Brown Bluff and Paulet Island
A ship is a very special place. Anyone who goes to sea feels the camaraderie. Scott’s men felt it. Amundson’s and Shackleton’s men felt it. And, while we aren’t living in the Heroic Era, we, on the Endeavour, feel it. We are on a happy ship, the highest compliment. It is a wonderful feeling made all the more poignant on this, a day for all time, Christmas Eve Day.
Our plan for the day had been to land at Devil’s Island east of the Antarctic Peninsula but katabatic winds of 35 knots precluded a landing. Instead, we retraced our route through Antarctic Sound to land at Brown Bluff. Later, we would head northeast and explore the huge Adelie Penguin colony on Paulet Island.
While there were high winds when we landed at Brown Bluff, the weather, apparently aware of what day it was, moderated and we spent the morning with Adelies, Gentoos and Snow Petrels. It seems that we have become more skilled observers. One guest spent time with an Adelie nest where the large chick sought shelter in the inadequate space beneath its parent. Suddenly, the chick reached out to the perimeter of the nest, picked up a stone and placed it in the nest. How soon the young learn the lessons of the adults and that lesson was not lost on us as we see our own youngsters learning the lessons of this holiday season.
Another guest described her experience as an epiphany. She had stood quietly near the Adelie colony when an adult bird came over to her leg and nipped her on the knee. Soon the bird brought a pebble and dropped it at her feet. It is hard not to interpret these actions as endearing no matter what might be going on the penguin’s mind or ours.
Pintados and snow petrels soared on the rising currents seeking to return to their nesting sites in the crags of the volcanic rock. Lower on the slope two pairs of snow petrels nested beneath a large boulder that had fallen from the cliff. The petrels seemed unperturbed as they set up housekeeping in the cleft in the rock even though it was nearly filled with snow.
During the day, preparations for the evening’s celebration were well underway among the crew, officers and staff. Last minute Secret Santa presents were being bought, wrapped and labeled. Later, they would be exchanged in the dining room. Costumes were created for a party in the crew mess. Staff were heard practicing “maligayang pasko,” Merry Christmas in Tagalog, the language of our Filipino crew.
The guests had an early dinner of Swedish smorgasbord. After dinner, Tim Baughman told of the Nordenskiöld 1901-03 expedition to Snow Hill Island. This remarkable journey involved three parties over-wintering in separate locations, one on Paulet where we saw the remains of their winter quarters, and, remarkably, reassembling as one the next year. Later, many gathered around the piano where they sang an impressively wide range of songs accompanied by the expert playing of Elizabeth Buccheri.
And so as the year comes to a close, we all hope for better times. Each of us has shared the holiday season in shipboard camaraderie but we send our love to those that are not here. The world of each of us is a special place and we hope that the snow petrel can stand as a symbol of the love and affection which envelops that place.
A ship is a very special place. Anyone who goes to sea feels the camaraderie. Scott’s men felt it. Amundson’s and Shackleton’s men felt it. And, while we aren’t living in the Heroic Era, we, on the Endeavour, feel it. We are on a happy ship, the highest compliment. It is a wonderful feeling made all the more poignant on this, a day for all time, Christmas Eve Day.
Our plan for the day had been to land at Devil’s Island east of the Antarctic Peninsula but katabatic winds of 35 knots precluded a landing. Instead, we retraced our route through Antarctic Sound to land at Brown Bluff. Later, we would head northeast and explore the huge Adelie Penguin colony on Paulet Island.
While there were high winds when we landed at Brown Bluff, the weather, apparently aware of what day it was, moderated and we spent the morning with Adelies, Gentoos and Snow Petrels. It seems that we have become more skilled observers. One guest spent time with an Adelie nest where the large chick sought shelter in the inadequate space beneath its parent. Suddenly, the chick reached out to the perimeter of the nest, picked up a stone and placed it in the nest. How soon the young learn the lessons of the adults and that lesson was not lost on us as we see our own youngsters learning the lessons of this holiday season.
Another guest described her experience as an epiphany. She had stood quietly near the Adelie colony when an adult bird came over to her leg and nipped her on the knee. Soon the bird brought a pebble and dropped it at her feet. It is hard not to interpret these actions as endearing no matter what might be going on the penguin’s mind or ours.
Pintados and snow petrels soared on the rising currents seeking to return to their nesting sites in the crags of the volcanic rock. Lower on the slope two pairs of snow petrels nested beneath a large boulder that had fallen from the cliff. The petrels seemed unperturbed as they set up housekeeping in the cleft in the rock even though it was nearly filled with snow.
During the day, preparations for the evening’s celebration were well underway among the crew, officers and staff. Last minute Secret Santa presents were being bought, wrapped and labeled. Later, they would be exchanged in the dining room. Costumes were created for a party in the crew mess. Staff were heard practicing “maligayang pasko,” Merry Christmas in Tagalog, the language of our Filipino crew.
The guests had an early dinner of Swedish smorgasbord. After dinner, Tim Baughman told of the Nordenskiöld 1901-03 expedition to Snow Hill Island. This remarkable journey involved three parties over-wintering in separate locations, one on Paulet where we saw the remains of their winter quarters, and, remarkably, reassembling as one the next year. Later, many gathered around the piano where they sang an impressively wide range of songs accompanied by the expert playing of Elizabeth Buccheri.
And so as the year comes to a close, we all hope for better times. Each of us has shared the holiday season in shipboard camaraderie but we send our love to those that are not here. The world of each of us is a special place and we hope that the snow petrel can stand as a symbol of the love and affection which envelops that place.
