Day 89 Antarctica: First landing and second landing

January 19, 2000

Almirante Brown Station

As we wake up early this morning the ship is still moving forward but hardly rolling. We peek through our portholes (only rooms higher up in the accommodation structure have windows that open) and see that we are cruising through a narrow channel filled with small icebergs.

The mountains rising up from the sea are covered with snow and ice. We are in the Evera Channel. Shortly after breakfast, which is at 8 every morning, we go to the mud room where our gum boots and life jackets are stored. We are both wearing several layers of clothing under our rain pants and jackets, and over that goes the life preserver.

Yesterday we were briefed on the do's and don'ts of our landings. The motto is safety first and "leave nothing, take only photographs and memories."

The zodiacs are lowered over the stern by the ships crane, the drivers standing in them. As it touches the water the driver disconnects the shackle and starts the 40HP outboard engine. He/she then pulls up the gangway ladder where the sailor ties off the zodiac.

So, in our gum boots we one by one descend the ladder that has been lowered to the water level into the zodiac. At the top Juan signs off our names as we step down, at the bottom a sailor awaits to help us into the zodiac.

Holding on with one hand to the sailor and the other to the driver, the passengers then step on the zodiac's side tube and into the boat, quickly sits down on the side tube and slide forward.

It seems a very efficient and safe way of loading, maybe not necessary in the calm waters we have today, but as we will notice later, the only safe way in a small boat. Even older people can get aboard the zodiacs this way.

We land at Neko harbor. We step from the zodiac on the rocky beach and walk up the land a bit away from the surf.

We are walking on Antarctica!!

Shuttled from Ioffe in zodiacs to landing

There is an old, abandoned refuge hut located here equipped by the Argentinians for emergency situations. Everywhere are gentoo penguins going their own way. We are not supposed to get near them or closer than 5 meters (15ft) but when you just stand still, they will walk as close as 2 meters (6ft) before curiously eyeing the intruders and changing course to walk around us. Everyone is taking lots of pictures.

Behind the hut is a snow slope up high to a ridge. After crossing several penguins' paths, deeply worn into the ice, some so deep that only the heads of these 2 ft tall penguins are visible when they waddle by. We can walk partly up the slope to get a better view over the bay in which the Ioffe is moored. Everywhere are mountains covered with snow and ice that never goes away. This is high summer now, with a temperature barely above freezing and snowstorms possible anytime.

Ioffe moored in the bay. We are instructed to return quickly to the zodiacs if we hear the ship's horn blow.

After 2 hours we return to the ship for lunch.

After about two hours on the 7th continent, we return to the zodiacs and back to the ship. Lunch is ready and we are hungry! Patrick goes to the bow of the ship as it edges its way to the second landing spot for today. We have to pass through a narrow channel where huge icebergs block our path. At the shore is a manned Chilean base. They radio in that one of the icebergs "rolled" yesterday and caused a flood wave to leap up their doorsteps!

The Ioffe rams a huge sheet of ice. Patrick wasn't sure if this was intentional, backs up and finds a way through the channel.

We are now in Paradise Bay and land at Almirante Brown Station, a deserted Argentinian base. England, Chili and Argentina claim the Antarctic peninsula and especially Argentina tries to formalize this by planting lots of unsustainable bases on the continent. This one has quite a few buildings all boarded up and already in disrepair. Before we land though our zodiac drivers take us for an hour long cruise through the icy waters of Paradise Bay. We see a big leopard seal resting on an ice sheet. As we approach he lifts his head, and goes back to sleep.

We land at the base and observe more Gentoo's before hiking up a steep incline to look out point high above the bay. From there we have a magnificent view over the surrounding mountains and glaciers. This land would look spectacular without all the snow and ice, but with it the land looks totally wild! Nothing can live here in winter and even in summer it is hostile to all but the most adapted.

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