Weddell Sea
It is a striking morning, with a deep blue sky, gentle breeze and mild temperature at Brown Bluff. This heart of an ancient volcano, exposed by the scouring power of a massive glacier, towers thousands of feet above us, looking as if it were transported from the desert southwest. That impression doesn’t last for long, as ice sheets flow on both sides of the volcanic remnant, and more than 100,000 penguins, adelies and gentoos, line the shore. Snow petrels fly along the cliff face. This is our first landing on the Antarctic continent, not an outlying island. It isn’t easy, as brash ice and growlers guard the rocky beach.
On our way to Paulet Island, Magnus tells a true though all but unbelievable story of survival and coincidence, the story of the Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1902 – 1904. Today and tomorrow we will visit the key places where this story played out over a century ago.
Paulet Island is home to approximately 100,000 pairs of Adelie penguins, plus Antarctic shags, snowy sheathbills, Wilson’s storm-petrels, skuas and kelp gulls, and is visited regularly by Antarctic fur seals, leopard seals and Weddell seals. This tiny, unglaciated oasis with easily accessible beaches is mobbed by wildlife. This is also where Captain Larsen and the crew from the Antarctic overwintered. Adelie penguins build their nests on the remnants of the historic hut.
Aboard for the evening, we are paying close attention as the National Geographic Explorer takes us through the spectacular scenery of the Weddell Sea.
It is a striking morning, with a deep blue sky, gentle breeze and mild temperature at Brown Bluff. This heart of an ancient volcano, exposed by the scouring power of a massive glacier, towers thousands of feet above us, looking as if it were transported from the desert southwest. That impression doesn’t last for long, as ice sheets flow on both sides of the volcanic remnant, and more than 100,000 penguins, adelies and gentoos, line the shore. Snow petrels fly along the cliff face. This is our first landing on the Antarctic continent, not an outlying island. It isn’t easy, as brash ice and growlers guard the rocky beach.
On our way to Paulet Island, Magnus tells a true though all but unbelievable story of survival and coincidence, the story of the Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1902 – 1904. Today and tomorrow we will visit the key places where this story played out over a century ago.
Paulet Island is home to approximately 100,000 pairs of Adelie penguins, plus Antarctic shags, snowy sheathbills, Wilson’s storm-petrels, skuas and kelp gulls, and is visited regularly by Antarctic fur seals, leopard seals and Weddell seals. This tiny, unglaciated oasis with easily accessible beaches is mobbed by wildlife. This is also where Captain Larsen and the crew from the Antarctic overwintered. Adelie penguins build their nests on the remnants of the historic hut.
Aboard for the evening, we are paying close attention as the National Geographic Explorer takes us through the spectacular scenery of the Weddell Sea.
