At Sea
M.S. Endeavour is an expedition ship. There are no dancing girls and casinos here; rather we have naturalists and wildlife galore. In the true fashion of expeditions, we try to go and do what no one has gone and done before. We explore some of the most remote natural wonderlands in the world, and love doing it. The past 11 days have been spent in the snow and ice that is Antarctica. In this virtually untouched wilderness, we have had some incredible experiences: humpback whales breeching before us, so close to the bow one could almost feel the spray from their blows; we have seen thousands and thousands of penguins, four of the 17 species that exist. Endeavour made it past the Antarctic Circle this week, pushing through the ice until we reached that magic latitude of 66 degrees south. It was here that we were able to land on Detaille Island, an island that has only been visited by 2000 people in the last decade; we are part of the lucky few.
The Endeavour not only allows those of us onboard to explore the land, but also the ocean, one of the most mysterious places on the planet. In Antarctica what lives on the sea floor is a relatively new field of study, and scientists are learning something new every day about what this part of the Southern Ocean contains. The Undersea Specialist onboard M.S. Endeavour, also contributes to this underwater investigation, by SCUBA diving, or using our remote operated vehicle (ROV) to bring undersea pictures back up the surface, not only sharing them with the guests, but also helping all of us understand what lies beneath.
Pictured here is the Antarctic knobbed octopus (Pareledone) captured on film at 400 feet below the waters surface, using the ROV. This rare find is one of the less studied creatures we have come upon, barely mentioned in natural history books. What we do know is that these octopi are important members of the Antarctic food chain, eating benthic molluscs, crustaceans, and fish. They are also a source of food for the black-browed albatross, and the Weddell seal. They move around the ocean bottom, by filling their mantle with water and then expelling it, the octopuses own form of jet propulsion.
What an incredible trip it has been: full of pleasant surprises, and lasting memories.
M.S. Endeavour is an expedition ship. There are no dancing girls and casinos here; rather we have naturalists and wildlife galore. In the true fashion of expeditions, we try to go and do what no one has gone and done before. We explore some of the most remote natural wonderlands in the world, and love doing it. The past 11 days have been spent in the snow and ice that is Antarctica. In this virtually untouched wilderness, we have had some incredible experiences: humpback whales breeching before us, so close to the bow one could almost feel the spray from their blows; we have seen thousands and thousands of penguins, four of the 17 species that exist. Endeavour made it past the Antarctic Circle this week, pushing through the ice until we reached that magic latitude of 66 degrees south. It was here that we were able to land on Detaille Island, an island that has only been visited by 2000 people in the last decade; we are part of the lucky few.
The Endeavour not only allows those of us onboard to explore the land, but also the ocean, one of the most mysterious places on the planet. In Antarctica what lives on the sea floor is a relatively new field of study, and scientists are learning something new every day about what this part of the Southern Ocean contains. The Undersea Specialist onboard M.S. Endeavour, also contributes to this underwater investigation, by SCUBA diving, or using our remote operated vehicle (ROV) to bring undersea pictures back up the surface, not only sharing them with the guests, but also helping all of us understand what lies beneath.
Pictured here is the Antarctic knobbed octopus (Pareledone) captured on film at 400 feet below the waters surface, using the ROV. This rare find is one of the less studied creatures we have come upon, barely mentioned in natural history books. What we do know is that these octopi are important members of the Antarctic food chain, eating benthic molluscs, crustaceans, and fish. They are also a source of food for the black-browed albatross, and the Weddell seal. They move around the ocean bottom, by filling their mantle with water and then expelling it, the octopuses own form of jet propulsion.
What an incredible trip it has been: full of pleasant surprises, and lasting memories.
