Oceanwide Expeditions

Expedition news

09-12-2009 | Ice machine Weddell Sea

Vessel: Professor Molchanov.
Date: 09-12-2009. Time: 18:56 CET
Position: 64'32.4S ; 62'20.0W

This is the report from the Expedition Leader, Rolf Stange, onboard the Professor Molchanov:
"The famous Drake Passage was certainly a rather moving experience, until we had grown our sea-legs when we reached Antarctic Sound. A magnificent morning at Brown Bluff, surrounded with wild, Antarctic scenery and plentiful wildlife, was followed by a cruise around tabular icebergs of immense size and finally the discovery that the Weddell Sea lived up to its reputation of being a giant ice machine. We thus decided to turn our attention to the South Shetland islands - not part of the original plan and thus a highly appreciated bonus. Snow shoes turned out to be valuable when crossing Fildes Peninsula on King George Island, which was still completely covered with snow - a pleasure for us, but a menace for penguins and Skuas that wait for the ground to become snow free in order to start breeding. The wild, beaten outer coast of King George Island even had some Elephant Seals as a surprise for us!
After an afternoon and evening with visits to several penguin colonies in unusually fine weather conditions, Deception Island was a landscape experience of a different kind. Strong winds did not keep us from climbing up a volcanic crater to get some good views of this rather otherworldly landscape.
The first "classical" Antarctic destination was to follow further south the very same day: surrounded by Gentoo Penguins and huge, wildly crevassed glaciers everywhere around us, we enjoyed our small island in sunshine that, in our impression, could certainly compete with any destination in the tropics...
Things changed a little to real life in the Antarctic, when we awoke today to a little snowstorm and freezing temperatures, adding nicely to our polar experience. But who would care about cold and wind when being checked out by a group of three curious Humpback Whales?
Currently at 64deg 32,4`S / 62deg 20,0` W, we are sailing across the Gerlache Strait, heading towards Wilhelmina Bay and hoping for more wildlife and other excitements...Best polar regards from us on board MV Professor Molchanov in Antarctica"

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