The Buzzing Excitement
Updates from Michael
We have arrived in Antarctica following a 4-day traverse of the Drake Passage, one characterized by a mixture of heavy weather conditions, the typical accompaniment of uneasy stomachs and spectacular views albatross and whale sightings. As we entered continental Antarctica, we moored the Ocean Tramp within the Melchior Islands located at the south side of Anvers Island along the Western Antarctica Peninsula
Following a short briefing by the crew about proper safety and Antarctic etiquette, passengers and crew alike equipped themselves with warm weather gear before heading out for the first field excursion of the trip. As we meandered through icebound inlets and channels, we were greeted with an exceptionally rare experience of no less than 24 Weddell seals taking it easy on a single ice floe!! As a biologist this was a seemingly once in a lifetime experience and one that I will I gratefully will carry with me for as long as I live.
Shortly after our close encounter with the Weddell seals, we were treated with our first sightings of a lone chinstrap penguin and a kindly Adelie, each striking a pose for the enthusiastic visitors just before heavy snowfall and diminishing visibility drove our return to the safe harbor of the Ocean Tramp, our little home away from home.
Invigorated by our first outing and seeking more adventure, we transited farther south along the peninsula towards Port Lockroy, our target destination for the following day’s field adventures. Despite fog, wind, snowfall and ice floes, our skilled captain and crew braved the elements and delivered us to our destination unscathed. Stepping out outside, we have found ourselves surrounded by glacier fronts, craggy mountain peaks and the distant sounds of nearby penguin colony across glass-like Antarctic waters.
The surrealistic sense that we are truly here is beginning setting in and the collective awe and excitement onboard is palpable. Although our team has spent just a little more over a week together, our shared experiences have already fostered a deep sense a comradery matched only by a collective sense of purpose and growing reverence for frozen continent. – Michael