V10 - Antarctic Peninsula_VOYAGE LOG

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

2020 

Volume 2, Issue 10 

The Albatross 

Magazine 

A Visual Journey 

South Shetlands 

& Antarctic Peninsula 

The Journey of a 

Lifetime 

THE OFFICIAL VOYAGE LOG OF

Albatross Magazine: A Visual Journey 

Editor-in-Chief: 

Layout & Design: 

Contributing Writers: 

Traynor, Steve Egan, 

Front Cover Image: 

Back Cover Image: 

Photography Contributors: 

Sandra Ophorst 

Gaby Pilson, Sandra Ophorst 

Amanda Dalsgaard, Martin Schuster, Kim Schuster, Sandra Ophorst, Steve 

Thomas Bruuno, Steve Egan 

Renato Granieri 


Renato Granieri, Sandra Ophorst, Gaby Pilson 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

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: Approaching the Ice 

Ice is Nice – Glacier Fun Facts 

Whales: Friendly Giants of the Sea 

Day 4: Chasing Icebergs, Finding Penguins 

The Geological Structure of the Antarctic 

Peninsula 

Day 5: The White Continent 

When and How the Earth Got Cold 

Day 6: South, Way South 

Day 7: South Shetland Islands 

A Brief History of the Zodiac 

Antarctica: A Continent for Science 

Day 8: Northward Bound 

Fire in the Antarctic 

Day 9: Towards the Horn 

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 

12 

14 

15 

16 

17 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

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The Voyage 

The following map illustrates the approximate route taken by M/V Ocean Atlantic 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 us at Albatros Expeditions. 

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14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

Meet the Team 

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Phil Hunter 

Assistant Expedition 

Leader 

Jamie Watts 

Expedition Leader 

Marieke Egan 

Assistant Expedition 

Leader 

Thomas Bruun 

Kayak Guide 

Alejandro Ursino 

Lecturer & Guide 

Steve Egan 

Kayak Master 

Thomas Bauer 


Nadine Smith 

Shop Manager 

Slava Nikitin 

Kayak Master 

Guillaume de Remacle 



Photographer 

Steve Traynor 

First Aid Team Leader 

Marc Hebert 


Amanda Dalsgaard 


Martin Shuster 


Kim Schuster 


Kevin Burke 

Zodiac Master 

Chloe Zhang 

Shop Assistant 

Mariam Pousa 


Wan XX 

Translator & Guide 

Sandra Ophorst 


Jes (Yeti) Graugaard 

Ornithologist & Guide 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

5 

Southward Bound 

14 January 2019 - Embarkation Day 

Written by Sandra Ophorst 

This afternoon most of us were excited to embark 

the Ocean Atlantic in anticipation of our trip to the 

Antarctic Peninsula. At 14:00 the first bus arrived 

and the team on board welcomed us with bright 

smiles, a cocktail, and also some necessary 

paperwork. Afterwards everybody settled into 

their cabins, explored their new home for the next 

nine days, and enjoyed some afternoon tea. 

At 17:00 our Expedition Leader, Jamie Watts, 

invited us into the Viking Theatre for a mandatory 

safety briefing followed by a lifeboat drill. We all 

learned about SOLAS, Safety of Life at Sea, and 

were taken to our life boat stations simulating a 

general emergency. During dinner, the anchor was 

lifted and we set sail, leaving the Port of Ushuaia on 

our way to the Antarctic Peninsula! 

After a small break, during which we were able to 

explore our new home, we were invited once again 

into the Viking Theatre for an introduction to the 

ship and its key personnel. Our hotel director, 

Oliver, introduced the key people in the hotel 

department such as our food and beverage 

manager, purser, and head of housekeeping. Jamie 

then introduced us to the entire Expedition Team 

and also informed us that we could expect a ‘good 

drake’, meaning that the weather forecast for the 

crossing was good. 

Jamie also explained the difference between cruise 

ships and expedition ships, and it was clear that we 

were on the right vessel. We were at the start of a 

proper expedition voyage. 

At 19:00 the formalities were over and we all headed 

for dinner in the Vinland restaurant. The hotel team 

prepared a lovely buffet dinner and we spent the next 

hour or so mingling with some of our fellow travellers. 

After dinner, many of us went up to the outer decks to 

enjoy the scenic views of the Beagle Channel. The 

conditions were beautifully calm. 

True to Jamie’s word, the crossing began with calm 

seas, and we all fell into a restful sleep. 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

The Seven Sisters of Szczecin 

David Macdonald, Lecturer (Geology) & Expedition Guide 

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. 

6 

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. 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

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. 

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. 

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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. 

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. 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

Rolling Our Way South 

15 January 2020 – Drake Passage 

By Steve Egan 

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A wavy sea greeted us for our first full day 

together on Ocean Atlantic as she sailed surely 

southwards toward the promise of a snowy white 

continent, lost at the edge of the known world. A 

lovely breakfast as the skies brightened gave us a 

nutritious start for the events of the day. It was a 

relaxed start as many of us were still finding our 

sea legs as we rocked gently across the Drake 

Passage. 

Slava & Bruno paddled their wares at the 

preliminary Kayak briefing to a pretty packed 

crowd of keen potential Kayak program 

participants. Hopefully the weather gods would 

be kind & most would find the opportunity to 

paddle around the destinations on offer. A great 

lunch put on by our consistently creative galley 

team fueled us for an afternoon of further 

activities. 

Protection of Antarctica from introduced entities 

necessitated our biosecurity checks & Sandra 

hosted a most interesting knot-tying session for 

the nautically minded folks while waiting to be 

checked. Afternoon tea was welcome as the 

ocean settled to mild rocking & Renato zoomed 

in on teaching us some valuable image capturing 

techniques that would help us take home the 

memories of our experiences with his 

presentation in the Theatre. 

Our Prince of seabirds Gui rolled out an 

entertaining performance as engaging as the birds 

themselves, giving us a great taste of the 

encounters we could look forward to with these 

iconic creatures on our arrival in Antarctica. Time 

out on deck with Birdman Yeti & Gui was full of 

curious questions about our feathered friends & 

time ‘flew’, before we knew it, it was time for our 

‘Parka Party’ in the mudroom, where we 

distributed Albatros outer coats, complimentary 

for the journey, & generally had a fun social time 

in doing so. 

An official welcome to the voyage by Captain 

Mikolay with a lovely champagne toast 

highlighted a day of festivities & social moments, 

slipping us into a delightful evening meal as 

Ocean Atlantic steamed on south towards the 

horizon. 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN Volume 2, Issue 10

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. 

1 

2 

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. 

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3 

4 

5 

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. 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

Approaching the Ice 

16 January 2020 – Drake Passage & S. Shetland 

Islands 

Written by Thomas Bruun 

The morning started out quite rocky, as the 

storms, which we had been sailing in between for 

the past days, finally caught up with us. However, 

this didn't stop a lot of people from attending both 

the yoga and the meditation session in the 

morning. 

After the breakfast, Gui gave a fascinating 

presentation on the many different penguins in 

Antarctica. He talked about how to identify them, 

how fast they swim and much more. The lecture 

was followed by a mandatory Zodiac briefing on 

how to behave in these incredible sturdy boats. 

Right after, everybody joined the boot party, 

where they received a proper pair of boots to start 

the real adventure the day after. 

In the afternoon, it was finally time for a couple of 

hours of Continuous Medical Education (CME). 

Three key speakers each did a lecture on various 

medical topics. 

Later in the afternoon, Steve gave an introduction 

to the fascinating world of the whales in the 

Southern Hemisphere. He showed how to identify 

them and talked about mating rituals, whaling and 

the sounds of these remarkable creatures. 

Throughout the day, a very unusual amount of 

birds was spotted circling the ship. Yeti 

documented five different kind of albatrosses and 

four different kinds of petrels, including the 

Wilson's Storm Petrel, which is only the size of a 

big thumb. 

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During dinner, the sea finally calmed, and 

suddenly the first iceberg of the journey slowly 

floated past the windows, reflecting the evening 

sun and signaling the beginning of our icy 

adventure. The day ended with a game of 

charades with an Indian twist. 

After lunch, the kayak guides Slava and Bruno gave 

a secondary briefing on the kayak excursions and 

quite a lot of guests signed up to experience the 

incredible nature of Antarctica from a kayak. 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

Whales: Friendly Giants of the Sea 

Amanda Dalsgaard – Lecturer (Marine Biology) and Expedition Guide 

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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 word ‘ketos,’ meaning 

monster. 

Long ago, when whales were first scientifically 

observed and recorded, people believed they were 

monsters, due to their incredible size compared to 

humans. 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 in their mouth instead 

of teeth.. 

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. 

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. 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 

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. 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

Chasing Icebergs, Finding Penguins 

17 January 2020 – Kinnes Cove and Esperanza Station 


14 

In the morning we enjoyed a beautiful Zodiac Cruise 

around Kinnes Cove. While we were cruising we 

could see a huge Adelie colony and for the first time 

we saw icebergs around the Zodiacs. We enjoyed 

this scenery a lot and realized, that we are now 

really in Antarctica. The dream came true! 

It was breathtaking to see this amount of penguins 

on shore and around our Zodiacs were penguins 

constantly jumping out of the water. 

Historic hut – We are close to the history! 

We saw the ruins of a stone hut, which was built in 

January 1903 by members of the Swedish 

expedition. Otto Nordenskiöld was leading this 

Antarctic expedition. The stone hut we saw, was 

actually the home for 3 of the expedition members 

for almost one year. It was amazing to be at this 

place and almost being able to touch a part of 

Antarctic history. 

In the afternoon we visited the Esperanza Research 

Station. Esperanza Base is a permanent, all yeararound 

Argentine research station which was 

established in 1952. It is operated by the Instituto 

Antartico Argentino and has an average of 55 

inhabitants during the winter. 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10


Volume 2, Issue 10 


The Geological Structure of the Antarctic Peninsula 


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. 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

The White Continent 

18 January 2020 – Hydrurga Rocks & Cierva Cove 

By Sandra Ophorst 

After the breakfast we started another exciting day in 

Antarctica. Jamie and the expedition team called our 

colour groups to the gangway and we all went on 

shore at a place calles “Hydrurga Rocks”. 

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This little island is located at the eastern side of of Two 

Hummock Island, in the northern Gerlache Strait. 

Hydrurga Rocks were named by the British in 1960 for 

the Leopard seal, Hydrurga leptonyx, which was 

probably spotted offshore waiting for dinner to come 

swimming. 

We saw a colony of Chinstrap penguins and also some 

Weddell seals resting on the island. Even one elephant 

seal was resting on the rocks. The expedition team 

prepared a flagged route for us and we walked over a 

snow field and enjoyed the penguin chicks, the seals 

and the stunning views around the island. Some of us 

just sat down and enjoyed the surroundings. 

In the afternoon we did a Zodiac Cruise at Cierva Cove, 

which is located on Graham Land on the Antarctic 

Peninsula. We saw a huge amount of icebergs of all 

shapes, sizes and colours. The cove is the site of a 

glacial face that regularly calves ice, which we clearly 

saw. Some of us got very lucky and saw humpback 

whales. The regular calving of the glacier results in 

conditions that support a habitat for mammals and 

penguins. 

In the later afternoon an incredible amount of brave 

people jumped into the cold Antarctic waters with not 

even 2°C. Congratulations to this brave Polar-Plunge!! 

Back on board we enjoyed our barbecue lunch and 

many of us were sitting together and talking about all 

the beautiful impressions of the morning. 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10


When and How the Earth Got Cold 

David Macdonald, Leturer (Geology) & Expedition Guide 

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) 

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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. 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

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. 

Volume 2, Issue 10

South, Way South 

19 January 2020 – Port Lockroy, Lemaire Channel & Pleneau 

Bay 

Written by Martin Schuster 

Our third day of expedition travel on the Antarctic 

peninsula began with an early morning 

announcement from Jamie. We had arrived at Port 

Lockroy, a beautifully restored British Antarctic 

Survey station. Before our landing at the base we 

had a briefing by an expedition guide, Gui, who told 

us all about the rules and regulations for visitors. Gui 

spent four months last year living and working at 

Port Lockroy and regaled us with a few stories from 

his time there. 

19 

After a delicious lunch we were invited onto the bow 

of the ship for our transit through the Lemaire 

Channel. This narrow body of water is one of the 

most photographed areas on the Antarctic 

Peninsula, and for good reason. Many 3,000 foot 

peaks rose high on either side of the channel and 

glaciers poured into the sea. After some sight-seeing 

our photographer, Renato, asked us to pose for a 

group photo on the bow in one of the most scenic 

areas of the channel. 

Upon our arrival on shore we were greeted by the 

station staff and hundreds of baby Gentoo penguins. 

The Gentoo chicks were quite lively, calling for their 

parents loudly and waddling to and fro. They made 

great photography subjects as its basically impossible 

to take a bad picture of a fuzzy little penguin chick. 

The museum at Port Lockroy is a snapshot in time, 

taking visitors back to a typical day in 1950s 

Antarctica. The shop, radio room, and galley were 

immaculately restored and it seemed to us that the 

crew had left just moments before. We were also 

able to purchase a variety of memorabilia and 

clothing from the gift shop and we took full 

advantage of the opportunity. 

We didn’t know it at the time but our day was about 

to take an unexpected scenic turn. At the southern 

end of the Lemaire Channel is Pleneau Bay, an area 

normally choked with icebergs. Pleneau Bay is 

known as the most scenic zodiac cruise in Antarctica 

and we were about to find out why. The Captain was 

able to carefully maneuver into the bay, giving us an 

opportunity to explore the place where icebergs 

come to die. We spent the evening buzzing from one 

iceberg to the next, astonished at the variety of 

shapes and sizes. We were all sad to return to the 

ship after this amazing experience, but were also 

excited for our next and last day of expedition travel. 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

© Renato Granieri 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, 2, Issue Issue 108

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, 2, Issue Issue 108

South Shetland Islands & Elephant Seals 

20 January 2020– Robert Point 

Written by Kim Schuster 

. 

The last excursion day began at sea where guests 

were able to view penguins happily bouncing around 

in the ocean and beautiful icebergs as we began our 

journey north. Our expedition leader, Jamie, briefed 

guests on the plan for the day, including a 

description of Robert Point, the location of our final 

shore landing on Antarctica. Guests were then able 

to enjoy presentations by Thomas and Steve 

followed up by a delicious lunch in the Vinland 

Restaurant. 

20 

Guests then continued on to a small chinstrap 

penguin colony, where they were able to snap a few 

photos before heading down to a small protected 

beach. On either side of the beach were nesting 

Giant Petrels, who were sitting on nests on rocky 

cliffs high above. 

In the early afternoon we had arrived at our 

destination, and everyone was eager to get ashore. 

Guests were met by a group of elephant seals piled 

on the beach, our first sighting of these impressive 

animals. Southern elephant seals are the largest seal 

in the world, and one of the deepest diving with 

depths recorded up to 2,500 meters! These 

organisms also undergo a catastrophic molt in the 

summer months, where they lose and subsequently 

replace all of their skin and fur. 

It was then time to leave our tiny cove and leave 

Antarctica for civilization one again. Swell had picked 

up by this point, and guests were able to enjoy a 

lively trip back to the Ocean Atlantic, being able to 

experience the exciting changing conditions of the 

Antarctic environment. 

Once safely back on board, we moved on to recap 

where staff explained the potential effects climate 

change could have on the Antarctic ecosystem. 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

After dinner, the evening ended with a question and 

answer session by Martin and Gui, where they spoke 

about what life is like living on Antarctic bases. 

Guests were able to ask questions, and a good time 

was had by all as stories and experiences were 

shared. 

Volume 2, Issue 10

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

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, and 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. 

21 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

Antarctica: A Continent for Science 


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

22 

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. 

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). 

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 

• 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. 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

Northward Bound 

21 January 2020– Drake Passage Day 1 

Written by Scuba Steve 

If today was an episode of Sesame Street, it would be 

brought to you by the letter S and the number 1. 

S is for spicy, which not only describes the delicious 

Indian style food we have enjoyed this voyage but has 

also been used during the voyage by our Expedition 

Leader – Jamie, to describe conditions on the water. 

Today as we spend our first full day crossing the Drake 

Passage back towards Ushuaia, things got a little spicier 

than many were used to. 

23 

Next up was yet another fascinating presentation I had 

been looking forward to hearing. The adorably cute 

couple of Martin & Kim Schuster enthralled us with 

their talk on “Diving Under Antarctic Ice”. Here they 

switched not only polar regions but also turns speaking 

as they told us how different it is diving in their home of 

Alaska, compared to diving in Antarctica. 

CME was next on the agenda, before a chance for yet 

more food at the Nordic Tea Time and Ice Cream Social 

in the Bistro. This was a big success with queues out the 

door for the delightful treats on offer. 

A meet your AAPI travelling companions session was 

held by request from several guests, while many took 

the opportunity to “Meet the people in your 

neighborhood”, some chose an afternoon nap instead. 

Then it was time for Recap and Briefing, during which 

we learnt about the Beaufort Scale, the South Georgia 

Heritage Trust and who the winners were of our photo 

competition. Great praise was lavished on the winner of 

the Wildlife section for a stunning shot of a Weddell 

Seal. 

It was a quiet start to brunch with the majority of guests 

choosing to take advantage of the chance to catch up 

on some rest. It has been a busy voyage and the 

opportunity to have three hours in which to attend the 

restaurant this morning meant there was no rush. 

After dinner entertainment this evening took the form 

of a The Great Antarctic Quiz Night in the Viking 

Theatre. 

I started the presentations off today with my lecture 

entitled “Antarctic Krill – Keystone of the ecosystem”. In 

which I was able to answer many questions guests had 

posed about the Krill fishing industry in Antarctica and 

what impact it may have on wildlife. 

This was shortly followed by the legendary Dr. Thomas 

Bauer and his presentation on “Managing Antarctic 

Tourism”, which I was able to attend and found it 

extremely interesting. Thomas reminded us that less 

than one million people have visited Antarctica and that 

we can now count ourselves in that privileged group. 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

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. 

24 

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. 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

Towards the Horn 

22 January 2020– Drake Passage Day 2 

Written by Amanda Dalsgaard 

25 

On the final morning our Drake Passage crossing, we 

awoke to misty skies and an abundance of seabirds. 

Although the seas had rocked the Ocean Atlantic 

through the night, the swell wasn’t too harsh and we 

had a relatively pleasant morning on the Southern 

Ocean. 

Thankfully, we had a later start for the day so we had a 

bit of a lie in before a delicious breakfast in the Vinland 

Restaurant as well as a CME Session for all doctors on 

board in the Viking Theatre. We gathered again for 

lunch and continued on back to the theatre with our 

Expedition leader Jamie to learn about the 

disembarkation process off the Ocean Atlantic. 

We also had a chance to thank and appreciate the many 

people who made this journey possible, from the 

officers and crew to the Expedition Staff. Finally, it was 

time to head to the Vinland Restaurant for our last 

dinner aboard the Ocean Atlantic, topped off with Chef 

Indra’s spectacular “Death by Chocolate” dessert buffet. 

As we pulled into our berth in Ushuaia, our journey 

drew closer towards its close. However, as we packed 

our bags and prepared to disembark the Ocean Atlantic, 

amid the festivities of the evening, we had the chance to 

appreciate the beauty of the journey of a lifetime and all 

the memories we’ll take with us as we make our way 

home. 

By early evening, it was time to gather in the Viking 

Lounge one last time for the end of voyage slideshow 

and charity auction, as well as Captain Nikolay’s 

celebratory cocktail hour. We waved a hearty goodbye 

to the journey of a lifetime, taking a moment to reflect 

on our voyage, thanks to Renato’s immaculately 

composed slideshow of our trip to the White Continent. 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

King of the Southern Winds 

Sandra Ophorst, Lecturer & Expedition Guide 

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. 

26 

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. 

© Gaby Pilson 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

Home Again 

23 January 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 brings us. 

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

have visited an 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. 

27 

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 beers and coffees. We’ve made new friends and 

experienced the power of expeditionary travel. 

The expedition team hopes that we have helped to 

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! 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

By the Numbers… 

28 

Voyage Statistics: 

Southernmost Point: 

Total Distance Travelled: 

65 o 06’51’S 64 o 03 41’ W 

1747 nautical miles 

Excursion Locations: 

Hydrurga Rocks: 63 o 31’43’S 60 o 30’41’W 

Robert Point: 62°26’66’S 59°20’44’W 

Kinnes Cove: 63°18’88’S 56°31’24’W 

Port Lockroy: 

Esperanza : 

Pleneau Bay: 

64 o 48’30’S 63 o 31’81’ W 

63 o 23’49’S 56 o 38’23’ W 

65 o 06’51’S 64 o 03 41’ W 

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

Beef 

550kg 

Lamb 

150kg 

Pork 

820kg 

Poultry 

800kg 

Cold Cuts 

250kg 

Fish & Seafood 

520kg 

Eggs 3990 

Milk 

640L 

Cheese 

80kg 

Ice Cream 

320L 

Vegetables 

3450kg 

Fruit 

3200kg 

Toilet Paper 

880 rolls 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

A Final Note… 

29 

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! 

Jamie Watts 

Expedition Leader 

Marieke Egan 

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! 

Phil Hunter 

Assistant Expedition Leader 

14 JAN 2020 – 23 JAN 

Volume 2, Issue 10

V10 - Antarctic Peninsula_VOYAGE LOG

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