Antarctica

Wandering Albatrosses (race exulans, 'Snowy Albatross')

Continued from Page 3

Monday 5 February

…Unexpectedly, for the passengers at least, the weather actually got worse during the night. Waves were now over 10 metres in height. There was severe pitching and rolling throughout the night. Items were moving about the cabins, books flying off shelves in the library and crockery breaking. I noticed one of my shirts on a wall hook was moving like a slow pendulum, 35° one way and then to the other.

…For safety reasons, only two areas of the decks remained open - part of the stern and the bridge wings. The birds were the same as yesterday but the numbers of diving-petrels had increased. At times five or six were seen flying together - all were unidentifiable as they flew off at speed with wings whirring.

…We arrived off South Georgia late afternoon and zodiac landings were arranged as most wanted to get onto terra firma! The beach was called Cooper Bay. On landing our first King Penguins could be seen but this site is better known for its Macaroni Penguin rookery. Many Fur Seals were in the tussock grass, and inquisitive pups would suddenly appear and look large-eyed at us.

….we hiked to one side of a hill, which gave us excellent views of Light-mantled Albatrosses. Probably ten were flying in this area but a very obliging bird was at a nest site and called constantly. A really beautiful bird!

Tuesday 6 February

….This colony consists of some 15000 pairs of King Penguins. These birds were in such numbers along the beach that the 15ft rule was simply useless as so many would come to look at us and be walking from the sea to within the colony. There was a permanent procession of Kings - a veritable penguin metropolis.

….walk was to the Light-mantled Albatrosses that breed on cliff edges here. This necessitated walking close to a large number of Fur Seals along the beach and in the tussock grass of the slopes. Many curious pups kept approaching us, to only be sent packing by our trick of hitting two pebbles together.

….From the ship Grytviken looked a ‘ghost town’. The zodiacs took us ashore. We visited Shackleton's grave in the small cemetery where we toasted 'the boss' with a nice glass of brandy and orange, served by the Maitre'd of the Explorer.

….The whaling station was an emotional place. These were the killing fields for thousands of whales. Incredibly the log at Grytviken records that 175,250 whales were taken and butchered at South Georgia over its history of some sixty years. This was at a time when whaling was a most respectable industry but we have since learnt the error of our ways. The biggest catch were of course the Great Whales, the largest and those containing the most oil and meat. Fin Whales made up 87000 and Blue, the largest of all whales, 41000. This depletion of stock has not recovered and may take centuries to do so, if at all.

….Jason Harbour. Here a small beach held a few hundred King Penguins, and the pond behind the shore a few South Georgia Pintails (this duck, recently split from the Yellow-billed Pintail of South America, has been recorded eating meat - seal skin, afterbirth etc - a meat-eating duck!!)

Wednesday 7 February

….The morning call was given at 0530 with the zodiacs taking us ashore to Albatross Island in the Bay of Isles. The walk to the upper grass plateau was uphill and followed a stream. Fur Seals were again in the tussock grass all the way up to the top. It was very slippery underfoot and required some careful positioning of wellies so as not to sink up to the calves in mud.

….suddenly at the ridge we could see Wandering Albatrosses, on nests scattered over the grassland. Individual birds were sitting on nests, and one pair were displaying and pair-bonding by allopreening, bill clattering and displaying. Seeing these huge birds at their nest sites would be one of the lasting memories of this trip. Also in the area were a number of Southern Giant Petrels; some nests had chicks of varying ages.

….The endemic South Georgia Pipit was common on this island with some individuals being extremely tame, even walking around our feet at the beach.

….to the far westernmost point of South Georgia. Here was Elsehul, a small bay with a huge Fur Seal colony. This meant that the slopes were very muddy. A hike through the Fur Seals, passing King and Gentoo Penguins, led us to a group of Grey-headed Albatrosses at their nests.

….leaving the magnificent island of South Georgia for the long journey to the Falkland Islands, nearly 800 miles away. The sea was calm and from the decks many seabirds were visible - four species of albatrosses, White-chinned Petrels and thousands of prions.

Wandering Albatross (race exulans) on nest - South Georgia

Thursday 8 February

….Today was spent cruising on our way to the Falklands.

….For those coming onto the decks: our first highlight was finding a feeding group of Fin Whales. The ship changed course so that we could approach a herd of eight whales. This species is not usually 'interested' in boats, and normally swims rapidly away when approached. They are fast whales and can travel at speed, easily outpacing the ship if they wanted. We spent a while trailing this group and did get some good views of the unique asymmetrical pigmentation of the lower jaw, and their distinctive dorsal fin and chevron.

….Birds today included a noticeable increase in the Soft-plumaged Petrel sightings (some 25+ during the day) and there were still numbers of the albatross species.

….Cetacean sightings continued - three different schools of Hourglass Dolphins and the best sighting of the day, three maybe four Arnoux's Beaked Whales.

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