Antarctic Peninsula – Day 4: Whale Soup
ANTARCTIC PENINSULA
Day 4: Whale Soup
March 10, 2023
PART I
As per the previous day’s briefing, we kinda had no idea what the plan would be. With the storm still raging, everything was up in the air. It was a day dictated by wind, as it so often is on an Antarctic expedition.
The captain and expedition leader searched high and low for calmer pockets of weather while large parts of the peninsula were being lashed by strengthening winds. Initially, the crew thought Orne Harbour would work, but thick rafts of brash ice clogged the landing area and we had to relocate. With the huge anchor chain being hauled up and then dropped back down multiple times during the night, we knew it wasn’t gonna be plain sailing. I had no expectations, save for not missing a landing.
Overnight, we had managed to get to the Errera Channel – a narrow strait on the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, running between the mainland and the steep, glacier-draped Arctowski Peninsula, with the Palmer Archipelago to the west. Roughly 15 kilometres long, it funnels icebergs calved from surrounding tidewater glaciers into a constantly shifting maze, its waters shaped by strong katabatic winds, local currents, and the slow grind of ice flowing down from the peninsula’s interior.
As the ship repositioned to a more sheltered corner of the channel, the crew eventually found a workable spot and we could finally hear Jonathan’s sweet, angelic voice announcing the next landing on the PA.
Danco Island
With the groups constantly rotating, I found myself being the last one called yet again. This time round, I didn’t mind it one bit. A scout Zodiac went out, the all-clear came back, and the first two groups were called down to the mudroom.
Then came the announcement that the landing would be postponed due to fast-moving ice. I didn’t lose faith, though, because they reassured us they’d do everything within their power to get us ashore. And they did – hats off to the captain and crew. After two more failed attempts, we were finally good to go.
Our sixth landing took us to Danco Island, a small island in the southern part of the Errera Channel charted by the Belgian Antarctic Expedition under Gerlache. With the storm threatening to wreak havoc on both the continent and our plans, this might have been our last landing, meaning I wanted to savour every second – much like I did on every expedition to be fair. Following the same routine, we found ourselves on yet another Zodiac ride – uneventful except for a couple of ice-cold saltwater blasts to the face.
Ashore, we climbed a hill where you can admire pristine snowfields punctuated by bare rock colonised by gentoos, their highways forming a web leading straight to the sea. With nothing much to do except stare at them in adoration, we got to watch more penguin antics and stayed charmed the whole time.
But the showpiece of the landing was actually a few metres offshore. In the water around the island, it was a full-on whale party – humpbacks in every direction. Every couple of minutes we’d spot their backs as they surfaced for a few seconds, followed by those massive flukes. Then came the best bit – a calf launching into full breaches. Mesmerised, we couldn’t tear our eyes away, trying to make sense of what we’d just seen. It felt like something our brains had made up, nothing more than a vivid hallucination.
Just as it was time to head back, Neptune bared his fangs again and started whipping up the sea and our Zodiacs. Experienced with wind, waves, and spray by now, we raised our hoods, zipped up tighter, and sloshed our way back to the G-Expedition, accompanied by a couple of humpbacks swimming close by.
It's a Friggin' Whale Soup Out There!
Finally back on track without the weather hindering us, we spent the afternoon ship-cruising around Wilhelmina Bay. The bay was discovered by the Belgian Antarctic Expedition (1897-99) and named for Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands – in recognition to the financial aid given to the expedition by her government.
The bay is renowned for the multitude of whales feeding in the area – with some operators even nicknaming it things like “Whale-Mania Bay”. And lemme just say, it truly did live up to that name. For us, it was an absolute whale soup out there! Tucked into a sheltered section of the bay, we watched a friendly group of humpbacks right off the bow. Lots of fluking and feeding, and just an unreal amount of whale presence. We also got to see the bubble-netting John had talked about during his lecture!
PART II
The Polar Plunge
Next up was something many of us had been waiting for since day one. Despite getting absolutely drenched on some operations, a bunch of us still wanted to leave the ship’s warmth and plunge into the frigid Southern Ocean for the Polar Plunge.
I, for one, wanted it for a single petty reason. Back home, a friend brags about swimming in the freezing Atlantic in Portugal. With one dip, I could wipe out her bragging rights in a single glorious swoop. And so, donning our finest swimwear, we lined up in the mudroom to find out what it must feel like to be a penguin. As we approached the gangway, each of us got clipped into a harness and, with a grim little march through driving snow, we took turns stepping down and jumping in.
I can’t say I was particularly nervous – mostly because they do this routinely. I was, however, freezing my ass off while half-naked standing in the queue. When it was my turn, I went down the steps stoically and, on command, took the leap.
I don’t remember much after that. The seawater sits below zero because salt lowers its freezing point, and it was mind-numbingly cold. Also, the second you’re in, the crew starts hauling you back up by the harness. They’ve had jumpers faint in the past, so, as always, safety first. Whilst I’m no stereotypical Russian, I reckon I could’ve stayed in for a minute or two. To me, the real heroes were the staff, who stood out there in the elements while about fifty of us lined up to do the plunge.
Coming up, I felt like I’d lost all sensation in my entire body, with pins and needles shooting up to my knees. It was such a shock to our system that somehow, we all agreed on one thing – we felt warm on the inside afterwards. They handed us the fluffiest towel – pre-warmed like some five-star miracle – and after a shot of whisky we made our way to the sauna. I hadn’t felt that relaxed in months!
Party on the Little Red Ship
And what better way to undo that relaxation? We were meant to unwind to the rocking sounds of the crew band The Monkey Eating Eagles at the Polar Bar, but given that two of them got sick, our plans changed.
Instead, we had to provide the entertainment. Yes, that’s right – karaoke. And as reliably as the sun rising, I took to the stage, along with Steph, for my usual rendition of Hot N Cold by Katy Perry. The crowd roared every time I pointed at Steph on “hot” and then pointed out the window on “cold”. Though I’m known for theatrics, Steph’s genuinely one hell of a singer, which basically made us the best duo on the ship.
The same can’t be said for George. With his rough, gravelly voice and harsh German accent, his rendition of U2’s With Or Without You, which he dedicated to his dead father, gave us all a tremendous headache for the longest five minutes of our lives. His father must have been rolling in his grave, poor guy. I took it as my cue to retire to my chambers. In hindsight, it was one of the greatest decisions of my life – he performed three more songs.
Day six:
- Morning:
- Weather:
- Sunny and cloudy
- Wind: NE 22-27kts
- Wave: NE 0.4m
- Temperature: 6°C
- Weather:
- Position: 64°44’S 62°37’W
- Afternoon:
- Weather:
- Overcast and snowing
- Wind: Variable
- Wave: E 0.1m
- Temperature: 4°C
- Weather:
- Position: 64°38’S 62°10’W
- Position: 64°38’S 62°10’W
- Animals seen:
- Gentoo penguins
- Adélie penguins*
- Chinstrap penguins*
- Southern fulmar
- Southern giant petrel
- Wilson’s storm petrel
- Brown skua
- Antarctic blue-eyed shag
- Kelp gull
- Pale-faced sheathbill
- Antarctic fur seal
- Humpback whale
* Ones I didn’t get to see myself.