Esperanza and Elephant Island 27-28/11/11

On our way back north we stopped at Esperanza Station in Hope Bay the permanent Argentinian Antarctic base manned all year.

 The stone structure above was home to 17 men from a wrecked ship for 7 months until there rescue.

this toilet is now disused

Part of a Gentoo colony on Esperanza

White Nellie (Southern Giant Petrel) flying round the station

 Next morning we arrived at Elephant Island where we were very lucky to be able to make a Zodiac landing. Normally it is far to rough to land on this rocky island.
Ashore we were greeted by Elephant Seals and a few Weddell seals.

 A few Chinstraps and Gentoo's were on the beach.

 On the way back to the ship the Zodiac went to a small cove where there was a small colony of Macaroni Penguins.

Dunge and Walland

 On the way to Dungeness 2 Great White Egrets  in the Royal Military Canal at Hamstreet by the Wyevale garden centre.
At The Point this morning just a few Gannets, Kittiwakes and Guillemots off shore. By the fishing boats the 2w Glaucous Gull and an adult Yellow Leged Gull.
On the ARC from Hanson 2 Great White Egrets, Bittern feeding on the edge of the reeds, Long Tailed Duck, Black necked Grebe, 3 red head Smew at the south end, 14 Goldeneye, 1 Black Tailed Godwit and the usual wild fowl. At Boulderwall Farm 12 Tree Sparrows on the feeders and 2 Marsh harriers over. Nearby 3 Bewick Swans from Cockles Bridge.
On Walland 8 ads and 2 Juv Bewick Swans near Midley Cottages and the usual Tree Sparrows on the feeders. 

Terror Gulf and Paulet Island 26/11/11

We sailed towards Devil Island to make a landing but due to the thickness of the ice we were unable to get there, so and alternative landing on Paulet Island was decided. As we sailed through Terror Gulf  some amazing ice bergs were seen. 

Among the bergs and ice flows we came across another pod of Killer Whales and then realised that there was at least 3 different pods around us.

Cow with her calf

Another cow with a much smaller calf note the notched fin on the cow

A lucky Crabeater Seal whose flesh has been torn off by a Killer Whale



A few more Snow Petrels ghosted past the ship.  I just could not resist photographing every one i saw they are so stunning.

 As we neared Paulet Island Adelie Penguins were resting on the ice bergs.

Part of the huge Antarctic Shag colony on Paulet Island

A few of the 100,000+ Adelie Penguins an Paulet Island.

Antarctic Shag

Snowy Sheathbills

Adelie Penguins coming ashore

A hopeless battle

Kelp Gull about to claim its spoils

Wilson's Storm Petrels

 I spent a lot of time trying to photograph these Wilson's Petrels over there burrows. 

Seymour Island 25/11/11

WE  were  woken at 2.30A.M. to gather on deck if we wished for the solar eclipse. I got up and went to the lounge deck taking my cardbord and plastic glasses with me to view the eclipse! ******** thick fog. Back to bed.
Back on deck at 7.0 A.M. i looked down and was amazed to see yet another Emperor Penguin swimming and diving alongside the ship which was now moored off of Seymour Island which was enveloped in fog. We should have been at Snowhill Island but the sea was still frozen solid.


Emperor Penguin alongside M/V Plancius

Seymour Island Ice Berg grave yard
Instead of our scheduled landing on Snowhill Island we went to Seymour Island which appeared to me made of mud

One of the dying bergs

 On the island Adelie and Gentoo Penguins nested, along with Kelp Gulls, Brown Skuas and Antarctic Terns.

Antarctic Tern

Adelie Penguin



?

Spider Crab sp.

 On the shore many apparently dead and dying crustaceans.

Kelp Gulls

 Antarctic Terns caught strange crustaceans and a few Snow Petrels ghosted by in the fog.

Antarctic Tern

 After lunch back on board The Plancius we were offered a trip out in the Zodiacs amongst the pack ice which most of the passengers did.

Weddell Seal

Antarctic Tern

Crabeater Seal

 Our Zodiac was the first out and were taken into the pack where we had superb views of Weddell and Crabeater Seals and Antarctic Terns. We out of view from the Plancius when our Russian driver Ilya asked us if we would like to go on to the pack ice which we jumped at. In a matter of seconds he had literally driven the Zodiac onto the ice and out we stepped for a few minutes. An amazing experience for which our driver got his wrist slapped as we were the only ones to experience this.

Mike,Gill, My self and David on an ice flow

 Back in the Zodiac holding on tightly, Ilya was doing his best to tip us out as we rounded a small berg, I heard Mike shout a ******* Emperor! Just a few yards away an stunning Emperor Penguin stood on a flow. We shouted to Ilya who slowed and took tour Zodiac slowly right up to the flow where we watched the Emperor down to a few feet. Most the time it was to close for my 400mm lense to get the whole bird in shot. After getting all our photo's and savouring the moment we radioed the other Zodiacs and shortly 9 Zodiacs converged on the Emperor. Probably the first Antarctic twitch. 


Emperor Penguin from Zodiac

Another amazing find

Star performer



As other Zodiacs arrived it lay down

Happy passengers in our Zodiac after the twitch