First Landing

Friday, November 24
around 9:00 PM
Lemaire Channel, Antarctica



I can barely remember this morning, or rather, the fact that I am still in the same day as this morning. I am exhausted, but this blasted twenty-hours-of-daylight routine lures me awake all the time. The sun never quite sets, just sort of dips below the horizon, dimming the sky. No stars for me.

We began today with a(nother) 4:45 wake-up call, Buffet breakfast. Oh wait, breakfast was put on hold. Scratch that. 4:45 wake-up call to get us up and out and on land by 5:30. Neko Harbour was the site of our very first Antarctic landing, right on the continent, not an island.

A welcoming committee of little birds in tuxedos greeted us at the shore, but not before we were hit with their... er... excremental aroma. Curious little buggers, the Gentoo penguins. Exquisitely ridiculous when ambulatory, not just their waddling walk, but the little hops and adorable stumbles. But in the water, they are some smooth operators.





An equally photogenic and entertaining critter napped along the shore: a blubber slug (sometimes known as a Weddell seal, but on this trip: blubber slug). He delighted our camera lenses with a head roll here or a tummy scratch there.



Next, we witnessed a small calving of a glacier, like a giant ice cube breaking off from a gianter ice block and dropping into a completely gigantic glass of water. (Or, like a cow giving birth to a calf, just lettin' it drop. Hence the term, "calving".)



Oh oh, back up.

We were brought to shore not by the Clipper (our ship), but by her fleet of Zodiacs — inflatable rafts (like a solid, no BS white-water rafting raft) with motors. Rather terrifying, completely exhiliarating ride. And effin' cold.

Now back to land.



We climbed a short distance up to the nearest peak/lookout point. Our feet punctured the soft, melting snow, dropping us as deep as our knees in some spots. After a bit, you just learned to step in other peoples sinkholes. After reaching the top and snapping some pics, I was feeling a bit tired and not in the mood to high-step it back down the way we came up, so Vanessa and I made like penguins and slid down the face of the mountain on our tushes.

(Let me clarify: I scooted, then slid, then ate shit and somersaulted head over ass down the face of the mountain.... I hear there are photos, which I will try to procure.)

First Antarctic landing? Brilliant! Excellent! (Our South African friends are already influencing my vocabulary.)

Now... Back at the ship for breakfast and a nap, out again shortly thereafter for a Zodiac cruise around Paradise Bay. All I have to say is ice, ice baby. George was our Zodiac driver, he's great. And fun, with giant crazy 'chops. Geoff the geoloist was aboard for color commentary. We poked our boat in and out of little coves until all my extremities were numb to the core. Saw another Weddell Seal (the aforementioned snoozing blubber slug). Also napping. Saw a dead, rather icky jellyfish, some Antarctic shags (nothin' like a good shag in the morning......), and some badass icebergs and glacier formations. Those li'l rafts can haul ass, too.



Back to the ship once more, for lunch and hopefully some relaxation, only to be summoned shortly thereafter for an extra bonus landing at Petermann Island. The weather was absolutely phenomenal, and Mike our Expedition Leader wanted to take full advantage of that, which, while exhausting, was really awesome and exceptional that they are so flexible with the itineraries. When else are we going to be here?? (Though, for some of the passengers, this is their 6th or 7th trip...)

Petermann Island has this neat, "natural" dock, basically a ramp of rocks. The island is populated by about 5,000 gentoo penguins, and maybe 1,500 adelies. (I'm learning to distinguish the species..) They are kind enough to share their island with some humans, too. An American research team is camped out there for a few weeks studying the birds' breeding patterns. Person and penguin seem to co-exist in peace.



There is no love lost between the pengies and the brown skuas, however. We watched as a male pengy sitting on his nest, protecting his egg was ambushed and double-teamed by two brutish brown skuas. The flying birds used their aviator's edge to harass the poor Gentoo from above, tugging and biting his tail, but to the little stationary pengy's credit, he snapped back pretty fiercely and held his ground without leaving the nest. The skuas gave up and moved on to pester another pengy. Nature in action! More fun with the black-n-white birdies ensued, then it was back to the ship again.

Dinner tonight was to be a BBQ out on deck, but it was moved indoors because of the bitterass wind. I definitely have a a sun/windburn already.

And that was today, in a very small nutshell.