Geocaching in Antarctica, March 4

I had created a list of nearly 30 geocache possibilities for our Antarctica cruise. Geocaches, most of them earth caches,  specific to possible stops the cruise ship/yacht might make. I was very aware weather and the captain's discretion might affect the list, but I was certain we would make at least one geocache stop. It wasn't until the final day of Zodiac excursions, and the Captain's plan B or maybe C when the geo fates aligned and the 7:00 PM excursion was an earthcache on my list. It also turned out to be one of the best for wildlife, too.

This Weddell seal greeted us upon our Zodiac landing.

He was gone when we left Portal Point.

The three of us wearing the parkas furnished by the cruise line. Each of us brought ours home. Perfect for winters in SD & MN.

Gentoo penguins at Portal Point

and Fur Seals

there were a total of 4 Fur Seals

some folks walked to the viewing point

In the 1950s the British built a hut at this place to continue local survey work in the region. In 1996 the hut was dismantled and transported to the Falkland Islands Museum. Only the foundation remains. 

the original afternoon plan for the day

the talks that day featured seals and sea lions

it was snowing lightly that evening

the geocaching virtual souvenir

Now, the trip to Antarctica is complete!

There will be one or two more blog posts as a wrap-up and some odds and ends that didn't make the daily posts.

Afternoon Tea and the Polar Plunge

 Each afternoon, at 4 PM tea was offered in the Dome. We took advantage of it after day 2!

A staff member made brewed tea upon request. She had a special blend she made for OFD and I and after the first day, she made her special blend for us as soon as we entered the Dome. (That was the kind of service we received from every staff member!)

brewed for one minute in hot water

drinkable after several minutes

There was also a Tea menu with usually one sandwich offering and your choice of four sweets or desserts. It was a very nice dining option when dinner was at 7:30 or later.

A highlight (for some of the passengers and staff) of the afternoon was the Polar Plunge.

The yacht chose this area for the Polar Plunge. The Zodiacs pushed the ice away from the vessel, giving the divers and jumpers ice-free, open water for their plunge.

staff getting everything ready

the first polar plunger

they wore assorted apparel

75 of the 150 guests took the plunge!

and about 50 of the 130 staff participated

My hot chocolate treat after watching some of the Polar Plunge!

Day 5, Antarctica

 

5:24 AM, March 3rd

somewhere in Antarctica

The morning scenery on Day 5, March 3rd.

WHAT? a sail boat? marooned? 

OFD's photo from her morning excursion. She learned that smaller vessels carrying up to 12 people explore the bays and islands. BUT, they also must cross the Drake Passage, and their trip through those waters takes 4 days each way. Sometimes, people hire these vessels for hiking, camping or even skiing in Antarctica. It moved on from the bay and we did not see it again.

guano and lichen

Can you spot the Leopard Seal?

there were several of them resting on ice flows

seen in the afternoon, near the yacht

OFD's photos of the Leopard Seals from her afternoon Zodiac excursion. They were able to get up close and personal. 

Leopard seals live in the freezing waters and pack ice of the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions. They are solitary, pagophilic (ice-loving) creatures often found on ice floes surrounding the Antarctic continent, particularly near penguin colonies. 

It takes its name from its spotted coat of gray, white, and black fur, which resembles that of the leopard. Being a true seal, the leopard seal has no external ear, and while it has relatively long fore-flippers, they are not used for movement on ice or land.

The females are larger than the males.  Females grow 9.85-11.5 feet and males 9.18 feet.  Males weigh as much as 705 pounds and females 815-1,100 pounds. Life span is 12-26 years. Their diet consists of fish, squid, small crustaceans, penguins, small seals, and whale carcasses.

Afternoon of Day 4, Antarctica

 The ship moved to a new location on the afternoon of March 2nd. 

the green is algae or lichen

Orca

Orca, the predator whale

swimming near the yacht around our lunch time

OFD captured this Orca and her baby. Later, during the recap lecture and whale presentation we learned that Orcas keep their dead babies with them for several months. That was the case for this Orca.

I watched the staff prepare for the Zodiac landings. Staff took all sorts of equipment to the landing site to mark where visitors could walk so as not to disturb flora or fauna. Walking sticks were available to anyone who felt the need to use them. Supplies were taken to leave at the cabin. (More about that later in this post.) The guides (maybe 12 of them) and Didier, the team leader, prepared everything for the ease and safety of the passengers. All of this preparedness took place in the first 30 minutes of the afternoon stop. Anchors are no longer used when a vessel stops. GPS keeps the ship in place, adjusting to the current and wind in the area.

loading more equipment

unloading the Zodiacs, 6 or 8 of them

Hubby and OFD took advantage of the Zodiac ride to land on Wiencke Island.

their destination, Damoy Hut 

Damoy Hut is designated as Historic Site and Monument No. 84. It sits approximately 100 metres from the shoreline of Dorian Bay. The bright orange, prefabricated hut was established by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) in November 1975 and was used as a transit station for BAS staff and stores to be flown south from the skiway on the glacier above the hut to Rothera Research Station when sea ice prevented access by ship. It was last occupied by BAS in 1993.

now a museum to show what and how the scientists and researchers lived

snowshoes and whale bones on the bunks

hut could sleep 15

kitchen

Known as the "most southerly waiting room," it is managed by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT) and remains a preserved, 15-bunk, cold-war era time capsule.

The Bahía Dorian hut (building on the left) was established by the Argentine Navy on February 23rd, 1953. It sits in very close proximity to the British Hut and covers an area of c. 12 square metres. The hut has been used as an emergency refuge. 

Staff guides told OFD that supplies are left at the hut each time a cruise ship stops. I was surprised to learn the number of vessels and people who might be in this area of Antarctica and not be on a cruise ship. More on that later, also.

The afternoon landing was more than visiting the historic orange hut. The following are photos from OFD as she walked on the island.

a molting gentoo chick

gentoo egg shell, most likely broken by a skua (predator bird) to get to the yolk

or baby chick

the green is guano, penguin poop

the red is lichen or algae

red belly from sliding on the guano

a gentoo rookery on the rocks

Females lay two eggs between June and December, depending on how far south they are.

Eggs incubate for 34 to 37 days and hatchlings are born in early summer, with parents taking turns providing food, shelter, and warmth for the rapidly growing chicks. 

After four to five weeks chicks venture away from the nest, forming groups with other chicks. These groups, called creches, allow chicks to gain some independence while enjoying safety in numbers. Until the chicks develop their waterproof feathers, they would drown at this stage of life.

Chicks fledge after 62-117 days. Their downy feathers are replaced by waterproof adult plumage, and they begin to learn to swim. Parents stop feeding them around this time, returning to sea to feed up before their annual molt. They will spend 2-3 weeks on land, fasting while their old feathers are replaced with new ones.

Gentoos are 29-35 inches tall and weigh from 10-18 pounds. Their life span in the wild can be 15-20 years. They are the fastest penguin swimmers. Sea predators are orcas and leopard seals. Land predators are some of the sea birds.

Gentoo penguins don’t migrate. Many forage close to their colonies through the winter, while some forage further afield.

people walking on Wiencke Island

rocks and snow

bringing the kayaks and kayakers back after their excursion

the yellow kayak if for the guide

gentoos on the rock outcropping

One or more of the guides would give a briefing at the end of each day, sharing info in their area of expertise. They would also let us know the plan (subject to change) for the next day. I found these sessions, usually one a day while moving about, but several a day when at sea, to be very interesting and educational. The guides were also guides on each of the Zodiacs.

sunset in Antarctica