Port Lockroy
Date: 17-02-07
Girard bay to Portlockroy
Position 64˚49’.S 063˚29’.W
Weather:
Wind: var 1
Temperature: 0 morning 2,6 afternoon
At midnight we celebrate 2 birthdays with popping champagne bottles
Today we cross Kodakgap again but now from South to North.
Gert enyoys the exploring and decides to check another unnamed bay for lunch on deck. The unnamed bay and a unnamed straight are known as Wiebke-bay and Ryann-straight from now on.
Dinner is early today, we start before 7 o’ clock. 2 guests from Port Lockroy join us.
After dinner Rick the base commander introduces us to Port lockroy with a talk about the history of the base. Rick served for the BAS (Brittish Antarctic Survey) as a dog slead driver, 30 years ago. In the nineties he helped to refurbish the station.
Than its time to hop in the zodiacs to Goudier Island to see it for our selves. The former British military base Port Lockroy is now a post-office, souvenir shop and Everybody rushes into the post office and shop to sent mail to their loved ones and buy post cards and souvenirs. The building is surrounded by nesting Gentoo penguins, Sheathbills and Skua’s.
Behind the shed we find an extraordinary visitor. A second year old King penguin is moulting to its magnificent coloured plumage among the Gentoo’s, a rather awkward visit since they normally breed on the subantarctic. This youngster must have lost its way. It’s the first time ever recorded that a King Penguin visits this island. And for the whole continent there are only very, very, very few observations! For the tickers its the 6th and last specie of penguin of this trip.
Back on board we warm our selves up with a glass of hot gluhwein of Tjallings grandma’s recipe.
The first 2 tables of the deckhouse are screwed out the deck to make space for a little dance floor today we celebrate Ryann’s and Wiebkes birthdays till well after midnight people dance on Reinaldos tunes.
Date: 18-02-07
Port Lockroy to Melchior
20:00Position 64˚29’6.
Weather:
Wind: var 1-2
Temperature: 3
After breakfast we leave the ship to land at Jougla point in the bay of Port Lockroy one attractions is a reconstructed Whale skeleton of a big baleen whale. Jougla point is inhabitat by Weddell and many moulting Gentoos which offer entertainment by having their first swimming lessons. A rather big colony of Blue-eyed Shags are nesting on the far end of the peninsula. After a stroll around the lower area we climb up on to the ridge for a great view over the bay. We can’t manage our hike to the other sight by divebombing skuas and terns which have their nest around in order not to disturb we retreat to our original landing spot.
On the way home Michiel and Collin, the dinghy-drivers, take us for a closer look to the quite active glacier.
On the way to the Melchior Islands we spot another 7 Snow petrels and a whole group of Southern Fulmars. Most spectacular is the site of 13 Humpback Whales all around us. 3 of them we see up close. We can smell their awful breaths and make close up pictures from a few meters, as they dive under the ship.
