvesselsinthepolarregions,bothlecturingandservingas
ExpeditionLeader.“Sometimes”helivesnearWürzburg,Germany.
Dr. Gerit Birnbaum – Lecturer (climate & glaciology)
AnativeofBerlin,Dr.GeritBirnbaumhasstudiestheinteractions
betweenpolaratmosphereandoceans.Since2000,shehasbeen
workingattheAlfredWegenerInstituteforPolarandMarine
ResearchinBremerhaven.Shehasservedaboardtheresearch
vesselPolarstern,workedattheGermanAntarcticresearchstation
Neumayer,andtakenpartinathree-monthexpeditionontothe
Antarcticicesheettodrillicecores.Since2004,Gerithaslectured
onvariousArcticandAntarcticexpeditioncruises.
Heike Fries – Lecturer (Geology)
HeikeFriesgrewupintheEifelRangeinWestGermany,where
shedevelopedaninterestinthegeologyofthatoldmountain
range.WithadegreeingeographyandgeologyfromtheUniversity
ofCologne,hermaininterestisintheinterdisciplinaryaspectof
naturalsciences.Heikeisinvolvedinthestudyofthreatstothe
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ecosystem,especiallyasitrelatestoclimatology.Forsevenyears
Hiekehasbeenaccompanyingpassengeronexpeditionvessels.
Dr. Hans-Joachim Lauenstein – Lecturer (history)
BorninBremen,growingupinruralnorthernGermany,HansJoachim“HaJo”LauensteinhaslivedandworkedinNamibia,Peru,
Brazil,andpartsofAsiaworkingasbothgeologistandtourguide.
Since2007,HoJohasbeenlecturingforHapagLloydcruisesand
jetjourneys.Whennotlecturing,heenjoysfurthertravels,hiking,
photography,andcookingSouthAmericancuisine.
Richard MacDonald – Lecturer (Birds & Biology)
RichardhailsfromBarHarbor,Maine,innortheasternUSA,where
hehasstudiedbirdsandterrestrialecologysince1986.Today,he
leadsnatureandadventuretoursacrosstheNorthern
Hemisphere,specializinginbirdsandmarinemammals,aswellas
conductingresearchintotopicssuchasheavymetalcontamination
insongbirdsandtheproductivityofnorthernseabirds.Heisalso
anoutdoorleaderandeducator,havingledmajorseakayak
expeditions.ThisishisthirdcruisewithHapag-Lloyd.
Sylvia Stevens – Lecturer (biology)
BorninGlasgow,SylviaStevensnowresidesinSanDiego,
California...thatis,whensheisnotlecturingonaHapagLloyd
expedition.Hergraduateworkwasinboththeartsandbusiness
hasstoodherwellthesepast22yearsinherprofessionalpursuits
onadventurecruiseships.Overtheyears,Sylviahasspentmuch
timeworkingwithinjuredandendangeredanimals,including
sealsinGreece,Hawaii,andCalifornia,eaglesandottersinAlaska
intheaftermathoftheinfamousExxonValdezoilspill,and
penguinsinPatagonia.SheisfluentinEnglish,German,andFrench
andisapassionatephotographer.
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Sunday, 10th January 2016
Position at midday
Ushuaia, Argentina
Pressure
Temperature
Wind dir./
Weather
Distance
Latitude
Longitude
(hPa)
Air
Water
Beaufort
weather
travelled
54° 49’S
068° 18’W
1005.5
10° C
8° C
SW / 6
partly cloudy
0 NM
Sunrise: 05:12 hrs
Sunset: 22:07 hrs
Today,wecametogetherasagroup.Whilesome
travelledtogetherfromEngland,othersmetforthe
firsttimeinBuenosAires;andyetothersmetfor
theinUshuaiaontheMSHanseatic.
Anearlymorningchartertookmostofusfrom
BuenosAiresNationalAirporttoUshuaia,the
southern-mostcityintheworld,wherewewere
Mount Condor, Tierra del Fuego National Park.
thentakenintoTierradelFuegoNationalPark.Metamorphicformationsrisethousands
offeet,lushvalleyscarpetedinpeatmoss,anddramaticvistasofthesouthernterminus
oftheAndesweretheretogreetus.LunchaffordedpanoramicviewsofUshuaia!
Beginning16:00,weboardedtheHanseatic,
ourhomeforthebetterpartofthenextthree
weeks.Wequicklysettledintoourcabins,perhaps
takingawell-deservedshowertowashawaythe
grimeoftravel,oracatnaptocompensateforthe
oh-my-god-its-earlydeparture.
Duringthecourseoftheday,beginningwith
ourtourofthenationalpark,webeganourspecieslist:22speciestallied;highlights
includedBlack-neckedSwan,NorthernGiant-Petrel,andDolphinGull.
Asisoftenthecaseinthispartoftheworld,windswerestiff.However,thanksto
theskillofCaptainNatkeandhisexcellentcrew,wecastoffthemooringlinesat22:00
andputUshuaiainourwake.
Adaycruisingatseaisinstoreforoursecondday....
10
Monday, 11th January 2016
Position at midday
At sea en route Falkland Islands
Pressure
Temperature
Wind dir./
Weather
Distance
Latitude
Longitude
(hPa)
Air
Water
Beaufort
weather
travelled
54° 08’ S
064° 09’ W
989
8° C
8° C
SW / 5
overcast
179 NM
Sunrise: 05:04 hrs
Sunset: 21:32 hrs
Itwasabusydayforadayatsea,filledwithactivity:ZodiacbriefingbyChiefOfficer
NicoleSchnell,cruisedirectorUlrikeSchleifenbaum’s“WelcomeonBoard!”whereshe
introducedthelecturers,FalklandIslandsprecapbyArneKertelhein,distributionof
parkasandrubberboots,bird-andnature-watchingwiththelecturers,SylviaSteven’s
lectureontheFalklandIslands,andCaptainThiloNatke’swelcomecocktail.Ofcourse,
allofthiswasjustpunctuationtomealsworthyofJ.R.R.Tolkien’sfamedHobbits.
Agoodlynumberofyouproclaimed:Iwanttoseeanalbatross!Fortunately,your
native-English-speakinglecturerwasanornithologistandpassionatebird-watcher!On
severaloccasions,Richardwaspleasedtoreply,“Okay,followmeandIwillshowyou
onerightnow.”
Duringhisseabirdtransects,half-hoursurveys
tallyingallthebirdshecouldfindandidentify,Richard
countedinexcessof100Black-browedAlbatross.
OtherbirdsobservedinabundanceincludedNorthern
GiantPetrel,CapePetrel,AntarcticPrion,Sooty
Shearwater,andWilson’sStorm-Petrel.Afewofus
evensawaWanderingAlbatross,thoseavian
behemothswiththeeleven-footwingspan.
Theinternationalcuisinethatisthetypicalfairof
theMarcoPoloRestaurantwasawonderfulwayto
concludethedaywithnewfriendsandexcellent
Black-browed Albatross.
conversation.
Tomorrow:FalklandIslands....
11
Tuesday, 12th January 2016
Position at midday
New Island & West Point Island, Falkland Islands
Pressure
Temperature
Wind dir./
Weather
Distance
Latitude
Longitude
(hPa)
Air
Water
Beaufort
weather
travelled
51° 44’ S
061° 17’ W
998
5° C
5° C
SW / 5-6
partly cloudy
359 NM
Sunrise: 05:03 hrs
Sunset: 21:11 hrs
Beaufortscaleforce8windskeptusaboardshipinthemorning.Andthen,
unfortunately,welearnedoneofournumberhadamedicalemergencyandhadtobe
evacuatedbyhelicopter.Wesendourbestwishesforafullrecovery(welaterlearned
hewassafelyinthehospitalinStanleyandinstablecondition).
Perambulationfollowingourfirst
Zodiacridesandasquallofgraupel
(snowflakescoatedinrimeice)wasthe
orderoftheday,firstwithamorning
walktotheamazingNewIslandseabird
colony,thena5-kilometerwalkacross
WestPointIsland.
Female Kelp Goose and Magellanic Oystercatcher.
ThebeginningofourNewIsland
walktookusalongagrassylanebordered
bygorseforthefirstfewhundredmeters—likelybroughtoverbyearlyBritishsettlers
(eitherintentionallyorashitchhikersonlivestock)—andnowhometonumerous
BrownHare(anotherspecies
introducedfromEurope).UplandGeese
wereabundantonthehillside.Andthen
wewereatthecolony.
Toexperienceabirdcolonyisto
testallofoursenses.Ourapproachwas
scentedwithanaromaheavyon
ammonium(aby-productofthe
Rockhopper Penguin.
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prodigiousguano),althoughthestrongwindshelpeddissipatetheodor.Thentherewas
thesoundofthousandsofbirdscroakingandcronking,beggingandsquealing.And,of
course,therewasthefeelofthewindinyourface,sometimesfromthewingsofaBlackbrowedAlbatrossflyingsoclose.
NotlongafterleavingNewIsland,Sylvia
announced,“Whale!”Two45˚angleblows
meantSpermWhales!Atleasteightother
blowswereobserved,mostofwhichweretoo
farawaytoidentify,butoneSeiWhalewas
photographed.
Sei Whale.
WestPointIslandpresentedourfirst
physicalchallenge...butitalsospoiledus.Forsome,the5-kilometerhiketothe
nestingcolonyofBlack-browedAlbatrossandRockhopperPenguinfeltasthoughitwas
anuphillhikebothways.Thatsaid,itmayhavewellbeenworththeeffortaswewere
affordedwhatmayprovesome
ofthemostamazing,close-up
wildlifeexperiencesofthetrip.
Being,insomecases,lessthana
meterfromthemagnificent
Black-browedAlbatrosswas
trulyanamazingexperience
(thatsaid,weneedto
rememberthemoretypical5meterrule).Teaandsweets
profferedbyourislandhosts
Black-browed Albatross feeding its chick.
wasfurthericingonthecake.
Thateveningweweretreatedtoaround-tabledinnerwithCaptainNatke,someof
theofficers,andbiologylecturerRichardMacDonald.Basedonthevolublemirth
emanatingfromvarioustables,itseemsweallmanagedanexcellenteveningbetween
fabulouscourses.
Alltoosoonwewerebackontheship.Nextstop:PortStanley....
13
Wednesday, 13th January 2016
Stanley, Falkland Islands
Position at midday
Pressure
Temperature
Wind dir./
Weather
Distance
Latitude
Longitude
(hPa)
Air
Water
Beaufort
weather
travelled
51° 41’ S
057° 51’ W
1000
6° C
9° C
SW / 6-7
clear
550 nm
Sunrise: 04:54 hrs
Sunset: 21:02 hrs
Civilization!NotthatwedidnotexperiencecivilizationatNewIsland,WestPointIsland,
orevenaboardtheHanseatic,butitwasquitepleasanttobeinthecapitalofthe
FalklandIslands,goingonwalk-about,visitingtheFalklandsMuseum,doingabitof
shopping,andhavingaproperfish&chips(evenifitwas“abitrubbery”asIheardit
described;forme,itwasthebestfish&chipsoftheday!)andaSpitfireBeer(“The
BottleforBritain”)attheVictory
Pub.Althoughwewerepelted
withgraupelonceagain,allinall,
itwasalovelyday.
Whatawarmwelcomewe
had.ThepeopleofStanleywere
friendlyandgracious.Weeach
hadourownexperience—some
tookexcursionstoGypsyCove,
onecoupleevenwalkedthere
andback—andStanleyandtheFalklandIslandswillremainahighlight.
Twodayscruising,then:SouthGeorgiaIsland....
14
Thursday, 14th January 2016
Position at midday
At sea en route South Georgia Island
Pressure
Temperature
Wind dir./
Weather
Distance
Latitude
Longitude
(hPa)
Air
Water
Beaufort
weather
travelled
52° 31’ S
050° 41’ W
995
7° C
5° C
SW / 5-6
partly clear
822 nm
Sunrise: 04:42 hrs
Sunset: 20:37 hrs
Oneofthemanycomponentsofacruisingexpeditionsuchasoursiseducation.Anda
dayatseameantlectures:sixofthem,manyconcurrent,affordedopportunitytolearn
aboutSirErnestShackleton,perhapsthemostfamousofAntarcticExplorer’s(ask
anyoneaboutAntarcticexplorationand,inevitably,thenameShackletonrisestothe
surface),thosepelagicseabirdsthatspendthemajorityoftheirlivesatsea,andthe
geologyofSouthGeorgiaIsland(evenifthosedarnedpeskybirdsdogetintheway).
Anyoneventuringtothedeck(heck,
anyonelookingoutawindow)mayhave
beenfortunateenoughtoseea“great
albatross.”AnumberofWandering
Albatross,withtheirwingspan
approachingfourmeters,wereobserved.
Sizeisdifficulttogaugeonthehighseas,
butwhenoneofthesewingedbehemoths
appears,youbegintosensejusthow
Wandering Albatross.
enormoustheyare,especiallyincomparisontootherseabirds.Andforthosewho
joinedusforsomebird-watchingontheBistroLeMaireaftdeck,wewerefortunate
enoughtoseenotone,nottwo,notthree,butFOURWanderingAlbatross!
Wewerefortunateinarunofrelativelygoodweather.Clearskiesmeanssun,but
sunmeanswinds.Andwindsmeanwaves.Allday,seasranfourtofivemeters,withthe
occasionalsix-meterswellcausingtheship—andus—tolurchunexpectedly.
Theendofthedaysawaprecipitousdropinwatertemperature,from5°Cto2°C,
thusmarkingourtransitionacrosstheAntarcticConvergence,enteringtheAntarctic.
15
Friday, 15th January 2016
Position at midday
At sea en route South Georgia Island
Pressure
Temperature
Wind dir./
Weather
Distance
Latitude
Longitude
(hPa)
Air
Water
Beaufort
weather
travelled
53° 25’ S
042° 56’ W
990
4° C
2° C
SW / 5-6
partly cloudy
1108 nm
Sunrise: 05:11 hrs
Sunset: 21:09 hrs
Anotherdayatseameantanotherdayoflecturesandbriefings.Thefirstorderof
businesswasanInternationalAssociationofAntarcticTourOperatorsbriefingonthe
tenrulesfortreadinglightlyonthismagnificentyetsensitivelandscape.Theserevolve
aroundrespectandleavingitatleastasgoodaswefoundit.Italsoinvolveda
biosecuritychecktominimizetheriskofbringinginnon-nativeseeds.Andinterspersed
throughoutthedaywerelecturesonclimateandSirErnestShackleton.
Asimportantandintriguingasthose
thingsare,perhapsthetruehighlightsof
thedayweretheemergentnatural
features.Vasttabularicebergs,withonly
10%oftheirbulkabovethesurface,
surroundedShagRocksinsentry-like
fashion.
South Georgia Shags.
ShagRocksmadeitsappearanceina
snowsquall.Asmarinersarewonttosay,
“Ifyoudon’tliketheweather,waitfiveminutes.”Sureenough,inshortorder,thesquall
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blewthroughandthesunshone.
Thesesixvolcanicseamountsrise
quicklyfromthedepthsofthe
ScotiaSea,over1,000metersdeep.
Thewildlifewasequally
impressivewiththousandsofSouth
GeorgiaShagsnestingonthese
pinnacles.Countlessdozens,ifnot
hundreds,ofprions,Black-bellied
Gentoo Penguins “porpoising” at Shag Rocks.
Storm-Petrels,andmorethanafewBlack-browedandWanderingAlbatrossandWhitechinnedPetrelsgracedtheair.ASouthernRightWhaleofferedfleetingglimpses,but
thelackofdorsalfinmadeitsidentificationclear.
TomorrowwesetfootonSouthGeorgiaandthetrueAntarcticexperiencebegins....
Black-browed Albatross.
17
Saturday, 16th January 2016
Position at midday
Landing 1: Salisbury Plain, South Georgia Island
Pressure
Temperature
Wind dir./
Weather
Distance
Latitude
Longitude
(hPa)
Air
Water
Beaufort
weather
travelled
54° 03’ S
037° 16’ W
985
4° C
1° C
SW / 3
flurries; cloudy
1,324 NM
Sunrise: 04:24 hrs
Sunset: 20:51 hrs
SouthGeorgiaatlast!SouthGeorgiaatlast!
ThankGodalmightywehavereached
SouthGeorgiaatlast!
IftheFalklandsweregreat,itisquite
possiblethatSouthGeorgiaisbeyond
superlatives.Thismaybewherethe
“adventure”inHapag-LloydAdventure
Cruisesreallykickedin.Wesawa
multitudeofKingPenguins!Byone
Our chariot to shore: the indefatigable Zodiac.
accounting,theSalisburyPlainpopulationisintheneighborhoodof250,000.There
weresomanypenguinsthatitwasdifficulttotakeitallin.Andthentherewasallofthe
otherwildlife.
Furseals,elephantseals,andskuas,ohmy!Yes,theytoo,wereeverywhere.We
learnedtobebothrespectfulandyetstandfirminourapproachtotheoftenaggressive
AntarcticFurSeals.TheBrownSkuasand
SouthernGiantAlbatrosseswere
unperturbedbyourpresence;infact,the
formeroftensizedusupasaprospective
meal.AndthefewSouthernElephantSeals
couldnotbebotheredtowakeuptotake
noticeofus,nomatterhowclosewe
approached.
Brown Skua surveying the King Penguin colony.
18
Saturday, 16th January 2016
Landing 2: Possession Bay, South Georgia Island
After our incredible morning tour of Salisbury
Plains, we repositioned the ship not a far sail to the
east to Possession Bay. There, at the head of the
bay, surrounded by jagged peaks rising a thousand
meters and more from the sea, we landed on a
beach, a glacial terminal moraine. Here, although
there were fewer penguins, the Antarctic Fur Seal
A view of Possession Bay.
colony seemed in more robust shape.
Upon landing, a lone Gentoo Penguin
greeted early arriving passengers.
A total of seventeen South Georgia
Pintails, one of two local endemic species,
flew in and out of view during the day—the
pintail is a yellow-billed, carrion-eating
duck. (The other endemic, the South
Georgia Pipit, we found at Salisbury Plains
in the morning.)
South Georgia Pintails.
Among the highlights of the day were many. For some, it was being present in this
wilderness, letting all of our senses take in the experience: the sights of a majestic landscape,
the sound of wind and wildlife, the feel of the unceasing wind in our face, the smell of life
and death which are seamlessly
intertwined. For others, it was walking
nearly to the foot of the Purvis Glacier.
Tomorrow we walk in the footsteps
of a true leader: Sir Ernest Shackleton....
A view from the ship as we depart Possession Bay: White-chinned
Petrel against the backdrop of the mountains of Possession Bay.
19
Sunday, 17th January 2016
Position at midday
Landing 1: Fortuna Bay and Stromness, South Georgia I.
Pressure
Temperature
Wind dir./
Weather
Distance
Latitude
Longitude
(hPa)
Air
Water
Beaufort
weather
travelled
54° 10’ S
036° 42’ W
988
8° C
2.5° C
WNW / 4
partly cloudy
1,411 nm
Sunrise: 04:23 hrs
Sunset: 20:48 hrs
ThemorningsawusinFortunaBay.Sixty
passengersdisembarkedforthe
“ShackletonWalk,”retracingsomeofthe
footstepsofSirErnestShackleton,Frank
Worsely,andTomCreanastheymade
theirwayacrossSouthGeorgiaIslandin
searchofrescue.Thewalktookusup350
meterstoaplainoffracturedglacial
Beginning of the “Shackleton Walk” in Fortuna Bay.
rubble,alandscapeseeminglydevoidoflife.
Surprisingly,atleasttwopairofAntarcticTern
flittedabout,screamingtheiralarmcalls.Clearlythey
hadnestsinthevicinity.AloneWilson’sStorm-Petrel
atthetopmaysuggestanestburrownearby.Not
surprisingly,avarietyoflichensandmosscouldreadily
befound.
Thosethatoptedtoremainaboardcruisedeastto
StromnessBayand
madeaslowand
“Troll bread,” an actual geologic name for
the manner in which rocks are ice-fractured
into slices.
closepassofthehistoricLeithwhalingstation.
Later,wewereallre-unitedatStromness,the
whalingstationwhereShackletonandcrewfound
salvation.
Humpback Whale and Cape Petrel observed en
route to Grytviken.
20
Sunday, 17th January 2016
Landing 2: Grytviken, South Georgia Island
Theabandonedwhalingstation-cum-museumandresearchstation,theburialground
forSirErnestShackleton—themanwhonotonlysurvived,butledALLhismentosafety
duringthefailedImperialTrans-AntarcticExpeditionof19141917—isatimecapsule,albeitonewherewatergotinand
damagedmuchofthecontents,butnotsobadastostopyoufrom
imaginingwhatoncewas.Andinsomecases,whatstillis.The
chapelhasoccasiontohostservicesandevents,asitdidforus
withourveryownMagdelenaMajerovảgivingaconcert.
Theactualmuseumwalksthevisitorthroughthepasttwo
hundredyearsandmore,fromCook’sdiscovery,throughtheeras
sealingandwhaling,tocontemporaryeffortstocompletely
eradicatethenon-nativeNorwayBrownRatfromtheisland(a
significantboontonestingseabirds).
Foraninfinitesimallysmallterritory
withonlytwelveyear-roundinhabitants,they
dohavearemarkablecollectionofpostage
stamps.Apostcardhomeandwewereoff:
someonashortcruisetoMaiviken,otherson
atwo-hourhiketomeettheHanseatic.
On the trail between Grytviken and Maiviken.
21
Monday, 18th January 2016
Position at midday
Gold Harbor & Drygalski Fjord, South Georgia Island
Pressure
Temperature
Wind dir./
Weather
Distance
Latitude
Longitude
(hPa)
Air
Water
Beaufort
weather
travelled
54° 39’ S
035° 45’ W
988
2.5° C
1.5° C
S / 2-3
clear
1,495 nm
Sunrise: 04:18 hrs
Sunset: 20:50 hrs
Inthemorning,wearrivedatGoldHarbor,sonamedfortheappearanceofgoldinthe
glacialtill.Alas,itwasmerepyrite,“Fool’sGold.”Manyofourfriendswerepresent:King
Penguin,SouthernGiant-Petrel,andAntarcticFurandSouthernElephantseals.Itwas
herethatwecaughtsurprisingglimpsesoftheinfamousSnowySheathbill,workingthe
KingPenguincrowdslookingforsomeyuckymorsels.
VirtuallynoswellsmeantourafternoonZodiaccruiseofCooperBayaffordedus
opportunitytotuckintonarrowcovesnestled
betweentoweringgneissramparts.Furseals
frolickedinthekelpforestswavinginthe
modestswell;elephantsealssleepilyeyedus
whilebarelyflickeringamuscle;Light-mantled
Albatrosswheeledoverhead,perhapswishing
formorewindtoaidtheirlandingamongthe
Cooper Bay Chinstrap Penguins.
22
cliff-topTussacGrass.WesawourfirstChinstrapandMacaroniPenguins.AndSouth
GeorgiaIsland’stwoendemicavianspeciesmadeappearances.
BeforewebadeadieutoSouthGeorgiaIsland,westeameduptheDrygalskiFjord,
battlingastiffbreezethatquicklychilledthosestandingoutside.Seabirdsingreat
numberseffortlesslypliedthewindsatthemouth.All-whiteSnowPetrelsghostedby
theHanseatic.
Andsoitwasthat,whileweleftthemagnificentSouthGeorgiaIslandbehind,we
wereeagerforthenextphaseofourAntarcticadventure.
Next:AdayatseaaswemakeourwaysouthtotheAntarcticmainland....
23
Tuesday, 19th January 2016
Position at midday
At sea en route South Orkney Islands
Pressure
Temperature
Wind dir./
Weather
Distance
Latitude
Longitude
(hPa)
Air
Water
Beaufort
weather
travelled
57° 55’ S
040° 30’ W
992
1° C
1° C
SW / 5-6
overcast
1,769 nm
Sunrise: 04:17 hrs
Sunset: 21:33 hrs
Agooddayatseaandmostofus
hadoursealegs(or,atthevery
least,ourprophylacticswere
working).Aswemakeourway
south,ourdailyprogramwas
muchmorerelaxed,perhapsa
welcomerespite.Southwestwinds
blowing5-6ontheBeaufortscale
meantwavesinthe4-6meter
The view from the bridge.
range.Fortunately,theywerebow
on,whichmeantfarlessrollingthanweexperiencedduringourpreviousdaysatsea.
Still,adayatseameantadayforchoices.Manyattendedthevariouseducational
programs,theofferingsofwhichincluded:
ü Richardlecturingonwhaling,includinganeight-minutevideooffootageshotin
1936bythelatefatherofapreviouspassenger.
ü Heike’srivetingdiscussiononAntarcticarchaeology,includingexamplesofits
long-lostbotanyandanexcellentgraphicdemonstratingplatetectonics.
ü AprecapbyArne,introducingustotheOrcadasArgentinianresearchstationin
theSouthOrkneyIslands,deliveredinhistypicallight-heartedstyle.
Howwemanagedtofitinmealsbetweenallofthesewonderfuleducational
opportunitiesmayremainamystery,butthehautecuisine,asalways,wassuperb.And
whowouldhaveguessedthatSirErnestShackletonwouldbegreetingusatdinner?
24
Wednesday, 20th January 2016
Position at midday
Pressure
Orcadas Station, Laurie Island, South Orkney Islands
Temperature
Weather
Distance
Latitude
Longitude
(hPa)
Air
Water
Beaufort
weather
travelled
60° 49’ S
044° 59’ W
995
1.5° C
-1° C
SE / 5
overcast
1,993 nm
Sunrise: 03:18 hrs
Wind dir./
Sunset: 21:17 hrs
Duringyesterday’sprecap,ArneinformedusabouttheOrcadasBaseonLaurie
IslandintheSouthOrkneyIslands,tellingusthatithastheuniquedistinctionofbeing
theleastsunnyplaceintheworld.Andsoitwasthatweawokethismorningtogray
skies,lowcloudceiling,andcoldwinds...andwewerenotphasedintheleast.
Nonetheless,wehadanabsolutejoyofadayatOrcadasBase.
OurArgentinianhostsdisplayedtraditionalLatin
Americanhospitality,shakinghandswitheachandevery
oneofus,exchanginggifts,andleadingusonanintimate
touroftheirenticingandhistoricbase.Westartedwitha
walkthroughofthemuseum,seeinglifeata1950s
researchstation.Nextupwasavisittotheremainsof
OmandHouse,establishedin1903byDr.WilliamS.
Museum mounts were better than we feared.
Bruce’sScottishNationalAntarcticExpedition(controlofthebasewastransferredto
Argentinathenextyearandtheyhavebeenayear-roundpresenceeversince).Lastly,
25
wetookfulladvantageofourhosts’hospitalityandagustatoryselectionofcookies,
pastries,coffee,anddark(verydark,accordingtosome)tea.
Meanwhile,wesawourfirstChinstrapPenguincolonyofthetrip.Therewaseven
anAdeliePenguinwhomusthavebeenwonderinghowitmanagedtowandersofar
north.AnditwascertainlyrefreshingtoseeAntarcticFurSealsthatwerenotintenton
removingapoundofflesh.No,theseweremales,likelytraveledsouthfromSouth
GeorgiaIsland,heretoregroupandrecoveraftertherigorsofestablishingterritories,
mating,buildingharems,anddefendingtheirephemeralinterests.
Ourtimeashoreatanend,weretracedour
waybackthroughWashingtonStrait,then
followedtheshorelineofCoronationIslandeast.It
wasatoss-upastowhatwasbetter,aseastippled
withicebergsofeveryconceivableshapeorthesix
HumpbackWhales,includingacalfandanadult
Humpback Whale “fluking up” as it dives.
thatputonquiteashowofflipper-flapping(your
dearauthorhimselfobservedanadditionalFinWhaleandSeiWhale).
MoreGermansparticipatedin“MeettheExperts”thanusnativeEnglish-speakers;
butontheotherhand,oursmallnumbersmakeformoreregularcontact.Still,afew
partook.
Themovie,Shackleton’sAntarcticAdventure,hostedbyHaJo,wasamoving
documentaryblendingFrankHurley’sphotographyandre-creationofmanyofthegreat
momentsoftheBritishImperialTrans-AntarcticExpedition.
Weretiredthisevening,
lookingtowardtomorrow
andthehopesofglimpsing
ElephantIslandandPoint
Wild,thesitewhereSir
ErnestShackleton’smen
survivedfourmonthswhile
awaitingrescue.
26
Thursday, 21st January 2016
Position at midday
At sea en route Elephant Island, South Shetland Islands
Pressure
Temperature
Wind dir./
Weather
Distance
Latitude
Longitude
(hPa)
Air
Water
Beaufort
weather
travelled
60° 59’ S
054° 02’ W
999
2.5° C
0° C
W / 5-6
overcast
2,287 NM
Sunrise: 03:41 hrs
Sunset: 21:47 hrs
AsurprisinglyuneventfulpassagefromLaurie
IslandhadusarriveatElephantIslandearly
afternoon.BeforeourarrivalatElephant
Island,morninglecturesrevealedsomeofthe
secretsofthelifeasanAntarcticresearcher
andthebiologyofseals.Anearlyafternoon
PRECAPlaidoutouranticipateditineraryfor
thenextday.ThenwewereatPointWild.
AlthoughswellswererunningtoohighforaZodiactour,theCaptainnosedtheship
intothesmallbay,thenopenedthebow,affordingusoptimalviewingopportunities.
Afteramorningofgrayseasandpatchyfog,theskyclearedandthesunshone—it
wasasthoughthegodsofhistoryandadventurewantedustopayhomagetothe
memoryofFrankWildandhiscompatriots.Seeingthecobbleshelfwheremostof
Shackleton’spartyspentfourlong,cold,miserablemonthsgavepauseforreflectionon
theconstitutionofthesehardysouls.Thismostcertainlybroughttomindaquotefrom
ApsleyCherry-Garrard:“Forscientificdiscovery,givemeScott;forspeedandefficiency
oftravel,givemeAmundsen;butwhendisasterstrikesandallhopeislost,getdownon
yourkneesandprayforShackleton.”
Afteratimetakinginthescenicvista,wecontinuedourway,headingclockwise,
firsteast,thensouth,aroundElephantIsland.Seabirdswereinabundance,aLightmantledAlbatrosscrossedourbow,ChinstrapPenguinsporpoisedalongsidetheship,
orelseweretakingicebergtaxis,andfourwhalespoutswereseeninthedistance.
Tomorrow,weatherpermitting,weexplorePauletIsland....
27
Friday, 22nd January 2016
Position at midday
Zodiac tour cruising; Antarctic Sound
Pressure
Temperature
Wind dir./
Weather
Distance
Latitude
Longitude
(hPa)
Air
Water
Beaufort
weather
travelled
63° 35’ S
056° 05’ W
988
2° C
0° C
W/1
clear
2,521 nm
Sunrise: 03:54 hrs
Sunset: 22:11 hrs
ThisdaywesightedtheAntarcticcontinent!Andthatwasjustoneofmanyhighlightsin
aneventfulday.
ThemorningsawusworkingthroughpatchesofpackiceintheAntarcticSound.
TheHanseaticmadesafe-but-slowprogress,thesoundofbergybitsandpanneice
resoundingasthebowplowedapath.DensepackicepreventedourlandingonPaulet
Island,sowetouredtheicefieldbyZodiac,thenlandedonfootballpitch-sizedpanne
forchampagne.
Wewerenotaloneonthepanne:
severalAdeliePenguinsjumpedoutof
thewater,joiningthefunnycousinsin
red.Alas,our
frozenfloatdrifted
tooclosetothe
otherflows,
necessitating
cuttingtimeshortforthefinalgroup.
28
BackaboardtheHanseatic,we
touredtheAntarcticSound.Tharshe
blows!ApackoffiveKillerWhalesswam
acrossourbow!CaptainNatkeopened
thebowwhileslowlycirclingthearea
wherethewhalesdove.Andcooperate
theydid,givingusashowforthenext15
minutes.Penguinsswamnervouslyto
Killer Whales in the Antarctic Sound.
safety,notwantingtobecomethenext
mealforOrcinusorca.Nearby,aHumpbackWhalespoutedseveraltimes,thenflukedup
inaterminaldive.
Movingon,weobservedatotalofeight
KillerWhales.CoupledthatwithsixHumpback
Whales,sixLeopardSeals(mostlyhauledouton
theice,althoughonewasswimming,perhaps
prowling),andanumberofWeddellSealstaking
theicebergtaxiwhiletheymolttheirpelage,
Leopard Seal on an pack ice next to the ship.
anditisclearwehadanexcellentday!
Asifthedaycouldn’tgetanybetter,tabularicebergstoweredaboveourship.And
thenweconcludedthedaywithacocktailreceptionhonoring125yearsofHapag-Lloyd
offeringcruises.Happyanniversary!
29
Saturday, 23rd January 2016
Position at midday
Half Moon Island and Deception Island
Pressure
Temperature
Wind dir./
Weather
Distance
Latitude
Longitude
(hPa)
Air
Water
Beaufort
weather
travelled
62°36’ S
059°54’ W
995
6° C
2° C
variable / 2
partly cloudy
2,700 nm
Sunrise: 04:02 hrs
Sunset: 22:27 hrs
AfteranearlymorningdetourtotheRussianbaseon
KingGeorgeIslandwhereoneofthecrewhadto
disembarktoreturntoSouthAmericatoattendto
emergencydentalwork,weanchoredoffHalfMoon
Island.Thissmallislandisnestledinabayatthe
easternendofLivingstonIslandandissmallenough
thatabriskwalkercouldtraverseitend-to-endintenminutes.
Herewewalkedtoacolonyof
ChinstrapPenguins,thenstrolledacrossthe
island,followingtheshoretofindseveral
WeddellSeals—13tobeprecise.Didyou
noticethatWeddellSealsappeartohave
disproportionatelysmallfore-flippersand
headincomparisontotheirratherlarge
body?Theseare“trueseals.”Andtomake
Chinstrap Penguin colony on Half Moon Island.
surewedonotbecometoocomplacentwith
Nature’smajesty,aloneAntarcticFurSealkeptusonourtoes.
NextupwasDeceptionIsland,theremnantsofanancientvolcano.Onewallofthe
calderahaslongsincecollapsed,allowingegressintothe9-kilometer-longcentralpool.
WeenteredthecalderathroughNeptune’sBellows,thewallbeing,quiteliterally,within
throwingdistance.TwohoursaffordedustimetoexploretheformerWhaler’sBay
whalingandresearchstation,whichhaslongsincesuccumbedtothecombinedforces
ofa1970volcanicmudslideandtheelements.
30
Sunday, 24th January 2016
Position at midday
Paradise Bay; LeMaire Channel; Peterson Island
Pressure
Temperature
Wind dir./
Weather
Distance
Latitude
Longitude
(hPa)
Air
Water
Beaufort
weather
travelled
61° 55’ S
062° 53’ W
991
8° C
1° C
light winds
clear
2,883 nm
Sunrise: 03:59 hrs
Sunset: 22:51 hrs
EarlymorningfoundusinParadiseBay,
rimmedbyglacially-cladmountains.Here
wesetfootupontheAntarcticmainland,
amidstasmallGentooPenguincolony,a
sitealsodoingdoubledutyasthe
AlmiranteBrownArgentinianresearch
base.Astrenuousuphillhikemayhave
beenjustthetickettoworkoffsomeof
thedeliciousfoodwehavebeeneating.
Almirante Brown Base, Laurie Island.
Oureyrievantage,affordingviewsofAlmiranteBrownandourcruiseshipsome100
metersbelow,showedusjusthowsmallourfootprintishereinthevastnessof
Antarctica.
Afterward,cruisingParadiseBaybyZodiacturnedupanumberoftreats:
ü Therichbluesofagedand
compressedicereflectingtheone
colorthatimpartssuchluscious
hues.
ü Theregularbassorumbling
ofglaciersever-so-slowlyyet
inexorablymakingtheirwaytothe
seeastheygrindoverthelong
hiddenterrafirma.
Crabeater Seals on an ice flow in the LeMaire Channel.
ü GentooPenguinsswimming
31
inmilitaryformationastheyhuntforprey.
ü CrabeaterSealsinreposeonapanneofpack-ice.
Backaboard,aPoolPartyseemedaperfect(ifslightlyincongruous)afternoon
event:beer,vodka,hotdogs,waffles,waffleswithrum.YUM!
Duringtheparty,someonecommentedabouttherebeingwhalesinthedistance.
Sureenough,threeMinkeWhales—aspecieswhosemodestblowisonlyvisibleincold
weather—wereworkingtheedgeofaglacier.
ApproachingtheLeMaireChannel,weencounteredpackice.ALOTofit!Thismade
forslowgoingthroughthesteep-sidedLeMaireChannel.Sevennauticalmileslong,less
thanonenauticalmilewide,thiswasanamazingexperience!Theabsolutecalmwasa
blessingforCaptainNatkeandcrewastheymasterfullynavigatedourpassage,both
southforustoscoutPetermannIsland(alas,wewereunabletoland)andbacknorth
again.
Tomorrow:CuvervilleIslandandPortLockroy.
32
Monday, 25th January 2016
Position at midday
Cuverville Island; Port Lockroy
Pressure
Temperature
Wind dir./
Weather
Distance
Latitude
Longitude
(hPa)
Air
Water
Beaufort
weather
travelled
64° 46’ S
062° 52’ W
993
5° C
1° C
calm
clear
3,000 nm
Sunrise: 04:03 hrs
Sunset: 22:38 hrs
CuvervilleIslandishometoasizeablecolonyof
GentooPenguins,completewithfour-lane
penguinhighways.AccordingtoSylviaStevens,a
surveydidabouteightyearsagotallied
approximately4,000nests.Therewasalsoan
incredibleabundanceofSouthPolarSkuas(at
onepoint,atleast22werewheelingoverhead).
Clearskiesmadeforstunningpanoramas.Wehavehadsuchincrediblymild
weatherthisjourney(wecanonlyimagine
whatitmustbelikewhenisnotso
pleasant),ithasbeenafigurativerainbow
overtheHanseatic.Wecouldonlyhopethis
wasaportentofgoodfortune...although
maybethefortunewasthegoodfolksofthe
AntarcticHeritageTrustatPortLockroyin
theformofthepotofgoldwecollectively
leftbehindaswewentonashoppingspree.
Gentoo Penguin.
Thatisgettingaheadofourselves.Theactivityofthislandscapeisnotlimitedto
birdsandwhales,theglaciersareallmoving,too;justata(pardonthepun)glacialpace.
Weheardquitealotofgrumblingandsharpreportsastheglaciersprovedtheyare
anythingbutstatic.
33
DepartingCuverville
Island,wemadeourway
throughtheErreratothe
GerlacheStrait,thenonto
theNeumayerChannel.
Morestunningscenery
occupiedoursenses.For
thatmatter,wenevertired
ofwhalesduringthis
journeyandthethree
Cruising the Neumayer Channel.
HumpbackWhalesandloneMinkeWhalewerewelcomed,asalways.
AndthenitwasPortLockroy!The Queen’s flag waving over the southernmost
shopping center and post office did, indeed, presage the proverbial a pot o’ gold for someone.
Coffee mugs, t-shirts, postcards, and refrigerator magnets were all the rage by the looks of
everyone’s grocery bags.
This tiny little outpost, once a research station investigating the earth’s magnetic field, is
now a museum. How fascinating it was to get a glimpse into the lives of 1950s era field
researchers.
Gentoo Penguins were everywhere, sometimes almost literally underfoot. Snowy
Sheathbills were busy in their role of janitor, cleaning (a polite term for eating) guano from
the rocks. South Polar Skuas, patrolling for weakness…and a meal…were regularly harassed
by Antarctic Terns; they may be small but they seemed a match for the skuas.
Back on the Hanseatic, as the day wore on, the side gate was blocked by ice, so Captain
Natke had to reposition the ship. In response to Arne’s query about sending a Zodiac to pick
up the shore party, the Captain replied, “We are leaving now and will pick you up in three
weeks.” (We knew he was joking when the Zodiacs finally did come pick us up.)
With the day’s waning hours, the surrounding landscape was bathed in alpenglow—a
perfect ending to about as perfect a day as you can get! TheCaptain’sforecastforcrossing
theDrakePassage—lightwindsandtwo-meterswells—mayverywellhaverelieved
manyaprematurelyqueasystomachasitdoesn’tgetmuchbetterthanthat.Wehoped
theCaptain’sforecastholds.
34
Tuesday, 26th January 2015
Position at midday
At sea en route Ushuaia, day 1
Pressure
Temperature
Wind dir./
Weather
Distance
Latitude
Longitude
(hPa)
Air
Water
Beaufort
weather
travelled
61° 01’ S
064° 19’ W
998
2.5° C
1.5° C
NN / 5-6
overcast
3,277 nm
Sunrise: 04:43 hrs
Sunset: 21:48 hrs
Asourthree-weekadventurewindsdown,
wewereinthefirstofourtwo-daycrossing
oftheDrakePassage.Lightwindsmeantfor
modest(byDrakePassagestandards)swells.
Anyonefeelparticularlytiredyesterday?
Itmaybetheaction-packedscheduleofthe
past18days;orourbodiesdigestingallthe
wonderfulfoodwehavebeenserved.More
likely,theperpetualmotionofshipmeanscontinualcompensating,flexingand
extendingofmuscles,whethersittingorinrepose,compensatingtokeepourinternal
gyroscopesbalanced.Withoutourrealizingit,wearegettingday-longworkouts.
Atmostanypointduringtheday,awalkaroundthedeck,oraquicklookoutany
window,mayhaverevealedourescortofdozensofCapePetrelshadreturned.Their
habitoffrequentlyfollowingshipsgivestheimpressionthattheirnaturalhabitatisthe
openocean...whichitis,exceptingnestingseason,whentheycometoshore.
Aswitheverydayatsea,ourtimewasfilledwitheducationalopportunities:a
RECAPrevisitingourforaytotheAntarcticPeninsula,Sylvia’sgentlegiantslecture,and
anopportunitytositandmeetwiththelecturers.
Ourdaywasconcludedwithsocialactivities.TheFarewellCocktailenbledusto
thanktheofficersandcrewforamemorablejourney.Intimateconversationsinthe
MarcoPoloRestaurant.AndafinalbidadieubytheHanseaticCrewChoir(duringwhich
risingwatertemperaturesmarkedourofficialcrossingoftheAntarcticConvergence,
whichmeansweleftAntarcticwaters).
35
Wednesday, 27th February 2015
Position at midday
At sea en route Ushuaia, day 2
Pressure
Temperature
Wind dir./
Weather
Distance
Latitude
Longitude
(hPa)
Air
Water
Beaufort
weather
travelled
55° 26’ S
066° 15’ W
1000
12° C
9.5° C
NNE / 3-4
partly cloudy
3,619 nm
Sunrise: 05:03 hrs
Sunset: 21:40 hrs
OurfinaldayatseaandNeptuneseemstohavesmileduponusonceagain!Theseas
werecalm—evencalmerthanyesterday,withlong-periodswellsrunninglessthantwo
meters—theskiesareofferingatexturedmosaicofclouds.
Duringthemorningofourlastday,aSpermWhalesurfacedverynearourship.It
wasclearlyidentifiedbyits45°anglespout,thesmallandroundeddorsalfin,andits
unique,dual-lobedfluke.
Thisday’seducationalofferingswerecomplimentsofHeikeFries,sharingher
passionsforgeology:amorninglectureonAntarcticvolcanismandanafternoonshowand-tellwithsomeofherimpressiverockcollection.Otherwise,ourdaywas
interspersedwithpacking,timetoreflectonourwondrousjourney,and,ofcourse,
therewasthewonderfulmeals;today’sfeature:BavarianandAustrianspecialties.
Onapersonalnote,forme,yournativeEnglish-speakinglecturer,thisdayisbotha
bitmelancholyandjoyous.Ihavemademanynewfriendsonthisjourneyandhave
enjoyedmanyconversationsonabroadrangeofsubjects,manynotrelatedtoour
presentendeavorshereintheSouthernHemisphere.Thankyouoneandallforamost
memorablejourney.Iwishyoufairwindsandsmoothseas.
36
Our route
From10-28January,wetraveledagreatroutefollowingavaguelycircularcourse,
logginginexcessof3,700nauticalmiles.Thismap,coupledwiththeprecedinglogbook
entries,chroniclesourthree-weekAntarcticadventure.
10January–DepartUshuaia
20January–OrcadasBase;cruising
11January–Atsea
WashingtonStrait
12January–NewIslandandWestPoint
21January–PointWild,ElephantIsland
Island,FalklandIslands
22January–WeddellSeaZodiactour;
13January–Stanley,FalklandIslands
cruisingAntarcticSound
14-15January–Atsea;ShagRocks
23January–HalfMoonIsland;
16January–SalisburyPlainand
DeceptionIsland
PossessionBay,SouthGeorgiaIsland
24January–ParadiseBay,LeMaire
17January–FortunaBay,Shackleton
Channel
Walk,andGrytviken,SouthGeorgiaI.
25January–CuvervilleIsland;Port
18January–GoldHarbor,CooperBay,
Lockroy
andDrygalskiFjord,SouthGeorgiaI.
26-27January–Atsea
19January–Atsea
27January,evening–ReturntoUshuai
37
Wildlife list
Thefollowingisalistofwildlifeobservedduringouradventure.Thislistincludes
speciesobservedinUshuaiaandTierradelFuegoNationalParkbytheauthorofthis
logbook.Inrecentdecades,taxonomyhasbeeninastateofflux.Still,followingan
acceptedhierarchicalorderingisusefulforthepurposeofmaintainingachecklist.To
thatend,theorderofmarinemammalsfollowsthewidelyacceptedworkofD.W.Rice
(1998)MarineMammalsoftheWorld:SystematicsandDistribution,SpecialPublication
No.4,SocietyforMarineMammology.Meanwhile,theorderingofbirdsfollowsthatset
outbyJamesClementsandupdatedbytheCornellLaboratoryofOrnithology.(Please
accepttheauthor’sapologiesforanyomissions;theywerenotintentional.)
MarineMammals:(15species)
□
□
AntarcticFurSealArctocephalus gazelle
□
SouthAmericanFurSealArctocephalus
australis
SeiWhaleBalaenoptera borealis (atleast2
observed)
□
□
□
□
□
SouthernElephantSealMirounga leonina
FinWhaleBalaenoptera physalus (atleast2
observed)
□
SpermWhalePhyseter macrocephalus (atleast
4observed)
unidentifiedwhales(atleast26observed)
□
HumpbackWhaleMegaptera novaeangliae (at
least46observed)
□
□
□
□
□
AntarcticMinkeWhaleBalaenoptera
bonaerensis (atleast5observed)
□
Long-finnedPilotWhaleGlobicephala melas
□
□
□
□
□
□
GentooPenguinPygoscelis papua
□
Black-browedAlbatrossThalassarche
melanophris
□
□
□
□
□
□
Light-mantledAlbatrossPhoebetria palpebrata
WeddellSealLeptonychotes weddellii
CrabeaterSealLobodon carcinophaga
LeopardSealHydrurga leptonyx (atleast11
observed)
Peale’sDolphinLagenorhynchus australis
HourglassDolphinLagenorhynchus cruciger
KillerWhaleOrcinus orca (atleast8
observed)
Birds:(77species)
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
Black-neckedSwanCygnus melancoryphus
□
□
CrestedDuckLophonetta specularioides
□
□
□
RedJunglefowlGallus gallus
CoscorbaSwanCoscoroba coscoroba
UplandGooseChloephaga picta
KelpGooseChloephaga hybrida
Ashy-headedGooseChloephaga poliocephala
Ruddy-headedGooseChloephaga rubidiceps
FlyingSteamer-DuckTachyeres patachonicus
FalklandSteamer-DuckTachyeres
brachypterus
Yellow-billed(SouthGeorgia)PintailAnas
georgica
KingPenguinAptenodytes patagonicus
AdeliePenguinPygoscelis adeliae
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ChinstrapPenguinPygoscelis antarcticus
MagellanicPenguinSpheniscus magellanicus
RockhopperPenguinEudyptes chrysolophus
MacaroniPenguinEudyptes chrysocome
Gray-headedAlbatrossThalassarche
chrysostoma
WanderingAlbatrossDiomedea exulans
SouthernGiant-PetrelMacronectes giganteus
NorthernGiant-PetrelMacronectes halli
SouthernFulmarFulmarus glacialoides
AntarcticPetrelThalassoica antarctica
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CapePetrelDaption capense
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MagellanicOystercatcherHaematopus
leucopodus
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ChileanSkuaStercorarius chilensis
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DolphinGullLeucophaeus scoresbii
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SouthGeorgiaDiving-PetrelPelecanoides
georgicus
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Wilson’sStorm-PetrelOceanites oceanicus
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Dark-facedGround-TyrantMuscisaxicola
maclovianus
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AntarcticShagPhalacrocorax bransfieldensis
ChileanSwallowTachycineta meyeni
ImperialCormorant,orBlue-eyedShag
Phalacrocorax atriceps
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Black-crownedNight-HeronNycticorax
nycticorax
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TurkeyVultureCathartes aura
CorrenderaPipit,orFalklandPipitAnthus
correndera
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SouthGeorgiaPipitAnthus antarcticus
SnowPetrelPagodroma nivea
BluePetrelHalobaena caerulea
AntarcticPrionPachyptila desolata
Slender-billedPrionPachyptila belcheri
White-chinnedPetrelProcellaria aequinoctialis
GreatShearwaterPuffinus gravis
SootyShearwaterPuffinus griseus
CommonDiving-PetrelPelecanoides urinatrix
MagellanicDiving-PetrelPelecanoides
magellani
Gray-backedStorm-PetrelGarrodia nereis
White-belliedStorm-PetrelFregatta grallaria
Black-belliedStorm-PetrelFregetta tropica
NeotropicCormorantPhalacrocorax brasilianus
MagellanCormorant,orRockShag
Phalacrocorax magellanicus
SouthGeorgiaShagPhalacrocorax georgianus
VariableHawkGeranoaetus polyosoma
White-wingedCootFulica leucoptera
SnowySheathbillChionis albus
BlackishOystercatcherHaematopus ater
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SouthPolarSkuaStercorarius maccormicki
BrownSkuaStercorarius antarcticus
Brown-headedGullChroicocephalus
brunnicephalus
KelpGullLarus dominicanus
ArcticTernSterna paradisaea
SouthAmericanTernSterna hirundinacea
AntarcticTernSterna vittata
RingedKingfisherMegaceryle torquata
StriatedCaracaraPhalcoboenus australis
SouthernCaracaraCaracara plancus
ChimangoCaracaraMilvago chimango
BlackishCinclodes,orTussacbirdCinclodes
antarcticus
Cobb’sWrenTroglodytes cobbi
SedgeWrenCistothorus platensis
AustralThrush,orFalklandThrushTurdus
falcklandii
Long-tailedMeadowlarkSturnella loyca
Black-chinnedSiskinSpinus barbatus
HouseSparrowPasser domesticus
Contact
Manyofyouexpressedinterestincontactingmeupontheconclusionofourgreat
adventuretogether,whethertosimplysendgreetingsoraskassistanceidentifying
wildlifeinyourphotos.Iamalwayshappytohelp.Ifsendingphotos,pleasereducetheir
sizetoapproximately1MBorless;betteryet,postthemon-lineandsendmethelink.
Andifyoueverfindyourselfinmylovelycorneroftheworld,mybusiness,TheNatural
HistoryCenter,offersavarietyofnatureandadventuretours.Orjustdropalinetosay
hello.Shouldyoubeinterested,IhavepostedaselectionofphotosontheFacebook
pageofTheNaturalHistoryCenter.Thefollowingismycompletecontactinformation,
includingFacebookpage:
RichardMacDonald
TheNaturalHistoryCentre
P.O. Box 6
Bar Harbour, Maine 04609
207/266-9461
[email protected]
www.TheNaturalHistoryCenter.com
www.facebook.com/TheNaturalHistoryCenter
Richard on the bow of the Hanseatic off Point Wild, Elephant Island.
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Acknowledgements
MysincerethankstothecrewaboardtheMSHanseaticforallowingmetojointheir
teamonthisSouthernOceanadventure.Moreimportantly,asincerethank-youto
CaptainThiloNatkeforbeingaconsummatemariner,guidingusthroughweatherboth
fairandfoul,enablingustomakefarabovetheaveragenumberoflandings.Andequally
importantly,thankyoutotheentirecrewoftheHanseaticfortheirprofessionalismand
courtesy,whichissecondtonone.Theyhavegreatlyhelpedinmakingourjourneyso
trulymemorable.
Thislogbookwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutthesupportofmyfellowlecturers
whosharedtheirexperiences,theiranecdotes,and,photosandbiographiesofthe
officersandcrew.
ThankyoutotheZodiacandshorepartycrewsformakingourtransitbetweentheship
andthewidearrayoflandingsitessafeandcomfortable.
Finally,myheart-feltthankstoallofthepassengerswhomadethisadventureso
enjoyable:Iarrivedonboardastranger,IreturntomymodestMainehomeinthe
northeastern-mostUnitedStatesfarricherforallofthenewfriendsIhavemadeand
theadventureswehaveshared.Iwishyoufairwindsandsmoothseas!BonVoyage!
RichardMacDonald
MSHanseatic,27January2016
Our ship, MS Hanseatic, as viewed from Orcadas Base.
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