Tour Leader’s Blog

After disembarking and saying goodbye to the crew of the MS Fram, we headed out on a morning tour of the National Park in Ushuaia and a bit of shopping before the flight to Buenos Aires. Tonight we will enjoy a relaxing dinner and a good rest in preparation for our Friday excursion along the Tigre River which will feature both wildlife and historical architecture within the capital city of Argentina. From there we head off to the International Airport and say our last goodbyes as we board our individual flights home.

~ Terry Petkau
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

This was the day we were a bit apprehensive about as we left the South Shetland Islands and headed out into the Drake Passage planning to reach Ushuaia in two days. The captain had advised us that a low pressure system has moved in over the Drake which could lead to some rough seas and this forecast was realized throughout the night. Even though we had become somewhat conditioned by now, the motion sickness medication was a necessity to survive the significant tossing and turning as the ship battled its way through swells that seemed to exceed 30 feet in height. Despite the experience and preparedness of the dining room staff, it seemed impossible to avoid the constant crashing of plates and glasses as everyone tried to maintain some sense of calm. Even though the very interesting lecture schedule continued on, many of us could not sit through the sessions without feeling ill. The best option seemed to be horizontal in our bunks until we finished the crossing.

~ Terry Petkau
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

As we head home everyone in the entire group is reflecting on the amazing adventures in the Antarctic. The beautiful weather we experienced was quite rare and a true blessing for this expedition. Many of the excursion team on the MS Fram suggested that they had not enjoyed such great weather for some time but the crossing of the Drake was yet to come.

Our day started out at the Argentinean base of Almirante Brown which is located on the Antarctic Peninsula mainland in Paradise Harbour. It was a fun stop as we all climbed up a steep snow-covered slope until we reached a marvelous point overlooking the bay. Once it was time to venture down after taking in the breath taking view, most of the group chose the option of sliding down the hill on their back sides which included a lot of gleeful screaming and laughter.

Once we cleared the snow from places we didn’t think it could ever be found, we made our way back to the polar circle boats where we spent the next 20 minutes touring around the bay checking out icebergs close up and spotting leopard seals sleeping in the sun.

For the afternoon our boat headed out to Wilhelmina Bay to do some whale watching. This was an incredible experience as we saw a number of enormous humpback whales surfacing and breaching, almost as if they were showing off for the spectators around the ship’s deck. The ship’s crew suggested there were whales sighted in the area but we did not expect such a treat.

After spending almost two hours maneuvering the bay following humpback whales that were busy feeding on krill, the captain slowly headed out of the bay to start the long journey back to Ushuaia. This exit was briefly interrupted by an exciting display put on by about three Orka Whales as they playfully shot out of the water and splashed down again. Even though we were so chilled after spending hours out on the deck, it was hard to pull away to warm up knowing that this would be the last opportunity for most of us to experience such a unique and exciting display of God’s amazing handiwork.

~ Terry Petkau
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Words are inadequate to describe the awe inspiring rugged beauty of the Antarctic scenery or the pervasive aroma as we approach various points of landing where perhaps there could be 3 breeds of penguins nesting together.

The photographers are up on deck very early in the morning to capture the ever changing landscape as the ship traverses through icebergs and narrow channels. From the ship we have sighted penguins, whales and sea lions in the water or resting on icebergs.

Today we visited Vernadsky Station, operated by 13 Ukrainian scientists and engineers. These men have discovered through multiple tests that the hole in the Ozone layer has potentially started to shrink.

In the afternoon we visited Petermann Island where we hiked up in the snow often crossing paths with both Gentoo and Adelie penguins on their way to and from the water to retrieve food to feed their young families.

Tomorrow we will visit the Argentinean base for our first stop on the mainland of Antarctic. In the afternoon we plan to whale watch in the Wilhelmina Bay.

~ Terry Petkau
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

After 40 hours we have crossed the Drake Passage and arrived in the Shetland Islands at the northern edge of Antarctica.

It has been a challenging two days for some of our group as the constant rocking of the boat in 15 foot swells brought about a bit of sea sickness but now that the boat is maintaining position we are all back to normal. We are blessed to also experience fairly calm conditions with some sun peaking through the clouds providing for an ideal day for our first expedition.

Our first landing was on Half Moon Island. The tender boats took us eight at a time from the MS Fram over to the Island where we immediately located hundreds of Chin Strapped Penguins.

Many of the adult penguins within the colonies were still protecting and feeding their chicks and our guide informed us that these are the last of the breeding. Some of the youngest chicks will struggle to survive the fast approaching winter but for now their parents are only focused on taking turns walking down the hill (sometimes sliding on their bellies) to the water to gather food and return to feed their young. Even though we were instructed to maintain a five meter distance from all the penguins, it became literally impossible as adult penguins would walk past us only a foot or two away; we clearly were not a threat to them. What a privilege to be so close to such a unique part of God’s creation in an obviously harsh living environment which also displays a beauty that is impossible to describe.

In addition to viewing the thousands of penguins across this small island a number of brave souls took a short swim in the sea water before climbing back into the tender boats. This swim was not for refreshment but more of a dare as the outside temperature was around +5 Celsius and the water was around the freezing mark. The warm shower was very welcoming and we are now relaxing behind a book, building jigsaw puzzles or writing email to family and friends back home before we sit down for dinner. Tomorrow will surely be another adventure!

The cruise ship blog can be found at mvfram.blogspot.com.

~ Terry Petkau
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada