cruise – Temple & Iceberg Trails: A Journey Through Asperger's

Stanley – The Amazing Race

18 November 2022 – Late afternoon

I had a few things I wanted to see/buy/do in town and precious little time to do it.

Priority #1 – Postcards and Fridge Magnets

I went up the road past the red public phone box and the Globe Tavern. Honestly, I literally went into the first shop I encountered that sold gifts and souvenirs. There I purchased and mailed some postcards, fridge magnets and a brightly coloured Falklands Beanie with a little penguin mascot – the red matches the jacket – it was meant to be, ok?

Somewhere between the Gift Shop and the Visitor’s centre I bought a book about Falklands and South Georgia wildlife – the long term plan being to at some time visit South Georgia.

Priority #2 – Church

Then I set off to the Church and the whalebone structure. A quick walkthrough – admiring the stained glass windows.

Anglican Parish of Falkland Islands – Christ Church Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral and the church yard.

Priority #3 – The West Store

On recommendation from the expedition team I had a look around the department store and ran into a South African expat in the “Mrs Balls” isle. We had quite a giggle. There were countless familiar items in the store – #ProudlySouthAfrican seem to be well represented – in bottled form at least.

Life’s good with Mrs Balls, Nandos and a bottle of “Tall Horse”.

During dinner that evening I jokingly showed the pictures to one of the Future Cruise Consutants – who happens to be an South African expat – she burst into tears when she saw the Mrs Balls (South African condiment). Apparently she’s been craving it for months and her mother has been unable to ship some to Europe – her new home. Had she known it was on offer, she would have stocked up – but she walked by the shop – opportunity missed. She vowed to patronise the shop during the next Stanley stop on this assignment.

Priority #4 – Visitors Centre

Luckily the Visitors Centre is right next to the dock, so I could have a quick look around without having to factor in too much travel time to catch the tender. I had a quick look around at the handicrafts, books and souvenirs.

Some random Stanley photographs:

Then it was off to patiently wait in line to board the tender back to our floating home.

The only time we used the tender boats during our cruise…

The evening following our “Next Day Briefing – West Point Island” Luis gave us a quick photography refresher to enable us the make the most of the opportunity to photograph the Black Browed Albatros fest tomorrow – shutter speed settings are key to get that “frozen in mid air” shot… not like this one with Luis all blurry, but at least I got the ‘cheat sheet’ on the screen.

Photographer in motion…. Luis (or how NOT to take an action picture!)

Weddell Sea Ice landing

15 November 2022 – Afternoon.

During Lunch the Captain annouced that they are looking for a spot to “dock” the ship next to the sea ice and each boat group can have their “15 minutes of glory” walking on Shakleton’s Sea Ice in the Weddell sea.

Not accounting for global warming – it was always said that Antarctica doubles in surface during the winter months as sea ice forms as extensions to ice covering the continent.

Seasonal Sea Ice coverage 2021 – Source www.epa.gov/

Although we were surrounded by loose ice floes this was our (seriously once in a lifetime) opportunity to set foot on that mass of sea ice connected to the continent – the very edge of Antarctica.

Everyone stood by the railing and watched the captain “parallel park”/dock this huge vessel next to a relatively straight edged part of the ice. No words!

Then the gangplank went down and the Expedition team checked the surface and thickness of the ice… you could hear a pin drop on that deck… bated breath…

Thumbs up – it’s a go! Cheers and awe! Everyone checked the Hurtigruten App for the timings…

While waiting for our chance to go I walked around the ship taking pictures of the other groups landings…

Watching the other groups and Expedition team on the sea ice.

And a little surpise came into view…

Then it came our turn to go… it was over so quickly…

Weddell Seals (some of us anyways) and Expedition teammembers Dom and Joaquin in yellow.

Face blindness strikes again…

This photo of Luciano during the Sea Ice landing just reminded me again – we had a long conversation there by the gangplank that day. I cannot remember if it was that evening or the next day in the science centre we talked about the landing again and I said to him “Somebody told me that in all their time with Hurtigruten this is the second time they have done such a landing where he was part of the expedition team”… and he looks at me baffled (and I think a little offended)…

“Linda, that was me – I told you that.”

Oops, awkward! At least I remembered the conversation – that counts for something, right?

Sea ice – Weddell Sea close to Snow Hill Island

And then it was time to gather the flags and cones, get everyone aboard and gracefully the captain pushed away from our impromtu dock and we were off to the Falklands.

Antarctic Sound – Tabular icebergs, Sea ice and Emperor Penguin(s)

15 November 2022 – Morning.

Game of the Day – Riddles

Woke up to a beautiful view of Brown Bluff , but it was too windy and the swells too high to safely use the Zodiacs – so no Continental Landing #3 for us.

Disappointed, at 7:25 we waved byes byes to Brown Bluff and headed to the other side of the Peninsula, into the Weddell Sea, to see what we could see – (sorry.. I had to!)

Turns out some beautiful icebergs – and then at 7:45 our first Tabular iceberg, which this area is so famous for.

I was mesmerised as we sailed round James Ross Island in the direction of Snow Hill Island.

You are here – approximately, kinda – The Red Arrow

We sailed on and the sea ice became more prominent.

And then around 11:20 the annoucement came – and EVERYONE migrated en-masse to the bow viewpoint on Deck 7.. someone has spotted an Emperor Penguin!

Just the previous day someone had asked Lancy about seeing Emperors and he stated that it was highly unlikely as they do not usually venture this far north. In fact, this was Lancy’s first Emperor penguin sighting.

[Subsequently I have learned that there is a small colony of Emperors on Snow Hill Island and what we thought were roque travellers could quite possibly belong to that colony. We were practically ‘in their backyard’. This colony has become the focus of some Weddell Sea themed expeditions – the highlight of that itinary.]

This penguin was not extremely co-operative as far was photograph opportunities go.

This day just kept on giving – 11:58 – another ice flow played host to a more lively Emperor!

Everyone was ecstatic and the restaurant at lunch time was a buzz…

Then, during lunch, the captain came on the PA with another annoucement…

Brown Station and Paradise Bay

14 November 2022

I used to collect my paper copy of the “current” next day’s schedule from Reception on my way to the 18:30 “Information for Tomorrow” briefing. It’s usually available around 18:00. Even though the issue with the app has been resolved, I preferred to have a hardcopy to make notes on during the briefing and personal notes on the day.

These “retroactive” blog posts are a combination of info from these printouts, photographs taken with my camera and iphone and facebook posts during the voyage. Sometimes Luis’ video.

My notes on the planned activities:
Brown Station – Continental Landing (#2).
Argentine station not currently manned [Later I would learn that when there are scientists at the station guest landings are not allowed – Manu was there during my February 2023 trip – Hi Manu!]
Expect Gentoos, Blue Eyed Shags/Imperial Shags/Antarctic Cormorants, Snow Petrel and Skua. [They forgot the ever present Snowy Sheathbills, or maybe they’re a given?]

Woke up this morning to this stunning view.

Game of the day: Crossword.

Brown station landing schedule – Weddell Seals from 10am. So spent the morning after breakfast looking out over Paradise Bay from the bow of the ship – Deck 7. But…

Then “Zoom envy” stepped in… it’s a thing and for the first time in this journey I was frustrated with my little Sony’s 30x Zoom.There is a colony of Blue Eyed Shags that nest next on the cliffs just left of Brown Station. They fly to and through ferrying nesting material the entire duration of our stay. I just cannot get a decent picture of nests or flying birds.

Getting a picture of that blue ring around the eye becomes an obsession and will stay with me long after my flight has touched down in Cape Town.

Blue Eyed Shag nesting site – the snow free cliff to the right of the zodiac.

Stages of zoom.. and yeah.. not happening

Confession – prior to this trip my knowlegde of birds can pretty much be summed up as follows:

Then Antarctica and Lancy (and in a way Fritz too) happened and now I notice birds. Not so that I would describe myself as a birder, but I notice them and even start to recognise some. Later in the trip I would even try to photograph some on the Drake Passage.

The actual landing process take longer than anticipated. The expedition team had to excavate an steep impromtu staircase from the docking area up to the base and support ropes have been set up to assist acending the stairs – together with team members stationed along the stairs as additional support.

This also means that going up/down the stairs is pretty much a ‘single file/one way’ affair. Severe bottle neck restricting movement between the landing site and the ship. Much circling of zodiacs.

Various options regarding pathways and viewpoints. I take the easy way out – pretty much straight to the Gentoos.

From there joining the queue waiting to return to the ship. Trying in vain to photograph the parade of Blue Eyed Shags ferrying nesting material to the cliff.

I do get some pictures of a Brown Skua and a pair of Snowy Sheathbills. No Snow Petrals tough.

Thank heaven for heated bathroom floors…

I cannot remember how it came that virtually every piece of kit needed drying, maybe all that standing in the snow waiting.

And the “Information for Tomorrow” lecture held even more surprises - after Brown Station we were scheduled to visit another Brown.. Brown Bluff – Continental landing #3 and extra special for me, as it is a site with incredible geology created by subglacial vulcano eruptions.

Another opportunity to see Adelie (!) and more Gentoo penguins… and if you look up – there’s a possiblity of sighting the nesting Snow Petrels… WOW!