Boat trip to Browning - 15th Jan 2005
To date, the weather here has been amazing. Endless blue skies, barely a breath of wind, perfect conditions and brilliant sunsets every day - for the two hours the sun sets that is. I walk around most days in a pair of jeans and a T-Shirt, which is all I need. The temperature gauge says it is between -2 and +2 degrees most days, but it feels like a Newcastle mild winter day most of the time.
A boating trip to browning Peninsular is organized and I am asked if I would like to go out. I jump at the chance as I still have not been off station and I have been getting a little cabin feverish and just a trifle miffed that so many others are off on jollies and I haven’t set foot off station apart from two hours over at Wilkes, so it is about time for my turn.
The day dawns, not bright and clear and sunny as we have come to expect, but surprisingly Antarctic like. The sky is gray, the temperature is cold and thermal layering is the order of the day, especially as we will be on the water most of the day. As we set out on the boats the weather deteriorates. By the time we near Browning it is snowing hard on us and we are all covered in a layer of white down the side of each of us that is facing in the wind. Hands start to get very cold holding onto the boat throttle and fingers start to go numb. Wiggling them to keep circulation is a must, but the day is brilliant. THIS is what I have been waiting for. Snow, wind, gray skies, ice, cold, inhospitable weather. THIS is how the Antarctic is supposed to be.
A stop at Ford Island to check on and resupply the emergency Cache that lives there then we motor past Odberd Island. We see four leopard seals all within 300 meters of each other on an ice shelf. We pull in for a closer look. Four Leopard Seals in one place is remarkable enough as Leopards are very territorial and not very sociable, usually they stay by themselves. But even more surprising is the number of penguins milling around the seals. Penguins are the number 1 source of food for a Leopard Seal and they know it. They would normally be a long way away from any Leopard, let alone four huge beats such as these. One of these big boys looks to weigh in at over 2 tonnes.
If I had not witnessed it for myself I never would have thought this scene was possible. Just goes to show that down here, around each corner, an amazing sight awaits. This is an amazing trip so far. How can it get better than this?
But it does.
We pull into one side of the browning Peninsular to check on the Apple and have a walk. Most of us nearly trip over the huge elephant seal just basking on the rocks in the snowstorm. She looks at us with huge eyes and a smile on her face. At least that is what I like to think she is doing. She is beautiful.
Also, there are penguins everywhere we look. Thousands of them. The wander along in lines one behind the other all over the place in no special direction that can be noticed. Every now and then one will drop out of the line they are in and join onto another one. Again, all random, pattern less wanderings. I love the Adellis, they are gorgeous. So full of character. They really are the clowns of the Antarctic.
We wander up to the rocks and take a picture with the American flag, placed there in nineteen fiftsomething from memory when America staked its claim here. The Americans, in their arrogance, accept no other claim on Antarctica; however they also don’t seem to care who is here either. I guess when the oil runs out in the Middle East we shall see if they care then hey?
Then it was back onto the boats and further along to Browning itself. You can smell the elephant seal wallow way before you ever see one of the lumbering giants. They stink. They wallow around in their own filth for most of the time. Every now and then they fight, but mostly they just lay and sleep and burp and fart and drool. They are both beautiful and ugly all at the same time, but they are an amazing sight none the less.
After about a million photos have been snapped and the surrounding area thoroughly explored we head home. The winds are up at nearly 20 knots by this time, not good for IRB’s to be out in. The way home is long and cold but I was rugged up in 5 layers of thermals, so I was toasty, except for my hands. Even 3 layers of gloves aren’t going to stop them getting cold when they have to hang onto a boat throttle for an hour and a half on the trip home.
Once the boats were cleaned, engines flushed and gear stowed we head back up to Casey just in time for dinner. It has been a brilliant day. My excitement and exhilaration lasted through the whole week after that first trip out into the real Antarctica. It is amazing to see this place. It is wild and untamed and truly the last great wilderness. I love it here so much. Each day I think it can’t get better than this, but it does. New adventures await constantly and I have a whole year of these days ahead of me. Truly this will live with me forever.
A boating trip to browning Peninsular is organized and I am asked if I would like to go out. I jump at the chance as I still have not been off station and I have been getting a little cabin feverish and just a trifle miffed that so many others are off on jollies and I haven’t set foot off station apart from two hours over at Wilkes, so it is about time for my turn.
The day dawns, not bright and clear and sunny as we have come to expect, but surprisingly Antarctic like. The sky is gray, the temperature is cold and thermal layering is the order of the day, especially as we will be on the water most of the day. As we set out on the boats the weather deteriorates. By the time we near Browning it is snowing hard on us and we are all covered in a layer of white down the side of each of us that is facing in the wind. Hands start to get very cold holding onto the boat throttle and fingers start to go numb. Wiggling them to keep circulation is a must, but the day is brilliant. THIS is what I have been waiting for. Snow, wind, gray skies, ice, cold, inhospitable weather. THIS is how the Antarctic is supposed to be.
A stop at Ford Island to check on and resupply the emergency Cache that lives there then we motor past Odberd Island. We see four leopard seals all within 300 meters of each other on an ice shelf. We pull in for a closer look. Four Leopard Seals in one place is remarkable enough as Leopards are very territorial and not very sociable, usually they stay by themselves. But even more surprising is the number of penguins milling around the seals. Penguins are the number 1 source of food for a Leopard Seal and they know it. They would normally be a long way away from any Leopard, let alone four huge beats such as these. One of these big boys looks to weigh in at over 2 tonnes.
If I had not witnessed it for myself I never would have thought this scene was possible. Just goes to show that down here, around each corner, an amazing sight awaits. This is an amazing trip so far. How can it get better than this?
But it does.
We pull into one side of the browning Peninsular to check on the Apple and have a walk. Most of us nearly trip over the huge elephant seal just basking on the rocks in the snowstorm. She looks at us with huge eyes and a smile on her face. At least that is what I like to think she is doing. She is beautiful.
Also, there are penguins everywhere we look. Thousands of them. The wander along in lines one behind the other all over the place in no special direction that can be noticed. Every now and then one will drop out of the line they are in and join onto another one. Again, all random, pattern less wanderings. I love the Adellis, they are gorgeous. So full of character. They really are the clowns of the Antarctic.
We wander up to the rocks and take a picture with the American flag, placed there in nineteen fiftsomething from memory when America staked its claim here. The Americans, in their arrogance, accept no other claim on Antarctica; however they also don’t seem to care who is here either. I guess when the oil runs out in the Middle East we shall see if they care then hey?
Then it was back onto the boats and further along to Browning itself. You can smell the elephant seal wallow way before you ever see one of the lumbering giants. They stink. They wallow around in their own filth for most of the time. Every now and then they fight, but mostly they just lay and sleep and burp and fart and drool. They are both beautiful and ugly all at the same time, but they are an amazing sight none the less.
After about a million photos have been snapped and the surrounding area thoroughly explored we head home. The winds are up at nearly 20 knots by this time, not good for IRB’s to be out in. The way home is long and cold but I was rugged up in 5 layers of thermals, so I was toasty, except for my hands. Even 3 layers of gloves aren’t going to stop them getting cold when they have to hang onto a boat throttle for an hour and a half on the trip home.
Once the boats were cleaned, engines flushed and gear stowed we head back up to Casey just in time for dinner. It has been a brilliant day. My excitement and exhilaration lasted through the whole week after that first trip out into the real Antarctica. It is amazing to see this place. It is wild and untamed and truly the last great wilderness. I love it here so much. Each day I think it can’t get better than this, but it does. New adventures await constantly and I have a whole year of these days ahead of me. Truly this will live with me forever.
posted by Tracey in Casey - Antarctica at 3:00 pm
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