February/March 2022 Antarctica & South America

1 Apr

After a short spell at home it was superb to head back south to continue lecturing and guiding in the Antarctic and Southern South America on board Le Boreal and L’Austral Expedition vessels operated by Ponant. This time around Rachael and Dan were working on different vessels but still undertaking the same roles as they voyaged to the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia, the Falklands, Chile and Argentina.

The ridge opposite Portal Point, Antarctic blanketed in snow and glaciers — Antarctica looks spectacular in all seasons

In polar regions the seasons are hugely exaggerated and often highly compressed, especially ‘summer’ so by February and March summer is drawing to a close and autumn starts to dig its teeth in. Almost all Antarctic penguins have finished breeding with post-breeding moult flocks forming. Similarly the number of Antarctic Fur Seals on the Peninsula increases as animals leave their breeding beaches to come south to feed and moult.

Southern Elephant Seals and Antarctic Fur Seals gather on the beaches to moult at the end of the summer

A young southern elephant seal sticks its tongue out as it snoozes on a beach — A young Southern Elephant Seal

All our voyages ran perfectly and as always it is such a pleasure and honour to be able to show people such a unique and awe-inspiring landscape. Highlights were too numerous to mention but some real standouts included encountering 18 species of cetacean over the month including seldom seen species such as Spectacled Porpoise, Gray’s Beaked Whale and Chilean Dolphin. Equally phenomenal were the aggregations of certain species that we witnessed such as great gatherings of Fin Whales near the South Orkney Islands and no fewer than 10 Blue Whales close inshore along the South Georgia coast including three female-calf pairs. Witnessing spectacles like this, the largest animal to have ever roamed the planet, coming back after being driven to the brink of extinction is immensely uplifting. Of course, no voyage to the Subantarctics and Antarctica is complete without ogling at the plethora of Penguins and South Georgia in particular shone once again. Being eyeball to eyeball with inquisitive King Penguins is an experience that you will never tire of.

Blue Whale surfaces and produces a huge blow that is blown back by the wind — One of 10 Blue Whales we saw as we sailed along the northern coast of South Georgia

A Northern Giant Petrel spreads its wings and tail in a threat posture as it devours a penguin — Northern Giant Petrel threatening others around it as it devours a penguin

King Penguins and Elephant Seals on the beach at Gold Harbour with a glacier spilling off the ridge behind — King Penguins and Elephant Seals on the beach at Gold Harbour

Our contracts both ended with the final voyages of the southern season before the ships reposition to the Northern Hemisphere. For Rachael this meant heading north after visiting South Georgia and disembarking in Montevideo, Uraguay. Dan on the other hand meandered up the western side of South America through the Chilean Fjords. This wild region is generally only accessible by ship and offers not only some spectacular scenery but some great wildlife too. Highlights were closeup views of Andean Condor, monstrous South American Sealions, Magellanic Penguins (of course!), the bejewelled Green-backed Firecrown hummingbird, not to mention the incredible temperate rainforests dripping with mosses and ferns, blue glaciers spilling down to sea-level, kelp forests swaying in the deep fjords and a landscape that bore a huge similarity to western Scotland.