The 1998 South Georgia & Antarctica Tour

The 1998 South Georgia & Antarctica Tour:
A Whale of a Success!

by Greg Lasley
published in the Victor Emanuel Nature Tours newsletter, April/May 1998

"I think it went down right about here," Victor remarked as our driver eased the zodiac along the mirror-like water's surface near an iceberg. We had seen the spray of two Humpback Whales from several hundred yards away and had come closer to investigate. The outboard on the zodiac turned off, we sat on the still water in silence, wondering if we would get another look at these magnificent animals. Surrounded by spectacular icebergs, we were on our last zodiac ride at the completion of an incredible sixteen-day South Georgia and Antarctica trip. The scene around us was one of serene beauty and awe-inspiring stillness as each of us was lost in our own thoughts about the past weeks we had experienced together. Suddenly, the silence was broken by a sound I can best describe as a loud "whoosh", a rush of air with a throaty growl. About thirty feet from us the shiny, black back of a large Humpback Whale surfaced, and from the breathing hole a towering white spray cascaded skyward as the animal exhaled. The spray drifted over us, and we all felt the cool, wet, and slightly pungent mist against our faces. "I'll never wash my glasses again," I heard one of our participants exclaim. Looking at Susan Jones, I saw a big grin on her face and water spray on her glasses as she put into words what we all were feeling at being this close to one of nature's supreme creatures. Talk about an "in your face" wildlife experience...Wow! A few moments later, an other-worldly black monolith came slowly out of the water within five feet of us! It was like a barnacle-covered car hood emerging from the sea as the whale's entire head came about six feet above the surface, remained in that position for several seconds, then slowly slipped back beneath the water with barely a ripple. The whale had come up to look at us! All of us were left deeply moved by what we had seen. We sensed that the whale knew we intended no harm, and this creature had responded in kind. The whale was obviously capable of turning our zodiac over, but this gentle giant, totally aware of where every part of its huge body was, simply returned to the deep to continue its activities and never even bumped our small craft. None who were on that zodiac will ever forget the experience. It was a fitting end to our Antarctica journey.

Back in July, 1996, Victor had the idea of trying to reserve an entire ship for a VENT Antarctica trip for January, 1998. Typically, in past years, we had simply taken a group of 18 participants and joined other groups on an Antarctica-bound ship. While these trips are always great experiences, Victor had something better in mind. If VENT could get enough interested people to participate, we would have the entire ship to ourselves with like-minded people and friends. It was a big gamble, but within 60 days the trip was sold out and had a large waiting list! Along with Victor, the leaders scheduled were Kenn Kaufman, Peter Matthiessen, Robert Bateman, and me. We were looking forward to a great adventure. Near our departure date, Kenn had the misfortune to break some of his ribs and had to stay home. Brad Schram was able to step in and complete our cast.

Our trip began January 18 as we arrived in Santiago, Chile, after all-night flights from the U.S. We had an afternoon to bird in the mountains near Santiago, where we had outstanding views of Andean Condors as well as other birds of that region such as Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Mountain Caracara, and the endemic Crag Chilia The next day we flew to Ushuaia, Argentina, the southern-most city in the world. We spent a short time birding in the Tierra del Fuego National Park, the harbor, and other nearby areas. The next afternoon we boarded the Akademik Ioffe, a Russian-built research ship that has been converted to passenger expeditions. As we sailed east from Ushuaia, we were treated to hundreds of birds flying around our ship in the Beagle Channel. Black-browed Albatrosses, White-chinned Petrels, Kelp Gulls, South American Terns and Sooty Shearwaters were among the most frequently seen. During the next three days Wandering, Gray-headed, and Black-browed Albatrosses, prions and giant-petrels were commonly seen around the ship while Royal Albatrosses and Soft-plumaged Petrels and a few other pelagic species were less frequent. We enjoyed fairly calm seas and mostly clear weather as we sailed to the island of South Georgia. Our first stop here was the old whaling station of Grytviken, where we examined the abandoned factory works, whaling ships, and the town. A visit to the Whaling Museum and gift shop was a lot of fun as well. We gathered at the grave of Sir Ernest Shackleton, whose journey to this island in 1915 is the stuff of which legends are made. (For more information on Shackleton and his journey I highly recommend that you read Endurance: The incredible Voyage of Ernest Shackleton by Alfred Lansing). As we explored the area around Grytviken, we saw several Light-mantled Albatrosses, Antarctic Terns, South Georgia Shags, and King Penguins as well as hundreds of Fur Seals and Southern Elephant Seals.

Our next three days were spent exploring several locations on South Georgia. We visited a colony of 50,000 King Penguins and stood among nesting Wandering Albatrosses and Brown Skuas. The endemic South Georgia Pipit was virtually at our feet on Prion Island! Some of us studied several nesting pairs of Light-mantled Albatrosses at Gold Harbor, certainly one of the most beautiful spots on the island. The haunting calls of these graceful albatrosses as they soared along the cliff edges will forever be remembered. I regard the Light-mantled Albatross as one of the most exquisite birds in the world; it is certainly my favorite albatross. We experienced all sorts of weather on South Georgia during this austral summer season, from clear, sunny days to a squall line of sleet and snow reminding us that we were in a remote, far southern location. These extremes gave us just a little appreciation for what explorers went through only a few decades before. We had a warm, cozy ship to return to while the explorers earlier this century had no such luxury. Huddling in our zodiacs for a wild, cold ride back to the ship during this sleet storm was one of the highlights of the trip even though it sounds strange to say that now as I sit in a comfortable room typing these words about six weeks after the experience. As Brad later said "the group held hands crossing the small river, bent into the gale and sleet, then worked its way through tussock grass filled with aggressive fur seals back to the beach for a roaring, wet, bouncy zodiac ride back to the ship. All-in-all, just a rollicking good time!"

Leaving South Georgia we sailed two days to the Antarctic Peninsula, again with mild weather and seas. During this passage the sea birding was great, with numerous sightings of Antarctic Prions, Southern Fulmars, Cape Petrels, Wilson's and Black-bellied Storm-Petrels and many other pelagic birds. Arriving in the Antarctic we were all struck by the lack of vegetation. South Georgia seemed very green with its abundant stands of tussock grass, but here in Antarctica we experienced ice, snow, and rock with very little green except for some lichen and tiny grass patches on a few sunny slopes. Still, the stark beauty of Antarctica was breathtaking! Snow-capped peaks towered above us while white, blue and even green icebergs of every possible shape and size were on all sides. The water was often alive with Adelie Penguins as they flashed through the sea around us. We took zodiac cruises among the icebergs and the Adelies around Paulet Island, then made a landing at Brown's Bluff, the location of one of the largest colonies of Adelie Penguins in the world. These "ice birds" of the Antarctic streamed past us in all directions as they went to and from the sea to feed and take food to their chicks. The black lava sand of the beaches with the black and white Adelies marching along created a visual experience not unlike a crowded city street; one group of penguins would stop as if at a traffic light to allow another group to proceed in an opposite direction.

Over the next few days we visited colonies of Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguins and became familiar with other nesting birds such as the Southern Giant-Petrel, Cape Petrel, Snowy Sheathbill (a curious scavenger), Antarctic Shag, and the sleek and beautiful Snow Petrel. We found several Macaroni Penguins among the Gentoos of Hannah Point and watched several young bull Southern Elephant Seals engage in "mock" battles with each other. We left with the opinion that we did not want to be around for the real thing!

One of the most spectacular spots we visited was Neko Harbor. A huge glacier forms one side of the harbor, several hundred meters from where we landed. We watched in amazement as this glacier "calved" several times, sending five or six foot waves across the water. It gave one the feeling that the glacier was truly alive as it groaned, cracked and popped quite audibly. We studied Gentoo Penguins, South Polar Skuas, and sheathbills, but looked up at the glacier and the majestic scenery often. Our visit to Neko Harbor was on a glorious, sunny day with very mild temperatures into the upper 40's or even low 50's! We enjoyed a barbecue on the back deck of the ship as we departed this scenic location. I heard several people comment that they felt as if we "were sailing through a postcard." The sight of Minke and Humpback Whales cruising through the calm waters of the harbor added to the visual splendor.

Our last day in Antarctica was spent cruising the Lemaire Channel. As we reached the southern-most point of our voyage at 65 degrees, 16 minutes south latitude, the Humpback Whales gave us their farewell send off that I related earlier. Two days later we sailed past Cape Horn, then returned into the Beagle Channel, the end to an absolutely incredible voyage and wildlife experience. It was the best trip any of the leaders had ever made to Antarctica, and we eagerly are looking forward to our next experience there!

In January, 1999, VENT has once again reserved an entire ship for our Antarctica trip. This tour will also include a visit to South Georgia as well as a stop in the Falklands! Our dates are January 15-February 2, 1999 and the ship is already more than half sold out. Leaders will include Pete Dunne, Michel Sallaberry and me. In January, 2000 we will again visit this magical part of the world! We are looking forward to sharing Antarctica with you, and while we cannot promise you will get whale spray in your face, we can promise a wildlife adventure you will never forget. Please call VENT to reserve your place on this trip, and I will see you there!