Chilean Fjords and the Antarctic Peninsula on the Norwegian MS Nordnorge, 15 Jan – 2 Feb 2003
Dr. Glen Liston is a scientific lecturer on the cruise. Katherine Ihli is
along for the ride.
Our cabin on the ship
Heading out to the Chilean fjords
The Chilean Fjords are lined with forested mountains and
beautiful foliage.
Small mountain glaciers line the fjords
Last glimpse of Cape Horn before crossing the Drake Passage. We encountered
8 meter (24 foot) seas during the crossing.
The lighthouse at Cape Horn
Travel within Antarctic waters and on land is governed by the Antarctic Treaty and the International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO).
The associated rules govern:1) Respect for Protected Areas2) Respect for Scientific Research3) Safety4) Protecting Antarctic Wildlife5) Keeping Antarctica Pristine
To transfer passengers to shore, a door is opened on the side of the ship and stairs are hung out the door. Next, a larger
door is opened and the Zodiac boat is lowered into the water.
Before we get board the Zodiac boats, we put on rubber booties. Then we step into disinfectant and walk through a seawater
spray. The process is repeated when we reboard the ship.
First stop on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Old whaling station at Whaler’s Bay on Deception Island
Neptune’s Window. From here you can see the Antarctic
continent.
We begin sailing through the
Lemaire Channel
… and see our first icebergs.
The icebergs are everywhere
In the heart of the Antarctic Peninsula Mountains
Fin whales follow the boat
SEA BIRDS
Kelb Gull
Wandering Albatross, 3.5 m (12’) wingspan!
Cape Petrel
The British station, Port Lockroy, is located on
this little island, Goudier Island.
Gentoo penguins at Port Lockroy
Gentoo penguins typically have two chicks
Completely devoid of muscle, these little blobs of fat actually sway in the wind!
Rare albino Gentoo
penguins
We head back through the
Lemaire Channel
Abandoned Argentenian base of Almirante Brown in Paradise Bay located on the Antarctic mainland
Glen is stationed at the top of the hill
The ship is on one side, an avalanche on
the other!
View from the hilltop
After our landing, we take a Zodiac cruise around the harbor
Heading to Culverville Island to view more …
These Gentoo chicks have been herded into what is called a Kindergarden. Just a few adults watch the babies while the
rest are out fishing.
Yankee Harbor
Arctowski Base, a Polish station
Elephant seals, like huge land-slugs
This dirty, young chick
has not learned to
swim yet. It will have to
lose it’s downy fuzz
first.
Adelie penguins They flop on their bellies and scoot
along the snow with their feet.
Rookery at Arctowski
Chinstrap penguin
These Chinstrap penguins achieving the closest thing to flight they will ever attain!
On the way to Elephant Island we begin to encounter larger icebergs from the Larsen Ice Shelf
They are all around the
ship
Getting bigger ..
Thicker ice means higher pressure which creates
beautiful blue colors
Some have veins of deeper blue
Others have passengers
Some you could drive a (small) ship through
We say goodbye to the penguins and icebergs and head back to South America
Back across the Drake Passage
Ushuaia, Argentina’s southern-most city. The end of the journey.
Photos courtesy of Katherine Ihli, Dr. Glen Liston, and Dr. Bernhard Wessling. All rights reserved.