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Antarctic

Boarding the Corinthian, a 90 passenger ship, in Ushuaia, Argentina. Looking out from the stateroom, at the forward part of the ship, is the town of Ushuaia in the distance with its snow capped mountains. The population of Ushuaia is 57,000, We are departing in January, Summer in Argentina, yet the temperature is in the cool 50's F. .

Ushuaia is a resort town in Argentina located on the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, the southernmost tip of South America, nicknamed the “End of the World.” The windswept town, perched on a steep hill, is surrounded by the Martial Mountains and the Beagle Channel. It's the gateway to Antarctica cruises and tours to nearby Isla Yécapasela, known as “Penguin Island” for its penguin colonies.

In addition to being a vacation destination for local and international tourists, Ushuaia is also the key access point to the Southern Ocean, including subantarctic islands such as South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and Antarctic islands such as the South Orkney Islands and the South Shetland Islands. Its commercial pier is the major port of departure in the world for tourist and scientific expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Tierra del Fuego National Park, located close by, is a national park on the Argentine part of the island of Tierra del Fuego,The park has dramatic scenery, with waterfalls, forests, mountains and glaciers.

Tierra del Fuego is the southernmost national park in Argentina connecting Ensenada Bay to Lapataia Bay on Lago Roca. It is a popular hiking trail within the park.

The Ushuaia Airport in the foreground with the snow capped mountains in the background known for its skiing in the winter months.

Getting ready to board a Zodiac for a first time onto ice and the Antarctic. I am wearing long johns, several layers of clothing, water proof coat and pants, with gloves and a knit hat.. All this for a California guy who does not know the meaning of the words "Below Zero".

After leaving Ushuaia our Antarctic cruise began with a passage through the scenic Beagle Channel into the rough Drake Passage overnight and into the next afternoon. The Drake Passage was named after Sir Frances Drake. The point where the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans meet is well known for having some of the most turbulent waters on the planet. Sailors call it "Drake Lake or Drake Shake" depending on the servereity of the conditions.

This first landing is in the South Shetland Islands. The penguins you will see in the photos are Gentoo Penguins.

This mother and two young chicks are Gentoo Penguins. They have the widest range of distribution of any penguin. They are distinguished by their bright red-orange bills and conspicuous white patches behind their eyes.

A Gentoo Penguin is feeding its chick by having the chick puts its mouth and beak into the back of the mothers mouth.

Here you can see the colors plainly of the Gentoo Penguin.

This is a Chinstrap Penguin. It is the second most abundant Antarctic/subarctic penguin. They are concentrated in vast colonies along the coast of the South Shetlands, South Sandwich, and South Orkneys Islands They are recognized by the narrow band of black feathers which extends from ear to ear, just below the chin and the cheeks.

Cruising by these magestic snow capped land masses it is hard to believe they are thousands of feet high in ice and snow.

Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent. It contains the geographic South Pole and is situated in the Antarctic region of the Southern Hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. At 5,400,000 square miles, it is the fifth-largest continent. For comparison, Antarctica is nearly twice the size of Australia. About 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice that averages 6,200 feet in thickness, which extends to all but the northernmost reaches of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Antarctica, on average, is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent, and has the highest average elevation of all the continents. Antarctica is a desert, with annual precipitation of only 200 mm (8 in) along the coast and far less inland. The temperature in Antarctica has reached −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F) (or even −94.7 as measured from space, though the average for the third quarter (the coldest part of the year) is −63 °C (−81 °F).

Antarctica is governed by parties to the Antarctic Treaty System that have consulting status. Twelve countries signed the Antarctic Treaty in 1959, and thirty-eight have signed it since then. The treaty prohibits military activities and mineral mining, prohibits nuclear explosions and nuclear waste disposal, supports scientific research, and protects the continent's eco zone. Ongoing experiments are conducted by more than 4,000 scientists from many nations.

The Antarctic Peninsula is currently dotted with numerous research stations and nations have made multiple claims of sovereignty. The peninsula is part of disputed and overlapping claims by Argentina, Chile and the United Kingdom. None of these claims have international recognition and, under the Antarctic Treaty System, the respective countries do not attempt to enforce their claims. The British claim is recognised though by Australia, France, New Zealand and Norway. Argentina has the most bases and personnel stationed on the peninsula

We will make a landing by rubber zodiacs on this peninsula.

First sign of icebergs on the trip. First of many to come throughout the trip.

The thickness of the massive ice and blue in colors in the ice are so beautiful.

As the winds blow and the temperatures fluctuate the landscape is constantly changing.

The abandoned building is like an ant in retrospect to the landscape and massive ice formations. The hill in the foreground next to the shack is filled with penguin colonies that we will soon visit.

I am in awe of the colors of the sky, water and ice.

Our ship is the Corinthian. We are seeing it for the first time, away from the ship, flying across the water in zodiacs each with 8 persons and a crew member maneuvering it. We walked down a flight of stairs after changing into special boots assigned to each passenger, we climb into the zodiac from the rear of the ship and depart. We have 90 passengers aboard the ship plus crew.

We land and begin today's adventure.

The Antarctic region is only possible to travel and work in the months of December, January and February. These are the summer months in the southern hemisphere. The winter months are unforgiving with minus double degree temperatures, howling winds and no daylight months on end.

Arctic fur seals have made a remarkable comeback. Killed through the 1800 for their dense short fiber fur. Fur Seals have a visible ear flap. In facial appearance and manner they resemble large dogs.

The males can reach 450 pounds and can be up to four times bigger than the females.

They feed mainly on fish, some squid and in some areas of the Antarctic krill. Krill are small crustaceans and are found in all the world's oceans. It can consist of shrimp, lobster, crab and plankton.

Fur seals usually dive to around 100 feet but can exceed 300 feet and remain submerged for up to five minutes.

On land they are able to bring their rear flippers under their body taking the bulk of their weight on their fore flippers. This allows them much more agility and speed on land.

Fur seals breed in male dominated groups or harems. The males can be fiercely aggressive toward rivals and human intruders alike.

When threatened they let you know it.

Close up of a group arriving by zodiac from the ship.

Check out the size of some of the whale vertebrae.

Remnants of whale bones in the foreground.

The bay we were anchored in.

In this photo you can see where zodiacs load and unload passengers at the aft, rear, part of the ship.

Gentoos feed on Rock Cod, Lanteren fish, krill and squid. They typically forage at sea close to the colonies.

Notice the small rocks in front of the nest placed by the male penguin.

Females tend to eat more krill than the males, while makes tend to eat more fish.

When penguins feel a little warm one of the methods they used to cool themselves is to extend their wings out at their sides allowing cool air to pass under the wings and cool their blood.

The chicks are fed frequently.

In September or October Gentoos generally lay two eggs three days apart from each other. The second egg is often smaller than the first. Both eggs are then guarded zealously by the parents until they hatch about 5 weeks later.

They are gregarious at sea, meaning they will form rafts of hundreds of individuals to aid in catcthing prey.

Here we have a father about to gather up a rock and take back to his nest.

Most prey is caught on shallow pursuit dives lasting only half a minute, although they can dive to a least 330 feet.

The contrast of the faded red shack and the black and white penguins makes for an interesting photo.

Circular roughly in shape, Gentoo nests are found on rocky, uninhabited shores. They are built out of whatever supplies are at hand. They seem to prefer grass and vegetation.

Competition for nesting materials can be fierce as they will aggressively fight over stones.

They take stones and other material away from other birds' nests.

Carrying a rock in his beak from another nest back to the nest he is building for his chicks..

The next few photos show a male penguin picking up a rock and moving it. What you don't see is another male penguin right after the male put it in his nest came over and took the same rock for his nest . It is a constant moving of rocks all the time.

This mother is sitting on eggs that were laid late in the season.

More moving rocks. It never stops

Chick survival is often dependent on the availability of food and the lack of predators.

Amazing how each Gentoo penguin is exactly alike in coloration and markings.

If food is in short supply, the parents will preferentially feed the stronger of the two chicks, sacrificing the weaker one.

The chicks stay in the nest for about a month at which time they form nursery groups or creches, while their parents hunt for food.

After about 3 months, usually in January, the chicks grow their adult feathers and are able to head out on their own.

Here you see a mother feeding her young chick by opening her beak the young chick is able to reach back into mouth of the mother for food she has brought back up.

Feeding time.. with the whole head into the mothers mouth.

Often a parade of adults can regularly be seem moving between colony and the sea on feeding trips.

The distinct orange beak.

The penguins cooling themselves off. The air that day was at zero when were visiting.

Headed into the ocean for food.

The ever changing scenery of Antarctica.

Predator birds after the young chicks and eggs

Penguin trying to scare the predator bird away from his youngsters

The predator bird not too good looking

Protecting the young

Returning from the sea with a full stomach.

Zodiac returning to the ship

Massive amounts of ice and snow built up over the centuries.

One is sleeping and the other on guard

If you look closely at the aft back of the ship you will see a zodiac returning from this very location in the foreground of this photo.

Zodiacs passing.. one returning for a load and the returning to the ship

A zodiac returning to the ship

The intrepid explorer in Antarctica

My grumpy buddy Fur seal is much calmer as I am leaving.

Approaching the aft of the ship. The temperature has dropped below zero again. When you leave the zodiac you walk up a few steps to a lower deck area and wait to have your boots and water proof pants hosed down with clean pressurized hot water. You then walk up a flight of stairs to an area where there are foot lockers where you place your clean boots exchanging them for your regular walking shoes. You are ready for the next adventure in a few hours. This procedure prohibits any cross contamination between areas in the Antarctic..

Argentine Base Camp used for research 3 months a year.

$Blue icebergs develop from older, deep glaciers which have undergone tremendous pressure experienced for hundreds of years. The process releases and eliminates air that was originally caught in the ice by falling snow. Therefore, icebergs that have been formed from older glaciers have little internal air or reflective surfaces. When long wavelength light from the sun hits the iceberg, it is absorbed, rather than reflected. The light transmitted or refracted through the ice returns as blue or blue-green. Older glaciers also reflect incident light preferentially at the short wavelength end of the spectrum due to Rayleigh scattering, much in the same way that makes the sky blue.$

Penguins jumping out of the water as we go off exploring in another area of Antarctica.

Penguins frolicking in the water jumping out of the water.

Notice the orange color in the rock in the photo. This is Iron ore.

Penguins walk in lines up the hill with full stomachs returning to their nests.

$A blue iceberg is visible after the ice from above the water melts, causing the smooth portion of ice from below the water to overturn. The rare blue ice is formed from the compression of pure snow, which then develops into glacial ice. Icebergs may also appear blue due to light refraction and age.$

The air today is sub zero and going down in temperature..

Line of penguins headed for the water.

Oh this water looks cold!!!

Closer look at the Argentine base camp.

The Weddell seals are among the most common of seals in Antarctica. They are usually found in larger groups on fast pack ice, attached to the continent. They feed mainly at night.

They dive to impressive depths in pursuit of fish, squid and krill.

Pups at birth can weigh up to 60. By the end of teh nursing period, usually 6 to 8 weeks, they have gained as much as 200 pounds. Once weaned the pups have learned to swim, hunt, and haul themselves out of the water and are ready to head out on their own.

Humpback Fluked Tail

Humpbacks rather than having teeth, they have 270 to 400 fringed overlapping plates hanging down from each side of the upper jaw. These plaets are made of Keratin, the same thing human hair and nails are made of.

Humpback whale adults range in length from 12–16 m, 39–52 ft, and weigh about 36,000 kg, 79,000 lb. The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with long pectoral fins and a knobbly head.

Humpbacks are known for breaching and other distinctive surface behaviors. Humpback whales typically migrate up to 25,000 km ,16,000 miles, each year. As you can see in the photo the Humpback feed in a variety of different ways, depending on the prey. You can see the whales trap shoals of fish against the water surface where they can be easily consumed. Their foods include fish and squid, as well as Krill and other small crustaceans.

Newborn calves are roughly the length of their mother's head. At birth, calves measure 6 m, 20 ft, and weigh two tons. They nurse for about six months, then mix nursing and independent feeding for possibly six months more. They mate during winter migration to warmer waters and 11 to 12 months later the mother gives birth to a single calf.

Humpbacks are social whales often traveling or hunting in pods of 200 or more.

Humpback whales are know for their haunting songs. It is a complex sequence of moans, howl, and cries that often continue for hours and heard for 20 miles under water. Only male whales sing. It is thought they are trying to attract females during mating season.

To eat prey, they take large gulps of water. Below the mouth are 12 to 36 throat grooves that expand to hold water. The baleen, 270 to 400 fringed overlapping plates in the mouth rather than teeth, filter the water and the 2 blowholes on the whales back expel the water. The fish and other goodies remain in the whale for digestion

Where ever we sail the views are majestic and magnificent. Enjoy the following photos.

View out the stateroom windows early in the morning.

Reflections in the water

When the sun comes out under the clouds the blues are so strong in colors.

It does not look it but the ice fields in the photo at water level are thousands of feet high.

Making water landings on shore in a new location in Antarctica.

Tour of the bay area with the Corinthian in the background.

Finally after all the years of traveling the world I have officially stepped on the land mass of Antarctica officially visiting all 7 continents in the world. Woo hoo!!!

We are literally buried in an around icebergs, snow covered mountains and incredible scenery.

Gentoo's going up hill from the water.

Gentoo's coming down hill two by two. They stopped starred at me for a few minutes and then continued their down hill trip to the ocean.

What a view

Emperor pereguins , a larger penguin,can hold their breath longer than the smaller penguins such as Gentoo's. Emperors have been recorded at a depth of over 1700 feet for 18 minutes. Gentoo's can dive to over 200 feet for about a minute.

Penguins sleep on land and while floating at sea. On land they can sleep lying down or standing up sometimes with their head tucked below one wing.

Zodiacs shuttling passengers back and forth to the ship. The ship appears is so small in this large bay.

Fellow Trekkers coming up the hill with our guide Marta.

Looking out across Paradise Harbor, also known as Paradise Bay, is a wide embayment behind Lemaire and Bryde Islands in Antarctica, indenting the west coast of Graham Land between Duthiers and Leniz Points. The name was first applied by whalers operating in the vicinity and was in use by 1920. It is one of only two harbors used for cruise ships to stop on the continent; the other is Neko Harbour

Thanks to its location on the Antarctica continent along the beautiful Paradise Harbor and to its relatively mild weather, Brown Station is a popular excursion destination for tourist expedition ships visiting Antarctica. In addition to visiting Gentoo penguins, tourists may climb to a viewpoint 276 ft above the station. I am surrounded by friends.. Gentoo penguins.

Beautiful iceberg formations floating on the water.

Prey flying low over the Gentoo babies looking for a meal.

Gentoo parents keeping a sharp eye out for any fast movements from the prey flying close over them.

A female and Male with two small chicks in their nest. Note all the rocks that the male has been busy building for his family.

The day had actually warmed above zero for a little while. The female is enjoying the brief sun on her body after the harsh winter.

Two pooped out chicks with a parent watching over them.

Zodiacs returning to ship and another returning to shore to pick up returning passengers.

Early morning I had to have a shot of "The Californian" in shorts, flip flops and tee shirt for the friends back home. It was below zero. I had run out in bare feet. That lasted all of about 10 seconds on the cold deck.

Proceeding slowly through the icebergs.

This was a rare sunny morning before clouds moved in quickly. Absolutely georgeous reflections on the water.

The water was like glass early this morning.

Seals taking advantage of the sun on the water and iceberg

The green on the hillside at the lower part of the photo is Antarctic Moss.

Male and female penguins look identical to the untrained eye. Males tend to be heavier than females.

The males beak tends to be thicker and longer than the females.

Penguins looking up at a predator making loud noises to scare the predator to leave them alone.

Penguins usually greet each other in several ways such as the ecstatic display, bowing and quivering. The mutual ecstatic display involves the pair facing each other and bowing and pointing their bills to the sky and braying or trumpeting together.

Penguins do not have teeth. A Penguins beak has sharp edges and is hooked to trap wriggling fish. the tongue and roof of the beak is lines with flexible, downward pointing spines which hold on to their slippery food.

Penguins are long lived. Emperor penguins have been recorded living up to 50 years but most species generally can live 10 to 20 years.

Sun suddenly hiding behind clouds as we depart from a bay..

When you are lucky to have sun for a few minutes a sunset can bring spectacular colors and reflections.

A ghost floating iceberg. It appears to be a building floating endlessly on the water.

Early morning the next day with no clouds in sight.

A zodiac and driver forcefully pushing an iceberg away from the aft part of the ship.

Base Brown

Brown Station or more often Base Brown or Estación Brown is an Argentine Antarctic base and scientific research station named after Admiral William Brown, the father of the Argentine Navy. It is located on Sanavirón Peninsula along Paradise Harbor, Danco Coast, in Graham Land, Antarctic Peninsula.

Talk about living in a cold cold location for 3 months each year for research.

The Argentine Antarctic Institute took over the station in 1964–65, creating one of the most complete biology laboratories on the Antarctic Peninsula. It included a main house of 3,140 sq ft two folding 30,000 l (6,600 imp gal; 7,900 US gal) fuel tanks; and an additional building exclusive for scientific research, equipped with three labs, photography workshop, emergency radio station, office and library. It was called Almirante Brown Research Station and inaugurated on 17 February 1965.

This photo was taken in January, the middle of the Antarctic summer. Look at all the snow and ice surround Base Camp Brown.

That is what I call a hillside behind the buildings.

Research programs were developed for biology (zoology and botany), bacteriology, limnology, biochemistry, animal and human physiology, pathology, ecology, oceanography, meteorology, cosmic rays and ionospheric observations, environmental nuclear radiation, continental and sea ice glaciology, satellite geodesy, geology, geophysics, seismology, ozone monitoring and tide measurement.

A few of the local neighbors taking in some rare sun at the moment.

A memorial

Zodiacs touring the huge harbor and ice formations.

Iron ore deposits in the rock wall sides.

Local birds

Bird in a nest in the side of the cliff.

Massive ice caves have formed over the centuries within the ice

A private sailing vessel tucked in the harbor and walls of ice surrounding it .

These ice walls are thousand of feet high.

A group from our ship looking at an over turned iceberg.

You can see visible the dirt trapped inside the glacier hundreds of thousands of years ago as it is melting into the ocean.

One in 10,000 billion chance to actually see "Ice Calving", also known as glacier calving or iceberg calving. It is the breaking of ice chunks from the edge of a glacier. I was lucky to capture the following sequence of photos as it is breaking off and falling into the water. You see it first and then seconds later you will hear the rumble of the ice crashing into the water. By then it is too late to capture it. I had a feeling this ice was about to fall and kept my camera ready to start shooting photos. I was right and captured the following sequence of photos.

The top of the cave is beginning to collapse

Breaking loose and falling

Crashing into the water

All happening in milliseconds of time

I was so excited to be able to capture this sequence of photos. No one else captured it.

Up close an overturned iceberg

Incredible photography. Icebergs in the foreground in twisted shapes with mountains of ice in the background.

A Holland America Ship sneaking into the Paradise Harbor for a "pass through". We saw from the water level. They saw from the upper decks of the ship.

Our ship to the left and the Holland America ship to the right in the photo.

Zodiac in foreground. Our ship to the left. Holland America to the right. A really unique photo.

Great shot of the aft of the ship. The zodiac unloading passengers to the bottom deck. This is the area where we had our boots and water repellent pants pressured washed. The next deck up the stairs is where we stored our boots and pick up our walking shoes into the ship.

Port Lockroy is a natural harbor on the north-western shore of Wiencke Island in the Palmer Archipelago in front of the Antarctic Peninsula. Our next stop to visit a working Base.

Everyone had a chance to do a little shopping for souvenirs.

The base was manned by all ladies. Four young ladies I believe from England and Scotland.

During 1996, the Port Lockroy base was renovated and is now a museum and post office operated by the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust

It is one of the most popular tourist destinations for cruise-ship passengers in Antarctica. Proceeds from the small souvenir shop fund the maintenance of the site and other historic sites and monuments in Antarctica. The Trust collects data for the British Antarctic Survey to observe the effect of tourism on penguins. Half the island is open to tourists, while the other half is reserved for penguins. A staff of four typically process 70,000 pieces of mail sent by 18,000 visitors that arrive during the four month Antarctic cruise season. A souvenir passport stamp is also offered to visitors.

The original base and how it was at that time.

Obviously there were no women at the base early on so paintings of young ladies were painted on the walls where men slept.

The bay was discovered during 1904 and named after Edward Lockroy, a French politician and Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies, who assisted Jean-Baptiste Charcot in obtaining government funding for his French Antarctic Expedition. The harbor was used for whaling between 1911 and 1931. During World War II, the British military Operation Tabarin established the Port Lockroy base (Station A) on tiny Goudier Island in the bay, which continued to operate as a British research station until 1962.

The building over my shoulder is where the 4 young laides live while here for the 4 to 5 month period depending on weather.

Cooling oneself off.

A penguin lovers discussion.

When your father gets back he is going to talk to you about this problem.

If I have to tell you one more time.

Beautiful scenery but too much solitude.

Research building.

That father really went to town with rocks for his family. Wow... never seen so many.

Third deck upper above the bridge to the left was the cabin that I had with 3 windows. It was super. You always knew which direction you were going.

The night before leaving Buenos Aires I was given a bottle of fine Argentine wine to celebrate in Antarctica by good friends Maxi and Patricia Gomez. I opened it this evening and shared with several friends. It was an awesome red wine.

Fur Seals playing on the beach as we come ashore this morning.

It is cold and desolate here.

We are anchored today at the northern foothills of La Morenita Hill, at Menguante Cove in Half Moon Island off the east coast of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica.

Today we encountered a large colony of Chinstrap Penguins.

The chinstrap is recognized by the narrow band of black feathers which extends from ear to ear, just below the chin and the cheeks, hence the name.

They have a similar diet to the Gentoo consisting of krill, small fish and other roaming crustaceans. They are considered near shore feeders foraging among the pack ice. .

Dives typically last less than a minute and are seldom more than 200 feet deep. Using their flippers to fly at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour.

On land they often toboggan on their stomachs propelling themselves by their feet and flippers.

They climb out of the water and up steep slopes using all four limbs and they are able to jump large distances to reach footholds.

They do leave their colonies and move north of the pack ice in March for the winter.

The principal predator of adult chinstraps is the leopard seal, while the main predators of eggs and chicks are sheatbill and brown skua birds.

Who said there is a shortage of penguins?

3 Fur seals playing king of the rock.

Can you imagine winter here with no sun for months and minus double digit freezing winds blowing endlessly?

See the penguins on the ridge with beautiful mountains in the rear of the photo.

Looking across the bay

Base Camp Camara of Argentina.

Lots of Fur seals

He is not happy we are too close to him and he is letting us know..

An Emperor Penguin and an Elephant Seal

Emperor Penguin. A rare find on a beach. We were lucky.

Emperor Penguin and an Elephant Seal. Wow amazing.

Desolate part of the world. Cold too. No sun today.

Elephant seal, Emperor Penguinm and a Gentoo seal. Wow.. what luck.

And it gets better. Elephant seal is swimming with flapper in the air, Emperor Penguin and Gentoo Penguin on the beach. Great day in the Antarctic.

Looks like a stand off.

Cámara Base is an Argentine Antarctic base and scientific research station named after Frigate Lieutenant Naval Aviator Juan Ramón Cámara. It is located in the northern foothills of La Morenita Hill, at Menguante Cove in Half Moon Island off the east coast of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica.

Directions in Kilometers to the world from Base Camp Camara.

Just a few tourists, about 90 from the ship, dropping in to say hello.

I introduced my self to the in Charge Officer to the left and his submarin navy person in the middle. I was the only Spanish speaking person in our group of visitors. I had a great time translating for the military personnel and our group.

They are on board the base for 2 months soley for maintenance of the facilty for a scientific team next summer. They arrived after Christmas and will depart the end of February. There were lots of questions from both our Military friends and the group from our ship. The entire crew is from Argentina. Ironically the middle man was from a town that I was going to visit after returning to Argentina in Gualeguaychu, Argentina. What a small world. They also shared a cup of Mate, the local Argentine drink of hot water and Mate tea.

Antartida is the Argentine spelling of Antarctic.

Base Camara is named in memory of the naval aviator Juan Ramón Cámara, who on 16 January 1955 perished in an on-duty accident on Potter Cove, King George Island.

The view from the Base Camp

We told Argentinean Navy personnel of the Emperor Seal on the beach and they are going down to check it out. Very rare to see one on these islands.

Main path from the beach and ocean area to the Base Camp. This visit was in the month of February which would be August for us in the Northern hemisphere. Notice the snow still. Can you imagine winter there?

Returning from viewing the Emperor Seal. Notice almost all are wearing sun glasses. The glare on the ice is almost unbearable to see anything without the sun glasses outside even on cloudy days.

Entering a narrow passage into the caldera of Deception Island in the South Shetlands.

A Russian ship is also seen in the area.

Entering the narrow passageway.

This is the view looking out the cabin windows I had on this trip at the front of the ship over the Bridge. What a thrill it was seeing Antarctic from this view site. You can see how everyone is dressed outside on the deck in front of the cabin I had. The fun part of the trip is I could see out and they could not see in.

One of the crew with an emoji smiling having some fun on our last trip ashore.. As you can see it was very cold this day.

This was our final chance to go ashore and our 9th landing. We were told originally they were hoping to make 8 landings. Usually the number is closer to 6. We were so lucky. Every landing was an adventure and memories for a life time.

This is steam rising from the water. It was close to 29 degrees the water. The air at this time close to 8 above.

Deception Island is the caldera of an active volcano, which seriously damaged local scientific stations in 1967 and 1969. The island previously held a whaling station; it is now a tourist destination and scientific outpost, with Argentine and Spanish research bases. While various countries have asserted sovereignty, it is still administered under the Antarctic Treaty System.

Over the next few years, Deception became a focal point of the short-lived fur sealing industry in the South Shetlands; the industry had begun with a handful of ships in the 1819–20 summer season, rising to nearly a hundred in 1821–22. While the island did not have a large seal population, it was a perfect natural harbor, mostly free from ice and winds, and a convenient rendezvous point. It is likely that some men lived ashore in tents or shacks for short periods during the summer, though no archaeological or documentary evidence survives to confirm this. Massive over hunting meant that the fur seals became almost extinct in the South Shetlands within a few years, and the sealing industry collapsed as quickly as it had begun; by around 1825 Deception was again abandoned

Today was the chance to participate in a Polar Plunge. The water was 29 degrees and the air had warmed up to a high of 19F.. woo hoo. The next series of photos documents that I Jim Schroder along with about 18 others particiated in a polar plunge in just a bathing suit.

Second from left I am walking into the frigid water

I walked into the frigid water up to my waist..

At the water level of my waist I dove under and swam 4 strokes. The cold was so severe I could not swim another stroke, stood up and walked back out.

Carefully walking back out stepping on sharp volcanic rock bottom.

Trying to get the blood moving again.

I DID IT!!!!! We changed on the beach from our warm clothes into bathing suits and again back into our warm clothes on the beach.

Getting a congratulations from one of the crew members.

And talking and talking.. what else is new???

Just happened to shoot this photo of the on board Expedition and Education crew that made our trip so interesting and factual as we traveled the Antarctic region. They were all experts in their fields and shared the information during our cruise to Antarctic.

Departing Deception Island. A photo of some of the strata of the earth in the volcanic caldera.

First light of morning on the last day at sea viewing the bottom of the world as we know it, Tierra del Fuego, and the tip of South America. Having survived the rough seas of the Drake Passage now entering the Beagle Channel.

Arriving South America. The Andes to the left and Patagonia ahead and to the right.

The outside entrance back into Ushuaia and Argentina. What an incredible experience this has been. To set foot on the Antarctic Continent. The 7th of all Continents in the world and the 7th for me. To visit, see, walk and climb up on, to smell, swim in the Antarctic Ocean in a bay in freezing waters. To see up close different types of penguins, seals, birds; to cruise around in a zodiac around gigantic icebergs, view the beauty of Antarctic in cold dreary days and the beautiful sunlit hours. To meet with the people that make their life studying Antarctic and work during the short season in Antarctic. It was a magical trip I will never forget.

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© 2025 Jim Schroder