Tag: Gentoo penguins

The Best of Brown Bluff

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After a week of island-hopping along the Antarctic Peninsula, Leah and I finally set foot on the continent of Antarctica.

And because this was Viking’s sole continental visit, the expedition team was particularly busy transporting the remaining 352 passengers to Brown Bluff while overseeing a range of other outdoor activities throughout the day.

Our group was instructed to report to Deck 2 during a celebratory luncheon on Deck 10 that was briefly interrupted by a cloudburst of sleet and snow. Leah managed to cross the slippery deck with aplomb while balancing her surf and turf, but we had other fish to fry.

Once we were appropriately outfitted, our Zodiac pilot whisked us from our Trepassey Bay anchorage…

avoiding packs of drifting ice while also keeping an eye on an evolving sky,

which transformed a distant glacier into an enchanted wonderland of swirling smoke and mirrors.

And then, as if on cue, the veil magically lifted as we approached the coast, revealing its rich, red brown, tuya characteristics.

We ambled onto shore, across the moraine…

where three impressive, moss-covered boulders at the western edge of the snow slope…

reminded us of Brown Bluff’s subglacial eruption one million years ago.

A majority of the landing groups headed east towards the rookery.

However, it proved quite difficult to maintain a 5-meter distance from the gentoo penguins–perpetually parading along the beach.

So, I ventured westward, over an icy reef, beyond nesting kelp gulls…

where I spotted an opportunistic leopard seal lying in wait…

for unsuspecting dinner guests,

yet every penguin on Brown Bluff had reservations elsewhere.

Had our continental landing marked the end of our dramatic voyage, I would have been wholly satisfied with our Antarctic experience. However, following the decontamination of our outerwear aboard Octantis, Leah and I learned that we would be among the final twelve returning to Brown Bluff via Special Operations Boat.

And what a finale it would be!

Penguins Aplenty

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Leah and I bid adieu to Admiralty Bay, with “John and George” (our yellow submarines) safely stowed in the ship’s hangar. We also wished a speedy recovery to our medevacked shipmate.

Our journey continued past a leopard seal lounging on an ice floe designed for one, but our heading was uncertain.

Viking Octantis was now operating in uncharted, metaphorical waters. With our predetermined itinerary cast into the Bay of Serendipity, we now had a rare opportunity to explore the tip of Antarctica’s peninsula!

The wheelhouse brass decided that Octantis would complete its Antarctic voyage with a continental landing at Brown Bluff.

Additionally, resident scientists–supported by Viking’s mission to collaborate with global research networks–lobbied for an interim landing on Astrolabe Island, where penguin monitors from Oceanites were enthusiastic about counting a colony of chinstrap nests that hadn’t been surveyed since 1987.

Science certainly set the tone for our Antarctic expedition. Passengers were enlightened and enriched with daily lectures and participation opportunities to complement Viking’s pursuit of marine science.

In the name of “Citizen Science,” Leah and I facilitated in collecting phytoplankton, and sampling the water for microplastics,

which was later analyzed in a fully equipped science lab.

Better yet, the entire ship was invited to celebrate the release of a weather balloon…

and monitor the data stream from its high-altitude instruments.

On January 16, we awoke to calm seas and blue skies over Bransfield Strait, with Trinity Peninsula dominating our horizon. The panorama gave the illusion of an expansive sculpture park installation.

Leah and I were scheduled to board a Special Ops Boat (S.O.B.) for a closer look–

that had us oohing and aahing as we darted through one-of-a-kind carvings.

“That one resembles the Statue of Liberty… and there’s an ice cream cone… and that one could be a mushroom…” were common overheard comparisons.

I marveled at the colossal size of these formations shaped by wind and sun and imagined the volume of ice beneath the surface!

Later that day, we swapped our high-speed vessel for an assigned Zodiac…

to ferry us to Astrolabe Island.

Our pilot cruised past Dragons Teeth–a collection of 100m peaks cutting through the gumline of frigid waters.

We zigzagged through towers of blue ice,

until we beached at a guano-stained snowfield ruled by Antarctic fur seals–

inherently cute but unpredictable predators–

while a rookery of chinstrap penguins preferred the protection of High Ground,

where eggs…

and hatchlings were well-protected.

Nevertheless, their paths inevitably intersected en route to the sea.

We closed our day with one last excursion along Hut Cove,

where a thriving colony of gentoo penguins were filling their bellies with krill.

After returning to Octantis, it was announced that the Oceanites team identified an unknown colony of chinstrap penguins on Diaz Rock, using drones equipped with thermal imaging to detect distant splashes of pink poop.

Overall, it was a good day for science, but it was a great day for scenery and seabirds.

Up next: a Brown Bluff bonanza…

Cuverville Island, Antarctica

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The journey continued beyond our early morning detour through Lemaire Channel. Viking Octantis set a course for nearby Cuverville Island, a protected rock lying between Arctowski Peninsula,

and the northern tip of Rongé Island, west of Graham Land.

Leah and I were keen to arrive at our first landing zone–originally scheduled days earlier by Pamela, Viking’s program director, who coordinated the excursions and edutainment events throughout our time at sea.

In accordance with Antarctic Treaty visitor site guidelines, Pam’s team launched a staggered fleet of Zodiacs to Cuverville Island capped at 100 visitors (excluding  guides and scientists) for a closer look at the estimated 6,500–7,000 breeding pairs of Gentoo penguins–making this the largest colony of this species on the Antarctic Peninsula.

Despite the pristine vista, we were forewarned by our Zodiac pilot/naturalist to expect an unpleasant smell on our approach to the island.

No joke. As if on cue, the stench of penguin poo was so sudden and overwhelming that  a couple of old-timers dared to let go of the  gunwale lifeline to hold their noses.

In a matter of minutes, we reached the landing beach, distancing ourselves from the eastern edge of the cobble, where the colony accessed the sea. It was no surprise that the guano-stained beach proved to be ground zero for foul fowl.

Eventually, we landed on the northern edge of the island. Before disembarking the Zodiac–a drill we perfected within the ship’s hangar–we were instructed to stay a minimum of 5m from wildlife whenever possible and avoid the penguins’ highway lanes.

Strolling the penguin highway

Easier said than done. These critters seemed especially curious of us when they weren’t preoccupied with preening,

impressing their future mates with the perfect selection of nesting stones,

or incubating on nests of captured stones.

Occasionally, an adult would sound the alarm for an invading skua,

whose interest in Gentoo eggs and chicks is always a threat to the rookery.

Leah and I hiked to the top of the promontory,

for an overview of Cuverville and the channel.

Sadly, we worked our way back to catch the next available Zodiac bound for Octantis, but the stories and adrenalin from the day carried us to sunset (11:25 PM) and into tomorrow.

Next stop: our kayaking adventure in Chiriguano Bay.