Ushuaia and the Drake Passage
Today can be characterized as one of transitions.
We left Ushuaia al 19:00 hours and headed east along the Beagle Channel for our Antarctic adventure. The weather was pleasant enough and many of us spent time on the decks exploring our new home as well as enjoying the beautiful snow-capped mountains and the green baize of southern beech trees stretching from the shoreline all the way up to the tree line, which here is around 1500 ft.
After such a long day most of us turn in early whilst still enjoying the calm waters and knowing that these conditions would change somewhat later on in the night as we head out into open seas.
During the night the ship begins to move more as she heads south and into the famed Drake Passage. By morning we are on our own in open waters with the occasional seabirds as companions. The seas are moderate with swells about six to seven feet and only light winds. This bodes well.
During the morning’s first presentation we have the opportunity to learn more about our cameras from our team of experts and we all hope that what we’ve learned can be retained and, more importantly, put to good use in the days ahead.
Out at sea we spot a number of wandering albatrosses, the largest of the flying birds, and spend time in wonder at these amazing birds and how effortlessly they fly and, despite the calm conditions, hardly flap their long, slender wings.
By mid-day the sea conditions have improved and there is scarcely a breeze outside. The swells gently pass us by on their path eastwards. After lunch and, maybe a brief siesta, we attend the second presentation of the day and this is an opportunity to learn more about the seabirds that we are likely to see on our journey.
Around tea time the air temperatures are notably cooler, a sign that we are entering the zone of the Antarctic Convergence which is the biological boundary to Antarctica and for the next few hours this trend continues. Around dinner time the sea temperatures confirm that we have crossed this important boundary. There are more seabirds about, including the beautiful pintado petrels with their characteristic checkerboard pattern on their wings and backs. We have left the Atlantic Ocean and have entered the Southern Ocean.
Towards the end of dinner our expedition leader announces that a large iceberg has been spotted ahead of the ship. We hastily don our cold weather gear, pick up our cameras, and head up on deck and there, straight ahead and some four miles away, is large iceberg. Our captain approaches very close and then circumnavigates this beautiful bit of ice. To our delight, as the ship rounds one of the corners, we spot a small group of chinstrap penguins that have hauled out on this ice island, maybe for a rest. Along another edge the ice under the surface juts out turning the water to a magnificent cobalt blue.
Before we all turn in for a night’s rest we have crossed the 60° parallel and in so doing have crossed the political boundary into Antarctica.
