Petermann Island
65 11 S 64 10 W
Today we traveled in the wake of the “gentleman explorer”, Jean-Baptiste Charcot. Son of a prominent French physician, Charcot made two landmark journeys of exploration to the Antarctic Peninsula. The first, in 1903-05, was on board the expedition ship Francais. On that voyage Charcot discovered and named Port Lockroy, the cozy harbor where we spent the morning visiting the British station on Goudier Island. Charcot named Lockroy for a prominent supporter of his expedition, and Goudier Island for his chief engineer. After a visit to the small British hut and neighboring Gentoo penguin rookery, we sailed south through the stunning Lemaire Channel, where six Humpback whales waylaid us. The leviathans milled at the surface and made numerous shallow dives – we could see swarms of krill on the ship’s echo sounder, which is most certainly what the whales were lunching on. After a thrilling hour with the Humpbacks, we pressed on southwards through Lemaire and into Penola Strait.
Our afternoon destination was Petermann Island, the site where Charcot wintered over on his second expedition. Obviously a man with a sense of humor, Charcot named his second vessel Pourquoi-Pas? On January 1, 1909, he discovered the small harbor here, and named it Port Circumcision, for the holy day on which it was found. An ideal harbor for a small expedition ship, Charcot worked Pourquoi-Pas into the cove, stretched a chain across the mouth to keep icebergs out, and spent the winter in style, with electric lights, a well-stocked library, and wine service at dinner.
The wind had been rather brisk when we were whale-watching, but suddenly it fell calm and the chance was too good to pass up. When the Antarctic gives us fine weather, we have to seize any opportunity. As Captain Skog approached Petermann Island the crew sprang into action, swiftly lowering Zodiacs, the kayaks and the kayak platform. There could be no better place to set up the kayak operation than in this same sheltered spot where Charcot wintered over nearly 100 years ago. While some guests strolled among the Gentoo and Adelie penguins breeding here, others took a peaceful paddle along the shore, absorbing the sights, sounds and smells of this extraordinary spot. Another fabulous day in paradise.
65 11 S 64 10 W
Today we traveled in the wake of the “gentleman explorer”, Jean-Baptiste Charcot. Son of a prominent French physician, Charcot made two landmark journeys of exploration to the Antarctic Peninsula. The first, in 1903-05, was on board the expedition ship Francais. On that voyage Charcot discovered and named Port Lockroy, the cozy harbor where we spent the morning visiting the British station on Goudier Island. Charcot named Lockroy for a prominent supporter of his expedition, and Goudier Island for his chief engineer. After a visit to the small British hut and neighboring Gentoo penguin rookery, we sailed south through the stunning Lemaire Channel, where six Humpback whales waylaid us. The leviathans milled at the surface and made numerous shallow dives – we could see swarms of krill on the ship’s echo sounder, which is most certainly what the whales were lunching on. After a thrilling hour with the Humpbacks, we pressed on southwards through Lemaire and into Penola Strait.
Our afternoon destination was Petermann Island, the site where Charcot wintered over on his second expedition. Obviously a man with a sense of humor, Charcot named his second vessel Pourquoi-Pas? On January 1, 1909, he discovered the small harbor here, and named it Port Circumcision, for the holy day on which it was found. An ideal harbor for a small expedition ship, Charcot worked Pourquoi-Pas into the cove, stretched a chain across the mouth to keep icebergs out, and spent the winter in style, with electric lights, a well-stocked library, and wine service at dinner.
The wind had been rather brisk when we were whale-watching, but suddenly it fell calm and the chance was too good to pass up. When the Antarctic gives us fine weather, we have to seize any opportunity. As Captain Skog approached Petermann Island the crew sprang into action, swiftly lowering Zodiacs, the kayaks and the kayak platform. There could be no better place to set up the kayak operation than in this same sheltered spot where Charcot wintered over nearly 100 years ago. While some guests strolled among the Gentoo and Adelie penguins breeding here, others took a peaceful paddle along the shore, absorbing the sights, sounds and smells of this extraordinary spot. Another fabulous day in paradise.
