Saturday February 24^th, 2018                                    Sunrise: 0542/Sunset: 2012

The Erebus and Terror Gulf

“We gazed with feelings of indescribable delight upon a scene of grandeur and magnificence far beyond anything we had before seen or could have conceived.”

– Captain James Clark Ross

We awoke this morning on our 7th day of this voyage to 35-40 knot winds.  The ship is in a body of water separating Cape Well-Met of Vega Island and the southern tip of the Trinity Peninsula (Antarctic mainland). This is part of the larger gulf that defines the northwest corner of the Weddell Sea.  The gulf stretches roughly between Dundee and James Ross Islands and is known as the Erebus & Terror Gulf, named by James Clark Ross for his two ships, The Erebus and The Terror. Captain Ross was one of the first to explore these waters in 1842-43.  James Ross Island is the largest in the area along with Vega Island.  Only recently has the island become free of ice on it western shores during the summer months, which, coupled with the breakup of the Larsen Ice Shelf further south, is a possible indication of the regions changing climate.

The Captain has pulled the ship into the Prince Gustav Channel and into a bay that is not typically accessible due to ice.  This will give us a chance to explore a new area and get off the boat for an outing.   This is not an area of Antarctica that ever gets explored because it is always cut off by ice so we truly feel like adventurers this morning.  We headed out early this morning on the Zodiacs.  I was excited that we got cute (Irish) Conor as our driver–just love to hear him talk.  He’s one of our naturalists and has a definite love for the birds.  The terrain surrounding the bay is filled with icebergs and sea ice and volcanic rocky surfaces encompass the landscape.  In hind sight, I should have stayed on the ship today.  Large waves made the rides in the zodiac very rough and I got totally soaked.  Naturally today was the first time I’d managed to get in the front of the zodiac–not a great place to be when the winds and waves are high.  I was doused and soaking within the first 10 minutes of the ride.  We proceeded to land on the rocky shore to try to take a short walk…easier said than done.  I took a face plant into the sharp rocks.  Thankfully, my TB sunglasses protected my face a bit and now have a war wound on one lens to show for it.  I’ll most likely have a black eye tomorrow.  Also managed to rip my waterproof pants so it was a really cold wet ride back to the ship after we finished cruising about the bay.  The upside to the landing though was that it was guano free so no stinky smell.  We watched several “Jesus birds” (Wilson’s storm petrel) as we were riding about the icebergs.  It is a petite bird that flies low over the sea surface and feeds by pattering on the water surface as it picks planktonic food items from the ocean surface, literally making it look like it is walking on water.  No sea life other than birds noted on the outing.

We returned to the ship for lunch.  We noticed upon our return that all the outdoor furniture has been stacked and chained….an ominous sign!  After lunch the captain began the arduous task of maneuvering us through ice fields to get us out into open ocean. We went up to the Bridge to watch him calmly work his magic.  It is so wonderful to be able to freely go up to the Bridge and quietly watch them work.  We’ve been told to apply our Scopolamine patches and prepare for a rough ride for the next 2 days as we make our way to South Georgia.

Lecture after lunch: Taming the 3-Headed Monster; Understanding the Exposure Triangle; then Expedition Photography Breakout Sessions:  Join Doug, Macduff, and other members of our team for a chance to swap ideas and get questions answered as to how your camera and photography are progressing thus far in the voyage.

Lecture:  A Human History of Antarctica – Join Peter Wilson for a look back at the Heroic Age of Antarctic discovery and exploration.

Lecture:  Seabird Biology – Conor Ryan will be presenting an introduction to the lives of the flying birds we have and will continue to see as the voyage progresses across our itinerary’s vast stretches of ocean.

As the evening passes we are seeing 10-15 ft swells and can feel an occasional ice berg smack against the ship.  Walking about the ship this evening is going to be challenging again.  And, heaven knows, keeping our liquor in our glass at cocktail hour is going to be a huge challenge….hope they have sippy cups.  Hate to see good Vodka being spilled!

TIME CHANGE – Ship’s clocks will be set forward by 1 hour at 2am tonight (February 24^th).  Open Sea Warning! We will be at sea throughout afternoon and the next couple of days.  Conditions may be rough & variable.   Please take care moving around the vessel once in open sea. Always keep one hand free to hold on to railings, and take care of doors that may swing closed or open unexpectedly. Please ensure that all breakable items are carefully stowed in your cabin before retiring this evening as the motion of the ship will increase during the night.