Part III: Antarctica and Academe - Scott Polar Research Institute

conditions improved, but still with occasional snow squalls that blotted out the view.
For most of the day though, it was fine and sunny. I took some photos of giant
petrels on the waves and also of fur seals. There were occasional pairs of fur seals,
playing, embracing each other and gambolling in the waves. Also various
albatrosses: wandering, black-browed, grey-headed, sooty; and prions, cape pigeons,
snowies, Wilson's and shoemakers. No chance of safely taking the scow ashore
though. It was a Saturday night so we had steak and wine and later talked in the
wardroom over the port. The swell continued unabated.
Conditions were, if anything worse next day, so we took up the anchor and sailed
around to Elsehul, where we anchored about 11/2 miles from the shore. It was
calmer in the lee of Point, but very rough in the strait. Williwaws kept rushing out
from Elsehul and at times quite a chop developed. There was a lot of birds around
the ship - the usual assortment - and many groups and single fur seals porpoising by.
After lunch, about 1.30 pm, we had a run ashore at Elsehul, by launch and Gemini.
There were some very aggressive fur seal bulls on that beach. We all had been armed
with sticks - broom handles - and after a little experience felt quite confident about
dealing with them. In fact a light touch on their long whiskers was usually sufficient
to deter them. We visited the hut, now rather dilapidated and then climbed the hill
to the west to the top of a ridge. Looking over it was like a Cornish cove - a light
sandy beach and arc of surf - but instead of human swimmers and sunbathers
probably over a thousand fur seals and a dozen or more elephant seals. I took some
photos because it showed the furries social organization very well. From time to
time it blew from the south – with blizzards of snow and hail.
The tussack was very badly damaged by the seals, much of it with the crowns
destroyed had deteriorated into a collection of muddy knobs with thinner mud-soup
in between. This zone of damage extended a few hundred feet up the hillside from
the beach. Some solitary cows with pups were up to 200 ft up the slope, usually
without an attendant bull. We walked to the east and across the isthmus to Undine
Harbour. It is a rugged coastline, with sea-stacks and arches and small skerries. In
front of me was a flat tussack coastal strip, backing a gently curving beach on which
was a very dense colony of fur seals, the bulls sitting up were darkly silhouetted
against the shining sea. It gave a clear impression of very great numbers, much
activity, noise and pungent smells, for I was downwind of them. Along the way
there were several very badly lacerated bulls - mainly cut about their necks and foreflippers
and still dripping blood. There were also several dead bulls and one white
bull. We returned to Bransfield in the inflatable and launch at 5 o’clock. It had been a
very enjoyable and invigorating afternoon. On the way out to the ship we passed
two fur seals in the water that first 'bottled' - sticking heads and necks up vertically
upwards, the better to look at us, then porpoised towards us in an exaggerated way
with two or three huge leaps, the fore-flippers held downwards. I had not seen this
before. The usual large rafts of prions were flighting in like swarms of bees, or flocks
of starlings in immense numbers.
Next day the wind was still from the south so we could only wait. I discussed the
situation with John Cole and we decided to sit it out. Although quite windy still with
williwaws, it was sunny in the afternoon and parties went ashore to stretch their legs.
Huge rafts of prions were forming again on the water at about 4.30 pm, with much
reshuffling movement and short flights. A helicopter passed over from the
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