Detaille Island, below the Antarctic Circle
The original purpose of my expedition to Antarctica was to visit my seventh continent but that accomplishment has not been the highlight of my trip. I have had too many great experiences so I will recap some of my best. I have seen many species of seals, penguins, whales and birds. These animals are not afraid of humans, so I have really had some fantastic animal encounters. I visited numerous penguin-breeding colonies and I loved the way they worked like miniature cities.
Every penguin seemed to have a job to do. Whether it was feeding the chicks, catching krill, or stealing a rock from a neighboring penguin’s nest each penguin always seemed to get it done. I laughed while watching a penguin steal a stone from another’s nest. It is always comical. The thief waddled right up and snatched the rock while all the other penguins squawked and pecked at it. When the bandit finally reached his own nest he seemed almost proud as he dropped it on his rock nest. Penguins know that they have jobs to do and they perform them in a most humorous way.
My favorite seal experience was when I stood a few feet away from a sleeping Weddell seal. It seemed unaffected by my presence. It rolled over and woke up every once in awhile and somehow it made the rocks look perfectly comfortable. I almost felt like lying right down there with it.
The most fun I had on this trip was definitely tobogganing without toboggans. Our tobogganing was very similar to the penguins but then we did not always slide down head first, but then, we are people not penguins. We made three different sliding tracks, and just flew down them. It is amazing how fast people can slide in just their parkas and water pants. The trails were like water slides. We were all soaked by the finish! Tobogganing was a fun and fast experience.
I went to many historic sites on this voyage, yet the one that stands most clearly in my mind is on Detaille Island. It was an abandoned British base that was active until 1959. The researchers had to leave the hut quickly and it had never been refinished, so everything was just as it was fifty years ago. It was like going back in time. I saw all the old skis, coats, books, games, even a homemade scrabble board and lots of canned food. In the dark room there were still pictures posted up, the attic was still full of canned food, and in the lounge there was even a 1950’s Readers Digest magazine. I could really get an idea of how they lived. I saw where they slept, ate, relaxed, developed pictures, and did research. The guest book really surprised me because it was started in 1965 and it was not full yet. It made me feel lucky to have visited there.
When I came here to reach continent number seven, I never dreamed that I would have this much fun or see such amazing things. Antarctica is a fantastic place. I have had so many wonderful times here; these are just a few of them.
Addendum:
One of the great pleasures in traveling is the joy of shared experiences. The presence of young people heightens that joy and our journey in Antarctica has underscored that truth. Today’s web page contains the impressions of an eighth grader who is traveling with her family. Heidi is one of six young people on this trip who have brightened our day with their enthusiasm, their energy and their politeness. We all have had a richer trip because we have seen Antarctica through their eyes as well as our own.
Today was a special day for another reason; we have traveled south of the Antarctic Circle and visited for the first time, Detaille Island, the site of a British Antarctic Survey hut that was abandoned on short notice in 1959. The island also is home to an Adelie Penguin colony. An Oceanites representative, Steve Forrest, who is traveling with us, counted the members of the colony for the first time ever. More than 1,000 chicks were recorded. We have explored new territory and documented a new nesting colony. All in all a grand day.
The original purpose of my expedition to Antarctica was to visit my seventh continent but that accomplishment has not been the highlight of my trip. I have had too many great experiences so I will recap some of my best. I have seen many species of seals, penguins, whales and birds. These animals are not afraid of humans, so I have really had some fantastic animal encounters. I visited numerous penguin-breeding colonies and I loved the way they worked like miniature cities.
Every penguin seemed to have a job to do. Whether it was feeding the chicks, catching krill, or stealing a rock from a neighboring penguin’s nest each penguin always seemed to get it done. I laughed while watching a penguin steal a stone from another’s nest. It is always comical. The thief waddled right up and snatched the rock while all the other penguins squawked and pecked at it. When the bandit finally reached his own nest he seemed almost proud as he dropped it on his rock nest. Penguins know that they have jobs to do and they perform them in a most humorous way.
My favorite seal experience was when I stood a few feet away from a sleeping Weddell seal. It seemed unaffected by my presence. It rolled over and woke up every once in awhile and somehow it made the rocks look perfectly comfortable. I almost felt like lying right down there with it.
The most fun I had on this trip was definitely tobogganing without toboggans. Our tobogganing was very similar to the penguins but then we did not always slide down head first, but then, we are people not penguins. We made three different sliding tracks, and just flew down them. It is amazing how fast people can slide in just their parkas and water pants. The trails were like water slides. We were all soaked by the finish! Tobogganing was a fun and fast experience.
I went to many historic sites on this voyage, yet the one that stands most clearly in my mind is on Detaille Island. It was an abandoned British base that was active until 1959. The researchers had to leave the hut quickly and it had never been refinished, so everything was just as it was fifty years ago. It was like going back in time. I saw all the old skis, coats, books, games, even a homemade scrabble board and lots of canned food. In the dark room there were still pictures posted up, the attic was still full of canned food, and in the lounge there was even a 1950’s Readers Digest magazine. I could really get an idea of how they lived. I saw where they slept, ate, relaxed, developed pictures, and did research. The guest book really surprised me because it was started in 1965 and it was not full yet. It made me feel lucky to have visited there.
When I came here to reach continent number seven, I never dreamed that I would have this much fun or see such amazing things. Antarctica is a fantastic place. I have had so many wonderful times here; these are just a few of them.
Addendum:
One of the great pleasures in traveling is the joy of shared experiences. The presence of young people heightens that joy and our journey in Antarctica has underscored that truth. Today’s web page contains the impressions of an eighth grader who is traveling with her family. Heidi is one of six young people on this trip who have brightened our day with their enthusiasm, their energy and their politeness. We all have had a richer trip because we have seen Antarctica through their eyes as well as our own.
Today was a special day for another reason; we have traveled south of the Antarctic Circle and visited for the first time, Detaille Island, the site of a British Antarctic Survey hut that was abandoned on short notice in 1959. The island also is home to an Adelie Penguin colony. An Oceanites representative, Steve Forrest, who is traveling with us, counted the members of the colony for the first time ever. More than 1,000 chicks were recorded. We have explored new territory and documented a new nesting colony. All in all a grand day.
