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Our Blog from Antarctic Regions
If you have traveled with us, we would enjoy posting your most memorable experience here, please your paragraph and photo to us.
Macaroni at Cobbler'sPosted March 18, 2010
Excerpt from the voyage log by Ali Liddle We had a calm and peaceful night anchored in the shelter of Godthul and another early start found us traveling around the headland in open water to the beautiful enclosed site known as Cobbler's Cove. This quiet little bay was named after the white-chinned petrels that nest in the surrounding hillsides. These birds have a chattering call, which was thought to sound like the old squeaky sewing machines used by shoemakers to make leather shoes and boots hence the name "cobblers". It was a beautiful morning yet again, with blue sky and just a few white fluffy clouds around the tops of the surrounding mountain peaks so a perfect start to another South Georgia day. The objective of the morning was to hike over the hill to Rookery Point to see the colony of Macaroni Penguins, something everyone was very keen to do, previously having found only an empty rookery at Hercules Bay. The walk took us on a steep climb up a snow gully but, given the numbers in the hiking party, it didn't take too long for steps to be stamped down into the snow making easy climbing for the majority of people heading up over the 150m high pass. From the pass itself it was a gentle descent through relatively green pastures down to the rocky coastline by Rookery Point. The views out to East Skerry, a small offshore island were much improved by the presence of a grounded ice berg on its eastern shore. At the Macaroni Penguin colony there was around 100 birds tucked away in small, open areas between the tall tussac stands, with more arriving from the sea every minute. They had to weave their way through the muddy trails to reach the open rookery and probably got a bit of a shock to find their way filled with camera wielding paparazzi! At the height of the breeding season the population at Rookery Point is around 2,000 pairs but it was a little early to see the colony at its noisy, bustling peak season best. However the photo opportunities, especially on the rocky landing beach were fantastic for everyone as the penguins arrived ashore sparkling in the sunshine and walking past on their way through the tussac to the hillside colony. Unfortunately this breeze freshened to whip-up chop from the open ocean, halting the progress of the zodiac-cruisers who hoped to see the Macs by sea. As the morning wore on the breeze increased and wisps of mist crept inland to shroud the hillside, creating ghostly patterns above the colony. It was time to begin the walk back over the hills to Cobbler's Cove. The return journey was certainly a little quicker for most as we slid down the snow gully back to the beach! Great fun for everyone. Note: Join us on our next great adventure to Antarctica, South Georgia and Falkland Islands in December 2010. Skip and Gayle Stokes, travelmates on our 2009-10 expedition, exclaimed, "We enjoyed the magnificent scenery and wildlife most. It was greatly enhanced by the expertise of your staff and their willingness to share it". Return to top Happy New Year from the FalklandsPosted January 7, 2010
by Jim Danzenbaker Our group headed to the albatross/penguin/shag colony on the other end of New Island, but not before viewing a family of five Ruddy-headed Geese that were feeding along the trail. Once at the colony, I headed down the gully to an area that is best for viewing the loafing Rockhopper Penguins and others returning from the sea. Although tussock-lined and slippery in spots, the descent into this gully was well worth the effort. The gully is a major thoroughfare for Rockhoppers as they plod their way up towards waiting mates and young after successful foraging runs at sea. To me, it's a slice of heaven - the sights and sounds combine to show nature in the raw. It is truly memorable to stand at the bottom of this gully and look up at the jagged, ridged sandstone walls that are lined with nesting albatrosses while simultaneously listening to the pitter-patter of tiny Rockhopper Penguin feet as they hop along towards the colony or head out to the sea. At the mouth of the gully, hundreds of loafing penguins take time to rest and do some much needed preening after returning with full stomachs. It's fascinating to watch these penguins enter and exit the frothy sea along this rocky coast - gathering up in ever larger groups until an unknown signal (or critical mass) pushes one, then two, then a hoard of penguins into the surf. Their rule is safety in numbers, since they never know if there is a lurking Southern Sea Lion or Orca waiting to dine on a wayward penguin. Getting back and forth to the penguin colony looked challenging to me but these little guys take it step by step over this treacherous terrain and conquer seemingly "in-hoppable" distances between rocks with relative ease - sometimes needing extended flippers to balance lest they fall over. What a fantastic bird! Editor's Note: Read Jim's complete blog that he wrote during our 2009-2010 to the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia, and Falkland Islands under way right now! It is great reading! Return to top Where Few Have Gone BeforePosted December 29, 2009
by Marc Lombardi
A trip to South Georgia is bound to quickly exhaust superlatives. The unimaginable mass of wildlife, spectacular surroundings and sheer remoteness of the trip easily exceed the experience of most travelers - even those of us who have been to the Southern Ocean before. This trip delivered the South Georgia experience to the limits of reasonable expectations, and then pushed beyond with a sight few travelers have shared - circumnavigation... a cruise down the southwest coast on a clear day with views of the entire expanse of this magnificent island! After three wonderful days of landings along the northern end of the island, a fierce storm approached from the east. Rather than running for cover and spending a dreary two days huddled in Grytviken, Ted's experience and sound judgment as an expedition leader offered another option: retreat back to the north and down the west side of the island, betting that the normally weather-battered side would be sheltered by the "rocky spine" of South Georgia. And so it was! After a morning landing at Peggotty Bluff in King Haakon Bay, the site of Shackleton's landing after crossing the Southern Ocean in 1916, we cruised out of the bay and Pauline Carr read passages from the account of Shackleton's epic journey. A short time after turning south Pauline returned to the PA system encouraging all to witness a sight that she and Tim had never seen in their 14 years living on South Georgia - the entire southwest coast visible at once! South Georgia's rocky spine had served us well, both providing shelter from the storm as well as breathtaking views of the mountains swirled and framed by surreal cloud formations. As incredible as the wildlife and other "typical" sights of South Georgia certainly were, the landscapes of the southwest coast could prove to be the true prize of this voyage. Friends seeing some of the images from that day cannot believe the clouds and mountains and scale of the images. Indeed the storm may have been our friend in many ways, driving textures, shapes and diversity of clouds that dwarfed the 6,000+ foot mountains. A remarkable day at the end of the earth! Editor's Note: Read the fascinating voyage log (PDF) of this Cheesemans' expedition to the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica in October 2009. Return to top Preparing for a Life at SeaPosted December 22, 2009 Excerpt from the voyage log by Ali Liddle
Prion Island is a very special place! It is a rat free oasis for many breeding birds from the magnificent Wandering Albatross to the tiny South Georgia Pipit, the most southerly breeding passerine in the world. Onshore we were met by South Georgia Pintails, a small teal that feeds along the shoreline and in the fresh water streams that run down through the tussac grass. Due to the sensitivity of the island as one of the last breeding strongholds of Wandering Albatross, whose numbers had been decreasing at a rate of 4.5% per year in recent years, the visit had to be carefully managed. A boardwalk has been recently constructed to ease visitor pressure on the albatross, as well as providing protection for the vegetation and the burrows of petrels and prions. The boardwalk took us directly up the hillside to view the albatross chicks sitting patiently amongst the tussac waiting for their parents return. Their patience and almost serene composure seemed to affect everyone and a sense of quiet calm seemed to descend over the groups as they moved between the perfectly positioned viewing platforms. The eight month old chicks could be seen practicing their wing beats in preparation for a life at sea, to begin in around six weeks time. It was amazing to see how the chick folded its six-foot wingspan back into its flanks and settled down again to wait. Some of the chicks didn't have long to wait as a number of adult birds returned to the colony. They circled the island a few times as if to get their bearings before dropping down into the tussac near their patient chicks to provide a feed of concentrated reguritated squid, krill and fish soup. Editor's Note: A visit to Prion Island to see the Wandering Albatross is tops on our list of landings during our Antarctic expeditions. The amazing Wanderer has the largest wingspan of any living bird, between 8 and 11 feet, enabling it to remain in the air without flapping for long periods of time. They have a very slow reproduction rate, breeding every other year on islands throughout the Southern Ocean. The adults invest a huge amount of time and energy to raise only one chick, caring for it for almost a year before it fledges. Adolescents return to the islands after six years, but don't breed until about 12 years old. Wandering Albatross often live to 80 years old. There are many pressures on this remarkable bird causing their numbers to dwindle. Please help us protect it - read about the Save the Albatross campaign at Birds Austalia and read more about the campaign in the Seabird Conservation Newsletter (PDF). Return to top Extra-Extra, Read All About It!Posted November 23, 2009
By Ted Cheeseman The Penguin News, the local newspaper of the Falkland Islands, got wind of our gallant effort to clean the beach at Dyke Bay during our recent journey to the Southern Ocean. The Falkland Islanders were very pleased that an expedition of our size took a big interest in their tiny island. On November 5, many of our staff and passengers gave up valuable expedition time to make a positive impact on the environment of the island by collecting the debris of the fishing industry that blows up on the brilliant beach. The beach can now be safely used by the myriad of wildlife without the threat of entanglement in the debris on the beach. See the complete story in our recent blog, "Brilliant Caring Travelmates." Return to top Brilliant Caring TravelmatesPosted November 19, 2009
By Debbie Thompson with help from Alison Liddle
Ted Cheeseman just returned from his expedition to South Georgia and the Falkland Islands with a proud smile on his face. During previous Antarctic expeditions, Ted noticed the garbage strewn on the beach surrounding Dyke Bay, close to the settlement on Carcass Island in the Falkland Islands. And on this journey, he decided it was time to do something about it. Dyke Bay is open to the prevailing westerly winds that blow much of the detritus of the fishing industry onto the beautiful white sand beach. It was near the end of their fantastic expedition when on November 5th Ted put out a call for volunteers to give something back to the picturesque islands that everyone grew to love during this 25-day expedition. Many generous staff and tour participants stepped forward, willing to give up a valuable afternoon of their journey to help. When they arrived at the sunny shore, they realized they had their work cut out for them - the beach was covered with blue plastic fish wrap and bands, ropes, nets, and different-sized pieces of plastics all entangled in kelp. Set about their mission, they collected over forty bags of garbage and piled ropes and fishing net onto big heaps, about 1.5 tonnes in all. After they were done, they all took a minute to proudly survey the clean white sand laid out before them. Back on board the ship, the beach-cleaners felt a magnificent sense of accomplishment, commenting how good it felt to make a difference on this handsome little island. From a Falkland Islander's point-of-view, it was brilliant to see visitors caring enough to get involved. If every tour operator took the same proactive approach as the Cheesemans' then more of these special little corners of our earth would be returned to their beautiful roots. Editor's Note: We at Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris are very proud of our travelmates who always show so much compassion for our environment and the wonderful wildlife that must live in it. We always encouage our travelers to support conservation efforts to give something back to the unique places that they visit. The majority of them have offset the carbon generated from their travel by buying carbon offsets from CarbonTree Conservation Fund. Cheesemans' supports conservation efforts at home and around the world, and we sincerely hope you will too. Return to top The Hapless PlungePosted September 30, 2009
Excerpt from the voyage log by Buff Corsi We awoke offshore Paulet Island. Paulet is a small volcanic island, roughly circular and a mile in diameter. It is home to a large colony of Adelie penguins and Antarctic shags. It was surprising to see that the recent strong winds had blown all the icebergs that are usually found floating in the bay to some other place-there were only a few left. We went ashore in snow flurries which continued on and off all morning. The Adelie population at Paulet looked different to us who had been there before: some of the slopes had new colonies, and some areas normally thick with nesting birds were empty. The chicks were very well grown and looked healthy, so perhaps there had simply been a shifting of nest locations. There was a lot to see and enjoy: chick chases, ecstatic displays, pebble stealing, birds massing at the shore preparatory to going on the hunt for krill, birds flinging themselves ashore upon return, and lots more. Leopard Seals patrol the beach near this massive colony of Adelies looking for an easy meal - a hapless penguin that is not in-tune with the dilemma at hand - jump in to eat or jump in to be eaten. We could feel the tension in the air as the Adelie parents gathered at the edge of the water, those in back pushing the group towards the water and those in the front not wanting to be the first one to plunge into the mouth of a hidden seal. The Adelie group strained to look into the water, the view obscured by the many ice bits floating at the surface. They called to each other, seemingly asking for a volunteer to go first, but there were no takers. The hesitant group grew to over thirty as more hungry Adelies joined. Soon a critical mass was reached and the penguins in front could no longer hold back the pushing and shoving. They exploded into the water with the look of terror on their faces. We could imagine they were just waiting to feel those sharp teeth of a Leopard Seal grab them - a certain doom. But our group of Adelies was lucky today; there was no concealed Leopard Seal under the icy bits. A sense of relief filled the air as they quickly scrambled out to sea where they can easily out maneuver their predator. This relief is short-lived however, because the drama will have to be replayed many times until the chicks are grown and forced to take the same hapless plunge as their parents. Note: Witness your own group of Adelie Penguins take the plunge, perhaps your outcome will be different! Join our Antarctic expedition at the end of 2009. Return to top South Georgia, Here we are!Posted September 14, 2009 Excerpt from the voyage log by Heather McFarland
Excitment was in the air as the ship pulled into Undine Harbor early allowing us a full day for our first landing. Undine is the northern-most landing site on the island. As we approached from the south, we could see the fur seals and elephant seals which dotted the gravel beach and rising behind were tussock and scree slopes, home to a variety of animals. Snowy sheathbills congregated on the beach, intrigued by the colorful bags that were brought ashore. These funny birds pecked at the plastic and pulled at the straps of the items left on the beach. Giant petrels lounged on the gravel, but many more were found on nests in the tussock-covered hills. We had to take care while walking in the tussocks not to disturb them as we could endanger the life of the chick incubating inside the shell. We had the opportunity to walk up and over the saddle to see the spledid view of Elsehul Harbour on the other side. Some passengers scrambled down to the three trypots on the beach below. Elsehul was discovered by sealers in the late 1700s and was an ideal location for sealing operations, due to its protected beach and large amount of available fresh water. Today, the remains of two huts may be seen near the trypots that sit as reminders of the time from 1790-1820 when nearly the entire population of fur seals and a large percent of the elephant seal population in South Georgia were harvested for their oil and fur. Fortunately, these practices are long past and the populations have recovered. Once on top of the saddle between the two harbors, breeding grey-headed albatross could be spotted on the tussock-covered cliff ledges. Nests are constructed of a short column of soil and grass with a central depression in which the egg sits. Adults flew in over our heads to join their mate and to take their turn incubating the single egg, performing a greeting ceremony upon arrival. Albatross are known for nesting in windy areas, providing them with an easy take-off vantage point, and these were no different. We were mesmerized with watching these handsome birds in flightas they displayed their seven-foot wingspan. Back on the ship a celebration was in order! Not only did we have an exciting first landing, but it was Hallows Eve and after "gruel was served, some heathens celebrated in the lounge (costumes optional) until the witches flew away on their broomsticks!" Note: See amazing wildlife, including nine possible species of albatross, during our expedition to South Georgia and Falkland Islands October 15 to November 8, 2009. Return to top Boldly Painted SeabirdsPosted August 4, 2009
Excerpt from the voyage log by Buff Corsi Doug awakened us a half hour early this morning because we were approaching a stunning deep blue iceberg off Coronation Island in the South Orkneys. This particular passage is known as the "iceberg graveyard" as currents tend to bunch them up in this area. The blue berg must have originated at the very bottom of a glacier since it had to have been under great pressure in order to press out all the air bubbles. Ice without bubbles reflects back only blue wavelength light, hence the deep blue color. We circled it before continuing on to our landing at Shingle Cove on Coronation Island in the South Orkneys. In addition to the Adelie colony, we enjoyed having a close-up view of nesting pintado petrels - the charming seabird splashed with bold black and white plumage and a 34-inch wingspan. This bird is also named cape petrel and cape pigeon. In Spanish pintado means spotted or painted, and we think that is the most descriptive and appealing name. The pintado is extremely common in the Southern Ocean with a population of around two million birds. Even though they are our constant companions while we are sailing, we rarely get to see them on land, so we felt especially privileged to see them nesting under the rocky overhangs. Their diet consists of crustaceans, fish and squid. Krill is their favorite crustacean, which they catch by pecking at the water surface similar to a pigeon on land, giving them the alternate name, cape pigeon. Leaving the Adelies and the pintados to their nesting duties, we headed back to the Polar Star for lunch. We soon pulled anchor and were underway toward the Antarctic Peninsula by 1:00 p.m. In the afternoon we spent about an hour following some feeding fin whales. There were four or five of them that allowed us to approach relatively closely for some good viewing. Fins are very speedy whales, and had they have chosen to leave us, they could have done so easily. The fin whale is the second largest animal on earth, second only to the blue whale. Note: See these boldy painted seabirds, plus penguins and many other captivationg birds, on one of our expeditions to the Southern Ocean at the end of 2009. Return to top Macaronis and CircumnavigationPosted July 28, 2009 By Debbie Thompson
The Ushuaia sailed to Cooper Bay, at the southern tip of South Georgia, arriving in time for a landing at 5:30 am. Steve awoke early and joined the first landing, but I was too comfortable in bed and opted for the later landing. I finally got up and headed to breakfast - pancakes! Yippee! Afterwards, I grabbed my gear and went ashore at 9 am. It was mostly sunny and a bit overcast. The zodiac-landing site consisted of a small beach covered with aggressive bull Fur Seals. They weren't shy about baring their effective weapons - those long canines! A steep snow-covered hill backed up the beach and our objective, the Macaroni Penguin colony, occupied the top. Luckily, Steve and I had our two-way radios, so I called him when I reached the beach to find out where he was. I climbed up the path the staff cut on the steep hillside and found Steve at the top videoing penguins. Macaroni Penguins, named for the long thin yellow feathers protruding from their temples (sing: "...stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni..."), like to nest in difficult-to-reach places like this - on top of cliffs or above rock strewn beaches. The Macaronis were just starting to build nests between the clumps of tussock grass using tussock blades or clumps of peaty-roots that they pulled out. We sat on tussock clump stools surrounded by penguins and snow, watching and photographing all the activities. I never tire of watching these fiesty but charming little creatures. A beautiful view of the Ushuaia anchored in scenic Cooper Bay spread below us. Now nearing noon, we reluctantly headed back down the hill and zodiaced to the ship for lunch. We were very sad to leave this beach, especially since it was our last on the island of South Georgia. During lunch Ted Cheeseman excitedly announced that our plan was to sail up the west side of South Georgia, where ships usually don't go. The weather blows in from the west battering the west coast, but the tall mountain spine creates a weather shadow on the east side of the island where we spent the last two weeks. This means it is often sunny on the east coast when it is stormy on the west coast. Luckily, the weather and seas have been abnormally calm lately, giving us a rare chance to complete a circumnavigation of South Georgia by sailing north up the west coast. The captain was very happy, since he has never sailed there before. We spent a lot of time on deck taking in the views. The west coast is more Antarctic-like - colder, more snow, many glaciers flowing out of mountains into the sea, and numerous icebergs littering the ocean. Many seabirds flew by, coming and going from nests on the cliffs. Seals and penguins porpoised past us, at home in the sea. The captain took us into Undine South Harbor for a close look at the glacier-covered mountains surrounding the bay. About midway up the west coast, we sailed close to Annenkov Island. Not allowed to land there, we could only explore this remote island in our imagination. Near the island was the treacherous Haugue reefs, some of it hidden below the water and some exposed above. After sailing the rest of the day and into the evening and taking in the scenes we reached Northern Undine Harbor, our first landing site, completing our circumnavigation. The Ushuaia turned west and we sadly bid ado to our favorite place in on earth, hoping someday that we will return. Note: Expedition leader, Ted Cheeseman, works closely with the captain and crew of the Ushuaia to squeeze every possible adventure from each Antarctic expedition. Don't miss the next exciting journey to South Georgia and Falkland Islands in October 2009. Return to top Pinch Me, Is this a Dream?Posted June 29, 2009
By Debbie Thompson The M/V Ushuaia sailed south all night to try to land at St. Andrews Bay once again. They say, "the third time's a charm" and so it was - the conditions were perfect this time! Steve and I prepared for a full day in this legendary place and took our zodiac ride ashore early. The large beach at St. Andrews Bay is backed by giant glaciers flowing out of the scenic mountains. These glaciers once covered this area but have since receded, leaving moraines that created ridges and silt that created the broad beach that the animals love so much. Several large streams flowed through the black sand draining the glaciers and dividing up the beach into sections. Numerous harems of Elephant Seals spread shoulder-to-shoulder on the beach, making it difficult for us to maneuver. However, we happily considered this one of those good problems to have! Finally past most of the harems, Steve and I started hiking toward a ridge overlooking the largest King Penguin colony on South Georgia, but the Elephant Seals soon distracted Steve and I eagarly continued on alone. I crossed several smaller snow covered ridges to the large one at the back of the wide plain. I passed many King Penguin adults molting away from the nesting colony and close to a needed fresh drinking water source - a stream or even just a patch of snow. These photogenic adults looked comical with old protruding feathers creating funny outfits. It was a sunny 40 degrees and the snow was becoming soft as I discarded some of my layers. Finally reaching the ridge, I enjoyed the improbable view of hundreds of thousands of penguins spread out below and I thought, "pinch me, is this a dream?!" There I found other shipmates with Rod Planck, one of our Professional Photography Instructors and excellent naturalist, enjoying the view also. Rod answered our questions and gave us welcomed photography hints and ecology information. We all studied the gigantic crèche of Oakum Boys, as the immature Kings are known, a product of the previous breeding season. They were mischievously killing time before their next meal arrived. These chicks were still fed by parents but will soon molt into waterproof feathers and head out to sea on their own. Luckily, Steve and I had our two-way radios so I kept in contact with him as he navigated his way to the ridge. Finally together, we enjoyed the view while we ate our bagged lunch. Ahhh, we both agreed, this has to be the best place on earth for a picnic! St. Andrews Bay is high on the list of planned landings for the next South Georgia and Falkland Islands expedition in October 2009. Return to top Air-diving RockhoppersPosted June 11, 2009
By Siegfried Matull I was photographing Black browed albatrosses, when that super-knowledgeable staff member Jim Danzenbaker fortunately asked me if I had already climbed up onto a nearby hill, where it was very easy to grab those fascinating pictures of the "air-diving" Rockhoppers. It was unbelievable, how deep those penguins had to jump to reach the ocean. We are still dreaming and talking constantly about that most wonderful trip of our lives, which we were fortunately able to experience with the Cheesemans. Return to top Zodiac Cruising is a Big Hit!Posted June 4, 2009
Excerpt from the voyage log by Buff Corsi During the night our sleep was broken by the announcement that an Emperor Penguin had finally been spotted. The ship was slowed and many of us, clad in pajamas and warm jackets, stumbled out on deck. The immature emperor was resting on a small ice floe; slowly the captain brought the ship into a position where we could all get good looks at it. Sara Doty and Tim Kuehlewind were the winners of this unofficial spotting contest. After we all had our fill, we left the penguins under the midnight sun and went back to our cabins to resume our sleep. "It was the highlight so far" was one comment made later on about the morning zodiac cruise at Devil Island. When the staff took their zodiac to shore to find a landing spot for this new-to-all-of-us landing, it became very apparent that we could not land all of us on a narrow beach that also served as a very busy Adelie highway between their colony and the sea. We knew it was best to let them have their space. Since the bay was choked with icebergs and the sun was shining over a flat sea, the decision was made to switch to zodiac cruising. This turned out to be a brilliant idea; the icebergs were often illuminated with a startling aqua color, they were eroded by the water into incredible formations, and often topped by resting Adelie penguins probably very happy to be free of chick duty. Our tireless staff navigated us around the ice from 8:00 a.m. until after noon, which might have set a record for zodiac cruising, but oh, the time seemed to disappear way too fast. Join us on one of our great expeditions to the Southern Ocean. Jill Wilk, a travelmate on our 2008-09 expedition, exclaimed, "Superlatives all the way! Great variety of activities - lectures, hikes, guided walks, movies, slide shows, and especially loved zodiac cruising". Return to top Putting in Our Time in the FieldPosted May 21, 2009
Excerpt from the voyage log by Buff Corsi By 7:30 a.m. we were ashore on West Point Island. Once near the bird colony at the rocky promontory called The Devil's Nose, we had close-up views of the black-browed albatrosses carrying out their daily lives: nesting, caring for their chicks, and courting. The rockhoppers were putting on a show of bathing in the little stream that runs through the grassy meadow below the rookery, and then hopping down their penguin highway to the sea. This was a place for us to just sit and enjoy the action. The wind was fierce, just the way albatross like it so they didn't mind being tossed about in the sky. Back on the ship, we ate lunch while under-weigh to Carcass Island for our next landing at Leopard Beach. The island was named for the HMS Carcass which visited in the late 18th century, not for some gruesome event. It is now the private property of Rob and Lorraine McGill. Since it has always been cat, rat, and mouse-free, it is the place to look for species of small ground-nesting birds. The McGills are very conservation-minded and have replanted much of the tussock grass over-grazed by sheep, an all important step to restoring the habitat many of the birds require. Our weather cleared again during the afternoon, although it remained windy. We enjoyed a bird walk, a plant and ecology walk, and a photo workshop. Our group spread out over the landing site, and onto the beach at the other side of the peninsula where people spotted nesting oystercatchers. It seemed to be a year for snipes, as we found several easily. Magellanic penguins were dispersed throughout the meadow, and a large number of gentoo penguins were on the fine white sand beach. Skuas, geese of several species, caracaras, vultures, meadowlarks and many small passerines were there for our enjoyment. Several southern sea lions were patrolling offshore, presumably looking for a penguin meal, and many of us puzzled over the herding behavior the penguins were showing with the seals - circling around them in packs. Some reported sightings of Commerson's dolphins. Action held our attention in every direction today! And as if paying homage to the Cheesemans' motto, "spending as much time in the field as possible", some folks didn't return to the ship until after 7:00 p.m. Return to top First Landing on South GeorgiaPosted April 28, 2009
Excerpt from the voyage log by Buff Corsi There was some anxiety among the staff about the landing at Right Whale Bay, near the northeast corner of South Georgia. It is wide open to the ocean, which meant the landing could be difficult with swell and surf. But we knew how badly people wanted to start their South Georgia adventure, not to mention put their feet on solid ground again, and so hoped that circumstances would permit the landing. When we got anchored at 1:30 p.m., the staff took zodiacs to shore to scout it. There were an astounding number of fur seals on the beach, as well as giant petrels and elephant seals. Many, many more fur seal pups were there than expected. It took some time to determine a landing that would not be too challenging in terms of surf and wildlife. We located one at the right end of the beach and landed. It turned out that although the beach was chock-a-block fur seals, they were in a mellower stage of the breeding season and gave us very little trouble. We visited our first king penguin colony and observed and photographed endless numbers of fur seals and elephant seals. Ted led a hike up the valley to a nameless glacier. It was a great beginning to the South Georgia Island visit. Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris carefully evaluates the current conditions at each landing site during our Antarctica expeditions to determine if it is conducive to a visit for both our participants and the wildlife. Our long experience and flexibility in these regions allows us to explore alternate ways to safely accomplish our planned landings. Return to top Striking GoldPosted March 26, 2009 By Debbie Thompson
The morning weather was warm and sunny, allowing me to strip down to my light jacket. Gold Harbor has a very large beach of black sand backed by high peaks, some topped by the large Bertrab Glacier. As usual, the beach was covered with many harems of Elephant Seals, making it hard for us to tell where one harem ended and one began. Certainly the harem master knew! We were mesmerized by all the activity. As usual, male interlopers tried to mate with females, but were usually caught and chased away. Females were also arguing with each other over something unknown to humans, probably space. Most females had a pup - some were newborn and some were older, their plumpness telling their age. Elephant Seal milk is very rich and the pups gain weight very fast. Many Skua birds kept an eye on the harem along with us. We saw them fight over and devour a placenta after a birth, a nutritious meal for them. I also saw a Skua pecking the eyes of a pup that recently died. A gruesome sight, but nothing goes to waste in this harsh environment. Besides, Skuas will soon have chicks to feed also. We also saw five Southern Giant Petrels fight over an old seal carcass, exhibiting some interesting posturing. Giant Petrels are large scavenger birds with a six-foot wingspan, reminiscent of albatross. The usual aggressive male Fur Seals were claiming their spots on this beach also, and we gave them a wide berth. To be sure, this morning we struck gold at Gold Harbor! Return to top Uncovering Artistic TalentPosted March 16, 2009
Excerpt from the voyage log by Buff Corsi What can you say about a day like today? The force was definitely with us. The backdrop of the Allardyce Mountains was revealed in splendor and there were even more King Penguins in the colony than anyone expected. Saint Andrew's is home to the largest King Penguin colony in the world, and it clearly is growing. In 1925, 1100 Kings were counted and now there may be half a million birds in the colony. Could there be a more perfect spot for those in Ed Rook's Drawing Workshop to practice their new-found talents? The young Kings, also called Okum-boys, provided engaging subjects as they performed their antics on the edge of the colony. How nice it is to sit in this one corner of paradise and record it the old-fashioned way - with pen, paper, and imagination. Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris helps you uncover your hidden artistic talent during their expedition to Antarctica. Optional drawing workshops are taught by renowned artist, Edward Rooks, during days at sea and on shore. A naturalist par excellence with an artist's eye, Edward patiently teaches drawing basics that can turn you into a proud artist. Return to top Antarctica - Second ImpressionsPosted March 4, 2009
Excerpt from a poem by Bill Page
Early in November, in 1996 Return to top
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