South Shetlands & The Antarctic Peninsula 22 Feb 2020 - 14

22 FEB- 2 March 2020 

Volume 2, Issue 14 

Albatros Magazine 

A Visual Journey 

South Shetlands & 

The Antarctic Peninsula 

THE OFFICIAL VOYAGE LOG OF

Albatros Magazine: A Visual Journey 

Editor-in-Chief: 

Layout & Design: 

Amanda Dalsgaard 

Gaby Pilson & Shelli Ogilvy 

Front Cover Image: 

Back Cover Image: 

Photography Contributors: 

Gentoo Family Shayne Mcguire 

Elephant seal Sandra Petrowiz 

Sandra Petrowitz 

Yuri Choufour 

Werner Kruse 

Renato Granieri 

Gaby Pilson 

Shannon Jensen 

Shayne Mcguire 

Phillip Hunter 


22 FEB- 2 March 2020 Volume 2, Issue 14

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

The Voyage 

Meet the Team 

Day 1: Southward Bound 

The Seven Sisters of Szczecin 

An Unlikely Antarctic Explorer 

Day 2: Rolling Our Way South 

Penguins! Fun Facts for the Antarctic Adventurer 

Day 3: Our Our Way to Antarctica! 

Ice is Nice – Glacier Fun Facts 

Whales: Friendly Giants of the Sea 

Day 4: Our First Day in Antarctica 

The Geological Structure of the Antarctic Peninsula 

Day 5: In the Footsteps of Charcot 

When and How the Earth Got Cold 

Day 6: The White Continent 

Fire in the Antarctic 

Day 7: The Final Stop Among the South Shetlands 

Day 8: Northward Bound 

Antarctica: A Continent for Science 

A Brief History of the Zodiac 

Day 9: The Beagle Channel 

King of the Southern Winds 

Day 10: Home Again 

By the Numbers 

A Final Note 

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4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

13 

14 

15 

16 

18 

19 

21 


25 

27 

29 

30 

32 

33 

34 

35

The Voyage 

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The following map traces the approximate route that the M/V Ocean Atlantic took during 

our voyage to Antarctica. You can find more information about our day to day activities, 

landings, and excursions on the following pages. We hope that this magazine serves as a 

reminder of all of the wonderful memories you made while experiencing the Antarctic with. 

o 


Volume 2, Issue 14

4 

Shelli Ogilvy 

Assistant Expedition 

Leader 

Samuel Gagnon 

Expedition Leader 

Barbara Post 

Assistant Expedition 

Leader 

Ted Creek 

Zodiac Master 

David Reid 

Kayak Master 

Wan Meng Chieh 

Kayak Guide 

Isabelle Howells 

Equipment Master 

Nadine Smith 

Shop Manager 

Rose Li 

Guide 

Christophe Gouraud 

Lecturer & Guide 

Shayne McGuire 

Photographer 



Kevin Burke 

Lecture & Guide 

Ab Steenvoorden 


Lisa Pettenuzzo 


Mariam Pousa 


Christina Langer 

First Aid Responder 

Marta 


Sanna Kallio 


Chloe Shang 

Shop Assistent 

Steve Egan 

Guest Services 

Rashidah Lim 

Guide 



5 

Day 1 - Southward Bound 

22 February 2020 - Embarkation Day 

From all over the world, passengers arrived on the 

dock in Ushuaia for a 15:00 embarkation onto the 

M/V Ocean Atlantic. Our Antarctic expedition was 

finally coming to fruition. 

The ship’s doctor all the guest’s by taking body 

temperature readings with a small gun shaped 

thermometer that he pointed at everyone’s 

foreheads. It was a funny way to welcome people, 

but we were glad for the precautionary measures 

with ‘Corona-virus’ spreading around the world. 

One of the expedition guides joked that they were 

uploading memories of Antarctica for us and then 

going to send us home again! Ha. 

After we checked into our rooms and had some 

tea, we were given a safety briefing and practiced 

an emergency drill. The sound of the seven short 

blasts and one long was not to be mistaken. We 

gathered at our muster stations for roll call and 

learned where the lifeboats are. 

We reconvened in the Viking Theatre for a ‘meet 

and greet’ with the ship’s Crew and Expedition 

Team. Our Expedition Leader, Sam, introduced us 

to the Hotel director Oliver, who proudly 

introduced his team that would be taking care of 

us for the duration of the trip. Following this, was 

an introduction of the Expedition Team. 

We dinned as the sun set and the glassy Beagle 

Channel gave way under us. The farms of the 

southernmost residents in South America were 

picturesque against the rugged mountains jutting 

out seemingly just a stone’s throw away on either 

side of the narrow channel. The dining room 

buzzed with excitement as we exchanged stories 

with our new travel companions answering the 

question, “…so what made you want to come to 

Antarctica?” 

After dinner the warm summer air of the 

continent, lured us out onto the decks to watch 

the albatross, terns and skuas dance in the ship’s 

wake. What a beautiful evening, and the salty 

fresh air so calming; such a grand way to wind 

down for bed and get a good sleep. Tomorrow will 

be an exciting day on the Drake Passage. 



The Seven Sisters of Szczecin 

David MacDonald, Lecturer (Geology) & Expedition Guide 

6 

M/V Ocean Atlantic was launched in 1986 as the last-built of the ‘Shoshtakovich’ class of ice-strengthened 

passenger vessels, alongside six sister ships, together known as the “Seven Sisters of Szczecin. 

Her original name was Konstantin Chernenko 

(Константин Черненко), after the President of the 

USSR (1984-1985). She was renamed Russ (Русс) in 

1989, and spent much of her life working in the Russian 

Far East. 

She was purchased by Albatros Expeditions and 

completely refitted in 2017. She is now a 200- 

passenger expedition vessel and is one of the strongest 

polar cruise ships afloat. Here are some fun facts about 

the “Seven Sisters”: 

• All seven ships were built by Stocnia Szczecinska 

shipyard in Szczecin, Poland between 1979-1986 

• Main engines: 4 x Skoda Sulzer 6LZ40 total power 

12800 kW, giving a maximum speed of 18 knots 

• Most of the class have one bow thruster (736 kW) 

and one stern thruster (426 kW); however, two 

ships, including ours, built in 1986, have two stern 

thrusters, each of 426 kW 

• Feature Siemens stabilisers for seaworthiness 

• Although built as ferries, they have a strengthened 

car deck for transport of tanks 

• Two of them had diving chambers 

• MV Mikhail Sholokov had hull demagnetising 

equipment so it could operate in minefields 

• All of these ships have been scrapped except ours 

and Konstantin Simonov – now Ocean Endeavour 

Our ship has had a complex history: 

1986-1987 In Baltic traffic, then Vladivostok to 

Japan & S Korea 

1989 renamed to Russ 

1997-1999 In traffic Stockholm-Riga; 2000 

Odessa-Haifa; 2002 back to 

Vladivostok transporting cars from 

Japan 

2007 Sold to Sea Ferry Shipping in Majuro 

and renamed 2010 to Atlantic; 

renovations in Italy and in traffic 

Stockholm-Helsinki-St. Petersburg 

during summer and laid up (October 

2010) in St Petersburg 

2012 Sold to ISP in Miami and renamed to 

Ocean Atlantic under Marshall 

Islands flag 

2013 Used as a hotel ship in the German 

bight wind farm project 

2015-2017 Laid up in Helsingborg and taken to 

Gdansk in Poland, where totally 

refitted 

2017 Chartered to Quark Expeditions 

2017-present Chartered to Albatros Expeditions. 



An Unlikely Antarctic Explorer 

Gregers Gjersøe – Snowshoe Master & Expedition Guide 

In a suburb of Wellington, New Zealand, the local 

cemetery is home to a rather unassuming grave. 

The final resting place of Henry “Chippy” McNish, 

one of the survivors of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 

1914 Endurance Expedition, the grave is also a 

memorial to one of the most improbable of 

Antarctic explorers. 

McNish himself was a carpenter onboard the 

Endurance, though he didn’t travel alone. During 

the expedition, McNish brought along a cat that 

followed him around like an overpossessive 

wife. Soon enough, the 

crew named the cat Mrs. Chippy, 

although the expedition quickly 

realised that Mrs. Chippy was a 

gentleman, not a lady. 

Mrs. Chippy was an unusual cat, 

though an avid adventurer, 

having climbed the Endurance’s 

rigging lines on several 

occasions. Mrs. Chippy also did 

some very provocative strolls 

across the roofs of the dogs’ kennels 

and even once fell into the frigid water 

below. Thankfully, the crew heard her cries and 

quickly turned the ship around so they could 

pluck her up from the icy cold waters and get her 

to safety. 

Also onboard the Endurance was a young man - 

Perce Blackborow. Perce had travelled to Buenos 

Aires looking for new employment, but wasn’t 

hired; at 18, his youth and inexperience counted 

against him. Somehow, he managed to sneak 

aboard the ship, and he hid in a clothing locker 

for three days. Eventually, he was discovered, 

and Shackleton was furious with him, but was 

sent to work in the galley where he became great 

friends with Mrs. Chippy. 

In January of 1915, the Endurance got trapped in 

the Antarctic pack ice. McNish's work prevented 

the ship from flooding, but he couldn’t do 

anything to stop it from being crushed. The ship 

was abandoned and, much to McNish’s despair, 

Shackleton ordered Mrs. Chippy to be shot, as 

they couldn’t take her on their survival journey. 

Now, the group had to make it back to safety. For 

months, the expedition drifted through icy 

waters until they made it to Elephant Island. 

Once at Elephant Island, Shackleton set out 

in a 22-foot-long open boat and made 

an 800-mile crossing through the 

rough waters of the South Atlantic 

to South Georgia. McNish was 

one of the five men who 

accompanied Shackleton, 

making improvements to the 

boat to make the voyage 

possible. 

For the next fifteen years, McNish 

lived a difficult life in Wellington 

before passing away in 1930. He never 

forgave Shackleton for shooting Mrs. 

Chippy. 

Nearly 30 years later, in 1959, the New Zealand 

Antarctic Society realised that McNish had been 

given a very poor burial in an unmarked grave. 

The Society raised funds for a headstone and 

even reunited McNish and Mrs. Chippy by adding 

a life-sized bronze statue of Mrs. Chippy to the 

grave. 

Now Karori Cemetery near Wellington is a 

pilgrimage site for Antarctic history buffs, who 

visit McNish’s grave and see Mrs. Chippy 

watching over him once again. 

7 



Day 2 - Rolling Our Way South 

23 February 2020 – Drake Passage South 

8 

A rocking and rolling sea greeted us for our first 

full day together onboard the Ocean Atlantic as 

she sailed us southwards toward the promise of a 

snowy white continent, lost at the edge of the 

known world. A lovely breakfast as the skies 

lightened, gave us a nutritious beginning for the 

events of the day. It was a relaxed yet 

adventurous start as many of us were still finding 

our sea legs as our ship lurched challengingly 

across the Drake Passage. 

@ShayneMcguire 

Our ornithologist Ab rolled out an entertaining 

introduction to the Seabirds of the Southern 

Ocean, surprisingly, given the conditions, to a full 

house, providing us a great taste of the 

encounters we could look forward to with these 

feathered friends who accompany us on our 

passage to Antarctica. Interest was high and the 

theatre full of curious questions about our winged 

companions. Time ‘flew’ and before we knew it, it 

was time for a mandatory IAATO briefing. After 

Expedition leader Sam gave us a preview of some 

introductory thoughts and perspectives about 

Antarctica and how to be a respectful tourist, we 

enjoyed a great lunch put on by our consistently 

creative galley team, fueling us for an afternoon of 

further activities. 

After lunch and a siesta for many of us, Amanda 

welcomed those up and about to an excellent 

overview of the whales we may encounter in the 

region, giving us some important understanding of 

the lives and ways of these most engaging 

creatures of the seas we were entering. 

Throughout the afternoon as the sea state 

continued, many of us wandered out on the aft 

deck to inspect the view of the wild seas, mingled 

with our naturalists and other travelers over tea, 

or photographed the many wondrous seabirds 

that chaperoned our sea journey. 

A sweet snack at tea time flowed into an invitation 

to join Shayne for her valuable insights and tips on 

photographing in Antarctica. Soon enough, a day 

of various briefings, social occasions and 

educational presentations brought us to our 

official welcome to the journey by the Master of 

our vessel and our captain Georgii as he toasted to 

an expected successful Expedition ahead. This 

toast lead us into a delightful evening meal as we 

steamed south towards the horizon. Some 

gathered after dining for a screening of Frozen 

Planet to fuel dreams of the icy realms ahead. 

Late in the night, we would cross the Antarctic 

Convergence-the gateway into Antarctica’s unique 

biological zone and would soon consider ourselves 

embraced by the great white continent. 




Penguins! Fun Facts for the Antarctic Adventurer 

Gaby Pilson, Hiking Master & Expedition Guide 

For many of us, the chance to see penguins waddling around in the snowy vastness of Antarctica is the reason 

that we came to the White Continent. These charismatic sea birds are a fan-favourite for visitors to Antarctica, 

but even cuddly-looking penguins are incredibly well adapted to one of the harshest environments on Earth. 

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1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

Depending on what book you read, there are 19 

species of penguins. If you count all of the 

subspecies, there are 25 total varieties of 

penguins in the world, however, there are only 

four truly Antarctic species of penguins: the 

Adélie, Gentoo, Chinstrap, and Emperor. All of 

the other penguins in the world live south of the 

equator yet north of Antarctica, with the 

exception of one species in the Galapagos whose 

range barely crosses into the northern 

hemisphere. 

The largest penguin to have ever lived was the 

now-extinct mega penguin, which weighed some 

115 kg. These days, the largest penguin is the 

Emperor Penguin, which tips the scales at 23 kg. 

Alternatively, the smaller gentoo penguin weighs 

just 15 kg. 

Although they nest, breed, and socialize on land, 

penguins rely on the sea for survival. As 

swimming and diving birds, penguins are adept 

at fishing and must head to the ocean for their 

sustenance. Indeed, the deepest diving bird in 

the world is the Emperor Penguin, with a 

record-breaking dive of 535 meters! 

Penguins are amazing swimmers. They spend 

much of their day searching for food in the 

ocean, particularly for their favourite meal of 

krill, squid, and small fish. The fastest swimming 

penguin is the Gentoo, which is known to reach 

speeds of upwards of 50 kilometres an hour 

while zooming through the water. 

Penguins are highly social birds, choosing to 

nest in large colonies, where they will also raise 

their young. Many penguin chicks, after 

hatching stay with their parents for a few weeks 

to a few months before forming large “crechés,” 

many hundreds of individual teenage penguins 

in size. 



Day 3 – On Our Way to Antarctica! 

24 February 2020 – Drake Passage South 

10 

Our second day at sea, and already people were 

getting used to the motion of the ship through the 

waves and were becoming accustomed to life on 

the water. Today, we had a few more tasks to 

prepare ourselves for our first landing, including a 

briefing on how to safely travel in the zodiacs. 

Antarctica is a unique environment with a 

sensitive ecosystem, that can easily be disturbed 

by visitors. Because of this, we take extra 

precautions with the equipment that is taken 

onshore to check that it doesn’t have any seeds of 

vegetation that could cause a nuisance to the local 

area. Having made sure our outdoor kit was biosecure, 

we piled into the lecture theatre with 

plates loaded with tea-time treats and settled in 

for Christophe’s presentation about penguins. 

For many, seeing penguins will be one of the 

highlights of visiting the Antarctic Peninsula, and 

for good reason. These charismatic critters are so 

at home in this hostile environment and that is 

thanks to some of the interesting adaptations that 

they have. Christophe talked us through some 

remarkable facts about their life cycle, their 

hunting habits and their breeding and social lives. 

The briefing, which explained the plans of our first 

landing, and recap was followed by a delicious 

dinner in the Vinland Restaurant. That evening, 

our fellow guest on board, Kurt, gave a moving 

and inspiring talk to a full house, giving us the 

opportunity to learn about the charity he is 

involved with that provides education, resources 

and nourishing meals to children with disabilities. 

. 



All photos © Sandra Petrowitz 


Ice is Nice – Glacier Fun Facts 

Gaby Pilson, Hiking Master & Expedition Guide 

Glaciers have, quite literally, shaped our world. Without glaciers, the rolling hills and wide valleys we know 

today would look very different, but it turns out that these icy giants have a much longer and more storied 

history than many of us would initially suspect. Here are some of the best fun facts about glaciers: 

11 

1 

Not just anything can be a glacier. In fact, there’s 

a size requirement that a piece of ice has to 

meet to become a glacier. Anything considered a 

glacier must be at least 0.1 km 2 (nearly 25 acres) 

in area to be worthy of the name. Although 

there’s a minimum size requirement to be 

considered a glacier, there’s no upper limit to 

glacierhood. The longest glacier on earth is the 

Lambert Glacier of Antarctica, which measures 

out to some 434 km (270 mi) long. The world’s 

largest non-polar glacier is the Fedchenko 

Glacier of Tajikistan, which measures a 

respectable 77km (48mi) long. 

© Renato Granieri 

2 


Glaciers are formed by snowflakes. Although it’s 

crazy to think that a tiny snowflake can create 

something as large as a glacier, without snow, 

glaciers would never exist in the first place. To 

form a glacier, massive amounts of snow must 

accumulate and persist in a single location all 

year long for hundreds, if not thousands of 

years. During this time, the individual snowflakes 

found in the snowpack change in a process 

known as snowflake metamorphosis, where 

individual ice grains fuse together and get bigger 

and air bubbles get smaller. Once the icepack 

builds up enough mass to start flowing downhill, 

then, voila! We have a glacier. 

3 

Glaciers are found all over the world, not just in 

the polar regions. While the majority of glaciers 

and glacial ice is concentrated in high northern 

and southern latitudes, glaciers are found even 

near the equator, such as on Mount Kilimanjaro 

in Tanzania and in the mountains of Ecuador. 

That being said, about half of the world’s 

200,000 glaciers are found in one place: Alaska. 

There, glaciers cover a whopping 72,500 km 2 

(28,000 mi 2 ) of the US state’s total area. That’s a 

lot of ice. 

© Werner Kruse 

4 

Glaciers are basically really, really, really slow-moving rivers. To be considered a glacier, a large mass of ice 

must be physically moving downhill. This movement downhill is driven by gravity and is the main reason 

why glaciers also act as major agents of erosion. Since glaciers move downhill, they often remove and 

transport large boulders and chunks of rock, depositing them much further downhill then where they 

started. 



Drake Passage 

Drake Passage 

© Sandra Petrowitz © Sandra Petrowitz 

Elephant seal 

Gentoo chic 

© Sandra Petrowitz 


Drake Passage 



Whales: Gentle Giants of the Southern Sea 

Amanda Dalsgaard – Lecturer (Marine Biology) and Expedition Guide 

13 

@ P.M.Hunter 

When one talks about whales, we must 

acknowledge the vast diversity of whales on earth 

and the uniqueness of each species. All whales fall 

into an order of marine mammals known as 

Cetaceans. The scientists who first discovered and 

named this order of marine mammals, used the 

word cetacean or ‘ceatacea’ from the Greek 

‘ketos,’ meaning monster. 

Long ago, when whales were first scientifically 

observed and recorded, people believed they 

were monsters, due to their size. Today, we know 

much more about the gentle giants that roam our 

planet’s seas, thanks to a number scientific and 

technological advances, our knowledge of these 

creatures will only continue to grow. 

The order Cetacea is divided into two sub-orders, 

Odontocete and Mysticeti. Odontocete, meaning 

‘toothed-whale’, includes all of the whales and 

dolphins with teeth. Mysticeti comes from the 

Latin root meaning “mustache”, and includes all of 

the whales that have baleen plates instead of 

teeth. It’s important to keep these differences in 

mind when trying to observe whales from a ship 

as this information can help identify cetaceans 

from far away. 

Interestingly enough, however, toothed whales 

have only one blow hole or spout, while baleen 

whales have two. Plus, many whales can be 

identified from afar using the size and shape of 

their spout blow as well. For example, grey whales 

tend to have spouts shaped like hearts, while 

orcas have low bushy spouts. 

Another distinguishing characteristic that sets 

these two sub-orders apart is the way that they 

communicate. Odontocetes use a method of 

communication called echolocation. This is best 

described as a series or clicks and precise sounds 

that are then reflected back to the animal and 

allows the whale to ‘see’ their environment 

through noise. It is the same communication style 

used by bats in terrestrial ecosystems. Mysticetes 

on the other hand, communicate through a variety 

of low-frequency songs. These songs have been 

described by scientists as being beautiful, 

mysterious and sometimes gloomy, with the males 

being the most active singers of the Mysticeti clan. 

Regardless of the kind of whale you see however, 

any encounter with one of these graceful marine 

giants, however brief, is sure to be a memorable 

experience for years to come. 

Since whales are marine mammals, they must 

breath air to survive. They do so by breathing at 

the water’s surface through their blow holes. 



Day 4 – Our First Day in Antarctica! 

25 February 2020 – Damoy Point and Port Lockroy 


After two full days crossing the Drake Passage, the 

bridge officers of the Ocean Atlantic and 

passengers alike were glad to at last reach some 

calmer waters. Guests were told at the recap the 

evening before that early morning, we would be 

travelling through the Neumayer Channel – 

arguably one of the most scenic and spectacular 

channels in all of the peninsula. Shortly after six 

am, the early sun was kissing the summits of the 

surrounding peaks. The tallest mountain on the 

peninsula could just be seen with a pink sunny 

summit. Rising to 2826m high, Mount Francais is 

often shrouded in cloud and obscured from view. 

Those out on deck early were treated to an 

amazing morning. 



Today was also the first chance for the kayaking 

program participants to acquaint themselves with 

their kayaks and explore the waters and ice in 

Dorian Bay near Damoy Point and Jougla Point 

near the entrance to Peltier Channel. The weather 

was spectacular and by lunchtime everyone had 

forgotten about the ‘spicy’ Drake Passage crossing. 

During lunch, the Ocean Atlantic re-positioned to 

Port Lockroy. The incredible weather stayed with 

us as the guests split between visiting the restored 

buildings of the early British scientific station on 

Goudier Island and embarking on a scenic zodiac 

cruise. 

The first excursion of the day was at a place called 

Damoy Point. A well maintained hut on shore is of 

keen interest for anyone visiting. This area was 

used as a staging post for the British Antarctic 

Survey. On the ice shelf nearby, there is a runway 

from which scientists could be flown south to 

Rothera Station and beyond without waiting for 

the sea ice to clear. A colony of Gentoo penguins 

were the first animals seen by many of the happy 

guests on board. 




Today, the Bransfield House is used as a museum, 

gift shop and post office. When the base was 

established. Goudier Island was attached to 

nearby Wiencke Island by a glacier, but this has 

since retreated sufficiently for the island now to 

stand alone in the harbour. A quick but thorough 

re-cap featured Sam, Isabelle, Sanna and Ab 

before the dinner bell sounded and the dining 

room became a boisterous and noisy gathering of 

very happy guests and expedition staff. Without 

doubt, a spectacular first day in Antarctica! 


The Geological Structure of the Antarctic Peninsula 

David Macdonald, Lecturer (Geology) & Expedition Guide 

This cartoon shows what the Antarctic Peninsula looked like 100 million years ago (mya). The main points to 

note are: 

• The peninsula was a continuation of the Andes. They were connected until 35 mya 

• The peninsula was a volcanic arc from about 200 mya3 until about 25 mya 

• Volcanism ended 50 mya in the south and 20 mya off Brabant Island 

• Only the South Shetlands Islands have any volcanic activity now 

15 

There are three main geological domains, each formed of multiple rock units: 

1. The basement domain (grey and brown colours) contains sediments scraped off the ocean floor which were 

changed by heat and pressure (metamorphosed) in the subduction zone and during folding and 

deformation. These metamorphic rocks span a wide range of ages from 299-65 mya. They tend to be older 

on the east coast of the peninsula. These rocks are best seen in Paradise Harbour, at the shag colony near 

Brown Station. 

2. The igneous domain contains rocks crystallised from magma. This includes both plutonic rocks (where the 

magma crystallised slowly within the earth’s crust) and volcanic rocks (where the magma was erupted as 

lava and ash). Again, the rocks span a wide range of ages from about 210-25 mya, and the younger rocks 

tend to be in the west. These are the commonest rocks seen in the Peninsula and are well displayed in the 

South Shetland Islands (e.g. Half Moon Island, or Yankee Harbour) or on the peninsula (e.g. Cuverville 

Island). Plutonic rocks form Goudier Island at Port Lockroy. 

3. The sedimentary domain contains rocks eroded from the volcanic arc and deposited in sedimentary basins, 

either on the eastern, Weddell Sea side (in a very large structure called the Larsen Basin), or in smaller 

basins to the west (the largest of which is the Fossil Bluff Basin on Alexander Island). Sedimentary rocks are 

not seen on most peninsula cruises (unless they visit the area of James Ross Island), although there are 

sedimentary rocks with abundant fossils interbedded with volcanic rocks west of Hannah Point, in Walker 

Bay. 



Day 5 – In the Footsteps of Charcot 

26 February 2020 – Peterman Island and Port Charcot 

16 

It was an especially early wake up call for an 

especially exceptional view. At 6:00 am we rose to 

Sam’s voice on the loudspeaker announcing our 

transit through the Lemaire Channel. World 

famous, and for good reason, this was not an 

event to be missed for a bit more sleep, so we 

bounced out of bed for a viewing on the bow. 

With a few high clouds to offset the orange sky 

and the sun rising behind the mountains, we 

threaded the needle through the narrow channel. 

A rainbow appeared, backdropped by the charcoal 

clouds; we couldn’t have asked for a more 

beautiful morning. 

At lunch there was a barbecue on the back deck 

that trumped all other barbeques! What can beat 

the sweet smells of summer picnics to be eaten 

whilst cruising amongst icebergs? 

@ Amanda Dalsgaard 

Breakfast was at the usual 7-8 am slot and we 

quickly got ready for the morning’s excursion at 

Petermann Island. As we approached the shore, 

we could see a cross to the left along the beach 

commemorating three British researchers that had 

perished crossing the sea ice. On the shore, the 

red flags led us to a fork in the path with a high 

viewpoint over an iceberg-filled bay to the left and 

to the right we met our first Adelle colony. Ab was 

there to tell us the differences © Sandra Petrowitz between the Adelle 

and Gentoo penguins. 



The afternoon excursion was a landing at Port 

Charcot and a cruise through Pleneau Bay- an 

iceberg graveyard, where “icebergs go to die”. On 

our walk as we crested over the sun cupped 

snowfield to the iceberg laden bay at the back, we 

came upon many penguins that had been ravaged. 

The mystery was, why were they killed and not 

eaten?. A mad fur seal was the suspect as they are 

the only kind of seal that could move fast enough 

to impose such damage on a colony. It was a sad 

sight and a disturbing part of nature to witness. 

The zodiac cruise amongst the icebergs in Pleneau 

Bay was an antithetical contrast with a magical 

meander amongst the crystalline shapes melting 

out from the large blocks that not long ago were 

stranded on the shallow ocean floor. 

At 18:00 we had another chance to cross the 

Lemaire Channel and this time in the evening light. 

We had a group picture taken on the bow of the 

ship by Shayne; it will be great to remember all 

our new friends that we met on this journey. 

The evening ended with Rose’s entertaining 

banter over a bingo game and her all too 

memorable cue to ring out an emphatic “WOW” 

whenever mock amazement is required. For the 

duration of the trip, the occasional “WOW” could 

be heard ringing out from the dinner tables. 

Another amazing day in Antarctica and fun was 

enjoyed by all. 



Paradise Harbour 

Paradise 

Harbour 

Chinstrap penguins 

Paradise Harbour 

Neko Harbour 


All photos © Sandra Petrowltz 


When and How the Earth Got Cold 


The Earth’s climate has two end-member states: 

greenhouse and icehouse. In a greenhouse climate, 

there are no polar icecaps (although there may be 

valley glaciers in high mountain areas) – the climate of 

the Cretaceous Period (144-65 million years ago) is a 

typical greenhouse. We are currently in an icehouse 

climate, since there are icecaps at or near both poles. 

Although life on Earth goes back 3.5 billion years, the 

main expansion in numbers of species and hence of 

easily found fossils occurred 540 million years ago. 

During the time from then until now, greenhouse 

climates have dominated, with three periods of 

icehouse climate, lasting a total of about 100 million 

years. Our current icehouse period began abruptly 35 

million years ago, with formation of an icecap in 

Antarctica. Why did it happen then, and why did it have 

such an abrupt beginning? 

Water temperature (°C) 

Antarctic convergence 

October 2019 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

54 56 58 60 62 64 

Latitude (°S) 

18 

Figure 2: Temperatures in the Drake Passage from Friday 25 

October to Sunday 27 October 2019 as Ocean Atlantic sailed south 

across the Antarctic Convergence, where the sea temperature falls 

below 4°C. 

It was the severing of the link between the Antarctic 

Peninsula and Tierra del Fuego that allowed deep cold 

water to circulate around the planet at 50-60°S and 

thermally isolate Antarctica from the rest of the world. 

This situation continues today (Figure 1) 

The key area for this was the Drake Passage, which is 

the western end of the Scotia Sea (Figure 3). Geological 

and geophysical studies of the sea floor show that the 

Antarctica-South America link was severed by the 

growth of ocean crust, beginning 35 million years ago. 

Opening of this deep-water gateway cooled the planet 

and turned Antarctica into the white continent. 

Figure 1: Thermal structure of the Southern Ocean showing the 

position of the Antarctic Convergence (Polar Front) at the junction 

of the dark blue and mid blue shading. This is the line of the 4°C 

isotherm, where Antarctic surface water plunges below cold 

temperate water. 

The first, and most important factor was that we had a 

polar continent. Antarctica was in roughly its present 

position over the South Pole, so would have had 

strongly differentiated winters and summers. However, 

although the former supercontinent of Gondwana had 

largely broken up by then, there was still a land bridge 

to South America and Antarctica was still forested, 

probably with a migratory fauna. Warm currents bathed 

Antarctica’s shores and, 35 million years ago, the 

temperature of the Southern Ocean was a relatively 

mild 6°C. 


Figure 3: The Drake Passage and the Scotia Sea formed from 50 

million years ago, when there was slow extension between South 

America and the Antarctic Peninsula which stretched the crust and 

allowed surface waters to circulate through this former land 

bridge. The temperature of the southern Ocean fell from 12°C to 

6°C between 50-35 million years ago, then abruptly fell to 0°C 

when the deep water gateway of the scotia Sea opened, sundering 

the link between Antarctica and South America and allowing 

continuous circulation of deep water, thermally isolating 

Antarctica. 


Day 6- The White Continent 

27 February 2020 – Paradise Bay and Neko Harbour 

19 

Waking up knowing that today is the day that we 

would land on the Antarctic mainland, we checked 

outside of our windows with baited breath to check 

if the weather would hold. The luck we have had so 

far held strong, and the surface of the water was 

mirror calm apart from the ripples left from the ship. 


We sailed into Paradise Harbour and away onto the 

zodiacs with the standard full split of half the group 

on land and the other half zodiac cruising. This was 

with the exception of the kayakers who were 

enjoying their forth outing of the voyage. 

On the zodiacs, we travelled around the rocky 

cliffs covered in beautiful lichens and algae to a 

Blue-eyed shag colony with many chicks just 

starting to leave their nests and settling on ice 

bergs all around. We proceeded into Skontorp 

Cove where we had views of the incredible glacier 

fronts and witnessed first-hand the power of the 

polar icecap through various calving events. 

The afternoon brought us another Humpback 

whale on our way to Neko Harbour. We took a 

narrow channel sailing past the colourfully painted 

Chilean base Gonzalez Videla, on our way towards 

our afternoon location. At this point, we no longer 

believe the expedition team and their dire 

warnings that Antarctic weather can be bad as we 

can see for miles across this perfect bay. Landing 

on a gravel beach we are spoilt with a larger 

colony of gentoos either rearing their fluffy chicks 

or else trying to conserve energy as they moult 

away their last years feathers. Another viewpoint 

and some relaxing peace and quiet. 

@AmandaDalsgaard 


At the landing site, a set of stairs lead us up and 

through the Argentinian ‘Brown Station’, where a 

small colony of Gentoo penguins resided and the 

expedition team organised a route up to a stunning 

viewpoint. Everywhere we looked there were 

glaciers, ice and mountains, perfectly reflected in the 

mirror that the sea has become. Meanwhile, the 

staff told stories of the peculiar situation of the 

bases doctor having burned it down after a long year 

away from his love. 

On the water as well as the normal icebergs the 

harbour seems to be filled with tiny wilsons storm 

petrels dancing on the surface of the water picking 

up tiny krill as they go in a pure masterclass in 

precision. To top it off a mother and calf 

humpback whale. 

Once everyone was back on-board, the outdoor 

activities were not quite finished yet Polar plunge 

began, and 78 of us having apparently lost our 

minds in the sun, deciding to jump from our warm 

ship into the icy water. 



Port Charcot 

@Sandra Petrowitz 

Gentoo Chics 



Humpback 

Crabeater Seal 




Port Charcot 


Volume 2, Issue 14 

@Sandra Petrowitz

Fire in the Antarctic 

Gregers Gjersøe, Snowshoe Master & Expedition Guide 

Fire is one of the greatest threats in Antarctica thanks to 

the region’s very dry climate, frequent strong winds, 

and nearly complete lack of liquid freshwater. Due to 

the continent’s isolation with and little possibility of 

rescue for weeks or months, a fire in the Antarctic is a 

potentially very disastrous event. 

Although it is covered in snow and ice, the cold 

temperatures of Antarctica make the White Continent 

very dry. As it is one of the windiest places on Earth, 

there is almost always a strong wind blowing much of 

the time, more than strong enough to fan any flames. 

As the temperatures across the whole continent of 

Antarctica is averaging below freezing, there is unlikely 

to be very much liquid water to fight fires. So, the 

response to fire is usually to make sure everyone is out 

of danger and safe and then stand back and watch it 

burn itself out. 

Bases in Antarctica are often designed to survive fires 

because they are made up of a number of separate 

buildings, each with a significant distance between 

them. Many bases have emergency supplies stored in a 

hut near the base but well away. In these huts, there 

are often enough supplies and ample shelter for the 

base’s crew to be able to survive a fire or emergency 

until help can arrive. 

The Argentine Antarctic base and scientific research 

station, “Brown Station,” is named after Admiral 

William Brown, the father of the Argentine Navy. 

21 

Located on the Sanaviron Peninsula along Paradise 

Harbour’s Danco Coast, from 1951 to 1984 it served as 

a permanent research base, though, since then, it is 

open only during the summer season. 

During its heyday, the station was home to one of the 

most complete biology laboratories on the Antarctic 

Peninsula, featuring a main house, as well as an 

additional building exclusively for scientific research. 

This building was equipped with three labs, a 

photography workshop, an emergency radio station, an 

office and a library. 

Unfortunately, Brown Station’s original facilities were 

burned down by the station’s doctor on 12 April 1984 

after he was ordered to stay on for yet another winter, 

despite the original terms of his contract and his desire 

to see his fiancé once again. As you can imagine, the 

stress of Antarctica’s harsh winter conditions can take 

its toll on residents and explorers of the region, driving 

them to take extreme measures to get back home. 

The doctor simply couldn’t bear to stay on for another 

winter and he couldn’t stand the isolation as the days 

drew darker. His solution? To force an evacuation of 

himself and his colleagues in the only way plausible 

manner: by burning the station down. 

After the fire, the station’s personnel were rescued by 

the USS Hero and taken to United States’ Palmer 

Station. Argentina later rebuilt the base, but it is now 

only occupied during the summer months. The station’s 

doctor was sent to prison for arson and his fiancé 

decided to call off the engagement. 

© Werner Kruse 



Day 7- The Final Stop Among the South Shetlands 

28 February 2020 – Halfmoon Island and Whalers Bay 


On our last day of excursions, we were starting to get 

used to our routine: an early morning wake up, zodiac 

embarkation, landings, and recap, but all of that could 

not prepare us for the excitement that the day ahead 

would bring. Although we have had very warm 

weather in the previous days, today, true Antarctic 

conditions appeared with snow and cold ocean wind 

on our faces. 

Signs of the explosive history of this volcanic caldera 

tinge the ice and earth here, giving the landscape a 

dark, ashy complexion. Deception Island has a long 

human history as well. The harbour was first used by 

British and American sealers who used Deception as a 

hunting base for fur seals. Over the years the 

populations of fur seals were disseminated in the 

South Shetland Islands and the sealers moved to new 

areas. They were then replaced by the whalers who 

arrived in the early 1900’s. Like the sealers, the 

whalers used the bay as safe and protected place to 

process their catch. By 1912, the Norwegian Hektor 

Whaling Company established a permanent land 

station to process the whale carcasses more 

efficiently. Once whale oil lost its value in the market 

place, the whaling station shut-down and was 

abandoned in 1931. 


The day began at Halfmoon Island, which is 

predominantly inhabited by chinstrap penguins, 

forming several colonies throughout the crescentshaped 

land. The chicks present were grown and 

molting, showing a very fun, slightly awkward, ‘hairstyle’. 

We watched as their parents comically popped 

onto the rocky shore as they came back to their 

colony after feeding out at sea. 

Those who were not on land, enjoyed a short Zodiac 

cruise around the scenic coastline. The brief 

appearance of a shy Minke Whale made us smile, 

while we also got the chance to observe some 

friendly fur seals pups jumping in and out of the 

water. 

After a beautiful morning, we embarked back onto 

the Ocean Atlantic and sailed along the northern 

edge of the Bransfield Strait towards Deception 

Island. Onboard, after enjoying another fabulous 

lunch in the Vinland Restaurant, many people headed 

to the outer decks to experience the dramatic 

Neptune’s Bellows- the entrance way to the active 

caldera and Deception Island. 


The caldera was particularly rich with life this 

afternoon – a marked juxtaposition to the skeletons 

of the old Norwegian whaling station rusting on 

shore. We also roamed the shores of Deception 

Island, dwarfed by the landscape surrounding us; In 

awe of the history that had come and gone. 

Upon arrival, the initial wind and the swell in the 

waters of the Whalers Bay caused some concern, but 

our experienced Zodiac drivers felt confident in their 

ability to handle the conditions. Luckily enough, the 

wind and the swell more or less abated, and we 

enjoyed a stunning cruise with a bright sunset over 

the caldera’s ridge. We spotted a handful of cheeky 

chinstrap penguins walking very close to the fur seals, 

while some blue eyed shags watched us from the 

cliffs inside the bay before we wrapped up the 

afternoon and headed back to the ship. 



Molting Chinstrap 

Neptune’s Bellows 

23 


Half-moon Island 



Blue-eyed shags 




Detaille Provisions 

Deception Island 

Base ¨W¨ 


Gentoo 

Neumayer Channel 


Leopard Seal 





Day 8- Northward Bound 

29 Februrary 2020 – Drakes Passage, At Sea 

25 

Our first day at sea on our way back to Ushuaia 

started with the well-known wake-up call by Sam 

at 7:45 am. With light winds and a cloudy sky, it 

seemed to be a relatively calm day on the Drake 

Passage. Breakfast was followed by an informative 

lecture by Sanna about the physical natural history 

of Antarctica. Sanna shared her knowledge of ice, 

rocks and Antarctic glaciers with us all. 


Following the lecture, our stretching master and 

dance teacher Rashida, offered an invigorating 

stretch class in the Bistro. The class was just what 

we needed after over a week of enjoying tasty 

food prepared by our talented chefs onboard. 

Roughly thirty of us left with a big smile and a 45- 

minute workout completed. 

In the afternoon, Amanda invited us back into the 

Viking Theater to learn all about the six different 

types of seals that are found in the Southern 

Ocean. And before we knew it, it was the most 

important time of day again- teatime! The galley 

team served a beautiful assortment of cakes, 

sandwiches and even ice cream Sundays! 


Our daily recap followed and was rather intriguing. 

First, Sam told us the story of the Ocean Atlantic 

and it´s turbulent history. Being built in Russia in 

1986 and launched in 1987, the ship has travelled 

as far as the Eastern coast of Russia, where it 

served as a ferry to and from Japan. The story 

behind cabin no 502 was interesting as well. In the 

year 2000, soon after the Russian election, 

Vladimir Putin took the Ocean Atlantic on a oneweek 

holiday together with his wife and his two 

daughters. In 2017, Albatros Expeditions started 

running trips on the OA to Antarctica and around 

the Arctic regions. 

Following the ship’s history, Christoph made us all 

laugh during his amusing recap about penguin 

poop and the pressure behind the action. Ab, one 

of our birders on board, emphasized the 

impressive wingspan of the seabirds we have seen 

during our trip. To help us visualize the size of 

these birds, he used a rope stretched across the 

room to exemplify the wingspans of these birds 

and left us speechless after seeing the wingspan of 

a wandering Albatross. The largest flying bird on 

our planet with a wingspan of 3.5 meters! 


Shelli wrapped up the recap by revealing the 

secrets held within the big, red waterproof bags 

that went ashore for every landing. In case of a 

rapid weather change where it would be 

impossible to get back to the ship, the bags 

contain emergency equipment such as food, 

emergency blankets and bothy bags (similar to a 

parachute that turns into a tent), water bottles 

and toilet paper. After dinner, Karaoke provided 

all onboard with another successful and 

entertaining evening event in the Viking Theatre. 



Gentoo & Adelie 


Fur Seal 

@SandraPetrowitz 

Humpbacks 



Lemaire Channel 



Antarctica: A Continent for Science 


Until the advent of mass tourism, Antarctica’s tagline was: “A continent for science”. 

Antarctica affects the rest of the world in a variety of 

ways, so “Antarctic Science” should really be “Global 

science that happens in Antarctica”. Although many 

early expeditions were purely geographical in scope, 

there were some important scientific expeditions in the 

late 19 th to early 20 th centuries. In this “Golden Age” of 

exploration, there were many scientific contributions 

from Antarctica which changed our view of the earth’s 

evolution and environment. 

27 

As a result of these organisations and better logistics, 

the rate of scientific discovery soared, and new polarspecific 

studies proliferated. Some highlights include: 

• 1957-58: The International Geophysical Year (IGY) 

was an 18-month collaboration between 67 

countries. Antarctica was the focus, with 12 nations 

participating. Many new scientific stations were 

created and the IGY was a resounding success as it 

led directly to the Antarctic Treaty 

Indeed, three expeditions brought back proof that 

Antarctica once had a warm climate. Scott’s first 

expedition (1901-1904) found coal from 250 million 

years ago in the Transantarctic Mountains; 

Nordenskjӧld’s Swedish Antarctic Expedition found 

warm-water fossils on James Ross Island; and the Scotia 

Expedition under Bruce (1902-1904) dredged 

fossiliferous 500 million-year-old limestone from the 

Weddell Sea. Scott’s second expedition (1910-1913) 

found fossil leaves(Glossopteris) in the Transantarctic 

Mountains. These fossils belong to an extinct order of 

seed ferns from 299-252 million years ago, only found 

in the southern hemisphere continents and India. They 

were used by Wegener in 1924 in his work on 

continental drift to reconstruct the former 

supercontinent of Gondwana. 

In the years after the First World War, the focus 

changed from individual expeditions to national 

pursuits, such as the British Discovery Investigations – 

the first permanent oceanographic body in the world. 

During 33 years (1918–51) of pioneering work, the 

research ships collected an enormous amount of 

oceanographic, biological, and geographical data. 

Among the results of the investigations was the 

discovery of both the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the 

Antarctic Convergence - the natural boundary of 

Antarctica. 

By the end of the Second World War, the move to 

create national organisations was complete, with the 

formation of the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey 

(now British Antarctic Survey), the Australian National 

Research Expeditions) and other civilian operations 

(France, New Zealand, South Africa, etc). 

• 1959-1996: The discovery and delineation of 

subglacial Lake Vostok is a great example of scientific 

cooperation. Lab studies showed that ice under very 

high pressure reverts to water and in 1964, seismic 

soundings from Vostok Station were used to 

measure the thickness of the ice sheet. This 

suggested the existence of a subglacial lake. British 

airborne ice-penetrating radar in the 1970s detected 

unusual radar readings, suggesting a freshwater lake 

below the ice. In 1991, a radar satellite revealed 

that this subglacial water body is one of the world’s 

largest lakes. We now know that there are at least 

140 subglacial lakes in Antarctica. 

• 1980-present: The US-funded collection and curation 

of Antarctic meteorites has recovered about 22,000 

meteorites from Antarctica (about 75% of all known 

meteorites worldwide). There are samples from the 

Moon, Mars, and asteroids. 

• 1985: In hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica was 

discovered from ground-based instruments at Halley 

Bay and Faraday (British Antarctic Survey). 

• 1986: Research at McMurdo Station, the main U.S. 

scientific station in Antarctica, established that 

chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as the probable cause of 

the Antarctic ozone hole (US NSF). These two bits of 

work lead to signing of the Madrid Protocol on 1987, 

banning CFCs. 



Whalers Bay 

Whalers Bay 



Gentoos 

Elephant Seal 



Neptunes Bellows 




A Brief History of the Zodiac 

Steve Traynor, Zodiac Master 

In expedition cruising, the most important tool we use is the Zodiac inflatable boat. These manoeuvrable, 

reliable, robust vessels are the workhorse of the expedition cruise industry, from the north of Svalbard to 

the southern end of the Antarctic Peninsula. They have a long history – as you can see from the stages 

below, many different inventions needed to come together to create the craft we use today. 

1838 Charles Goodyear (USA) discovered the process for vulcanising rubber (a US patent was granted 

in 1844) – this process is used for hardening and strengthening rubber. 

1843 Goodyear’s process was stolen by Thomas Hancock (UK) using the process of reverse 

engineering; less controversially, Hancock invented the “masticator” – a machine for re-using 

rubber scraps – this made the rubber industry much more efficient. 

1845 The first successful inflatable boat (Halkett boat) was designed by Lieutenant Peter Halkett 

(UK), specifically for Arctic operations. Halkett Boats were used by the Orcadian explorer, John 

Rae, in his successful expedition to discover the fate of the Franklin Expedition. 

1866 Four men made the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean from New York to Britain on a threetube 

inflatable raft. 

1896 The original Zodiac company was founded by Maurice Mallet (France) to produce airships. 

1909 The first outboard motor was invented by Ole Evinrude in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

1912 The loss of the Titanic and subsequent shipping losses during World War 1 proved the need for 

inflatable rafts for use as supplementary lifeboats. 

1919 RFD firm (UK) and the Zodiac company (France) started building inflatable boats. 

1934 The airship company, Zodiac, invented the inflatable kayak and catamaran 

1942 The Marine Raiders – an elite unit of the US Marine Corps – used inflatable boats to carry out 

raids and landings in the Pacific theatre. 

1950 Alain Bombard first combined the outboard engine, a rigid floor and an inflatable boat (built by 

the Zodiac company). 

1952 Alain Bombard crossed the Atlantic Ocean with his inflatable; after this, his good friend, the 

famous diver Jacques-Yves Cousteau, started using them. 

1960 Zodiac licensed production to a dozen companies in other countries because of their lack of 

manufacturing capacity in France. 

29 



Day 9- The Beagle Channel 

1 March 2020 – Drake Passage 

We enjoyed a nice chance to sleep-in until 7:45 

am. The Drake was much more lively this morning 

with long rolling swells rolling us back and forth in 

our beds, and once upright we often were walking 

at an angle to keep balance. 

In the morning Expedition team member Lisa, held 

a presentation on the details of the Antarctic 

Treaty. Throughout the morning the birders were 

our on deck hoping to get a glimpse of more 

albatrosses, however conditions were a bit 

challenging, nice to get some fresh air though. 

In the afternoon the kayakers had a debrief of 

their great adventures gliding along the surface of 

the sea, dipping their paddles left and right. Such a 

surreal experience to be fulling immerged in the 

ocean of Antarctica, so close and personal. They 

shared photos and experiences together, all put 

together 22 individuals had the chance to explore 

the icy waters of Antarctica. 

In the late afternoon we had a slideshow of all of 

Sandra’s photos from the expedition. Such a 

talented photographer; she really captured all our 

experiences in crystal clear stillness for us to 

remember forever. 

The charity raffle was fun and managed to raise a 

beneficial sum for the important charities we have 

learned about. 

The evening events were literally ‘capped’ off with 

a toast from our Captain, a farewell to the hotel 

team, and a cast back of the recaps of all recaps 

with Sam walking us through the nine last amazing 

days of our lives. 

The Captain’s dinner was our last “festival” for the 

trip and our last grand display and consumption of 

chocolate as well as to enjoy our new friends 

made on the ship. Tomorrow we will be saying 

good-bye, and hopefully in the future a new hello 

again. 

30 




Ushuaia 



Cape Petrel 


Drake Passage 




Humpback Whales 






King of the Southern Winds 

Sandra Ophorst, Lecturer & Expedition Guide 

32 

The wandering albatross is an impressive bird with the 

world’s largest wingspan of up to 3.5 meters in length 

and a weight of up to 11 kilograms. Unfortunately, the 

number of wandering albatrosses is rapidly declining 

with only 20,100 individuals left as of October 2019 

(Red List, World Conservation Union) 

The wandering albatross is rarely seen on land and 

gathers only to breed, at which time it forms large 

colonies on remote islands, such as South Georgia. The 

female lays a single white egg and both sexes share 

incubation, which lasts about 60 to 80 days. Both sexes 

feed the youngster by regurgitating food, a process 

that can continue for up to nine months. 

The nesting cycle of wandering albatrosses is so long, 

they can’t complete it in one year. So, they nest every 

other year. When young albatrosses become 

independent and leave their nest site, they begin a 

multi-year foray on the open ocean and will not return 

to land until they are old enough to breed. This can 

take up to 10 years of their 50 year average lifespan. 

The wandering albatross is famous for its dynamic 

flight. They turn into the wind to gain height, then glide 

back down to the sea to gain speed. Sometimes they 

glide for hours without rest or even a single flap of 

their wings. Indeed, this principle was used to design 

airplanes, especially gliders that have albatross-like 

wings. 

As a result of these wings, however, an albatross’ 

landing process often looks a bit comical as their 

narrow wings do not allow for a slow approach. So, 

they often land on their feet and then tumble forward 

and slide on their bellies. The biggest threats to the 

wandering albatross are pollution and large-scale 

commercial tuna fisheries. These tuna fishing boats are 

equipped with up to 20,000 fish baited hooks and 

these lines can be up to 100km long. 

Unfortunately, these fishing lines often attract 

albatrosses get caught up on the hooks and drown as 

they are cast out at sea. Organisations such as Hookpod 

are trying to save the albatrosses from the dangers of 

long line fishing vessels by providing fishing boats with 

“hookpods” that cover the barb and point of the hook 

during setting, reducing the likelihood of an albatross 

by-catch. 




Day 10- Home Again 

22 February 2020 - Ushuaia 

After last night’s end-of-voyage festivities, we awoke 

much too early for our final morning on the Ocean 

Atlantic. Although we wish we could stay, we started 

the process of leaving behind the ship and the people 

we’ve come to know so well over the past week. 

Our bags were packed and stowed in the corridors, 

ready for our early-morning busses and flights back 

home. After nine whole days immersed in the 

landscapes and amongst the wildlife of the Antarctic, 

it was time to return home or to wherever our life’s 

journeys bring us. 

And so – farewell, adieu, and goodbye. Together we 

have visited and incredible and vast wilderness. We 

have experienced magnificent mountain vistas, seen 

icebergs roll and crack, felt the power of the elements 

and seen how quickly they can change. We enjoyed 

wonderful food and comfortable surroundings aboard 

the Ocean Atlantic. 

33 

We boarded zodiacs and cruised through icy bays at 

the end of the Earth. We shared unique moments, 

held engaging conversations, and laughed together 

over tea or wine. We’ve made new friends and 

experienced the power of expedition travel. 

We hope the expedition team has helped make this 

the trip of a lifetime - one that will persist in your 

memories for weeks, months, and years, to come. 

Although we must say good-bye to these places we 

have come to know and love, it is a fond farewell as 

we are all true ambassadors for the Antarctic and all 

the beauty it holds. 

On behalf of Albatros Expeditions, our captain and 

crew, the expedition team, and everyone else who 

helped make this journey a resounding success, it has 

been a pleasure travelling with you. We hope that you 

will come back and experience these wonderful places 

with us once again! 



By the Numbers… 

34 

Voyage Statistics: 

Southernmost Point: 65 o 11.03’ S, 64 o 08. 14’W 

Total Distance Travelled: 2,147 nautical miles 3,864 kilometre 

Excursion Locations: 

Cuverville Island: 64 o 41’00’S 62 o 38’00’W 

Port Lockroy: 64 o 49’00’S 63 o 29’00’W 

Damoy Point: 64 o 49’00’S 63 o 29’00’W 

Deception Island: 62 o 59’ S 60 o 29’ W 

Port Charcot: 65 o 06’ S 64 o 01’ W 

Petermann Is: 

Whalers Bay: 

Ushuaia: 

Neko Harbour: 

Brown Station: 

65 o 10’ S 64 o 10’ W 

62 o 59’ S 60 o 34’ W 

54 o 45’ S 68 o 23’ W 

64 o 50’ S 62 o 33’ W 

64 o 53’ S 62 o 52’ W 

During our time on the M/V Ocean Atlantic, we consumed: 

Beef 

Lamb 

Pork 

Poultry 

Cold Cuts 

Fish & Seafood 

Eggs 

Milk 

Cheese 

Ice Cream 

Vegetables 

Fruit 

Wine 

Beer 

Toilet Paper 

477 kg 

119 kg 

400 kg 

300 kg 

55 kg 

391 kg 

4920 pcs 

418 ltr 

80 kg 

209 ltr 

1647 kg 

1874 kg 

311 btls 

1116 cans 

672 rolls 



A Final Note… 

35 

As any good expedition comes to a close, many of us experience the 

effervescent excitement that comes when we immerse ourselves 

completely in an adventure. Although we all came into this voyage with 

our own expectations and personal motivations, on the ship, we quickly 

learned that the best plan is the one that we end up doing. 

While weather and the landscape 

can conspire against us in the 

southern latitudes, the right mindset 

can make all of the difference. 

Wind, rain, sleet, and snow make no 

difference when we come prepared 

for an adventure and all the 

excitement it holds. Whether you 

saw what you came for or you 

experienced something else 

entirely, when you set out on an 

expedition, you come for the 

mountains and the wildlife, but stay 

for people and places you meet 

along the way. 

Although we all eventually have to 

leave behind our beloved Ocean 

Atlantic, there are always a few 

things we can take home from an 

expedition: 

• An acceptance and embracement 

of adversity and uncertainty 

when the natural world alters 

our plans. 

• A fondness for the wild and a 

strong desire to keep remote 

natural locations as beautiful and 

free as they can be. 

• An insatiable interest in learning 

more about the people, places, 

and cultures in some of the most 

remote parts of the world. 

As you unpack you bags, you may 

find souvenirs and keepsakes from 

your journey. Your camera may be 

filled with countless photos, 

however blurry, of the many 

animals and mountains that have 

crossed our paths. At the end of the 

day, however, what matters most is 

the experience of, the journey to, 

and the memories of these wild and 

wonderful places. 

Best wishes from all of us on the 

expedition team as you continue on 

with your adventures! 

Sam Gagnon 

Expedition Leader 

Barbara Post 

Assistant Expedition Leader 

Thank you for experiencing the Antarctic with us at Albatros 

Expeditions. We hope to see you aboard the Ocean Atlantic 

again in the future! 

Shelli Ogilvy 

Assistant Expedition Leader

South Shetlands & The Antarctic Peninsula 22 Feb 2020 - 14

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