In the last few days (or to be more accurate nights) we have had our first real encounter with ice and have not had very much sleep. Tied four ways in a snug, rocky cove at Port Charcot we had good protection from the strong NE wind that was blowing and although we could see the clouds racing over the mountain tops ahead of us we felt little direct effect. But large chunks of ice are being brought into the bay on the incoming tide and drifting towards us. Many are as big as the boat and with a lot more bulk as most of an iceberg is underwater - only about 10% is visible above the surface. Although tiny by comparison to the large tabular bergs that we can see floating past in deeper water these bits, often with extensive protrusions and shelves, are disconcerting as they thump against the hull and get caught on our lines, so we spend a lot of time trying to fend them off! With our stern facing out of the bay the rudder seems a bit vulnerable and we decided to remove our Aries wind-vane self-steering system just in case. It proved a wise move as that very night a chunk about 10m long and 1.5m high lodged itself right across the transom and might well have damaged the Aries. Ashore there is a fantastic penguin rookery spread over the hillside, mainly Gentoos but with small groups of both Chinstraps and Adelies mixed in. We are not the only ones bothered by the ice - we spent many hours watching the Gentoos try to pick their way across a shore covered with ice chunks (see photo) This was obviously their normal route from the sea back to the colony and creatures of habit that they are they didn't deviate from it despite the obstacles created by the ice. It was both hilarious and heart-breaking to watch them as they struggled from one awkward perch to the next, slipping and sliding and falling as they went, but determined to get across...
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Persistent NE winds in the last few days have brought the type of weather more typical of the Antarctic - low grey clouds have hidden the mountains and brought frequent rain and snow showers. The breeze has also pushed a lot of ice down the Neumayer Channel which is now clogging the bay outside the narrow entrance to Dorian Bay, but only the occasional bergy bit finds its way into our protected inner harbour. Ignoring the weather, we have spent many hours ashore amongst the Gentoo penguins watching their behaviour and the workings of a busy colony. They seem quite different characters to the Chinstraps we have seen so far and their chicks are beautiful, with grey and white down and bright orange bills rather than the uniform grey of the Chinstraps. Most of the chicks are well grown and can be left alone for long periods while the adults go foraging at sea, but we did find one much smaller chick with a parent in constant attendance (see photo) Their feeding behaviour with the older chicks is quite something to watch. A returning parent identifies its own chicks with calls and they peck and cry in eager anticipation. The adult then sets off at a brisk pace, waddling through the colony and hopping up and down rocks with the chicks in hot pursuit. The high speed chase often causes all sorts of chaos amongst the neighbours and is so frantic that the birds often slip and fall along the way. It usually ends on the edge of the colony when the parent stops and feeds the first chick to arrive and research suggests it might be a way of separating the weaker chick from the stronger. We also spent time watching the penguins in the water. When they first get in they wash vigorously using their feet and flippers to clean off the muck of the colony. In the shallow water of the anchorage we could see them swimming under the boat, suddenly graceful as they 'flew' throught the water in pursuit of krill, a tiny shrimp-like creature that is their main prey...
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The incredible run of fine weather that has lasted a week broke yesterday and this morning we awoke to find ourselves enveloped in thick fog, brought by a warm (relatively speaking!) and very light northerly breeze. We got an early start in spite of the bad visibility, relying on radar and GPS waypoints we had entered on the way into Enterprise Island to navigate out between two small islands. As we had hoped, the fog lifted a little as we reached the more open water of the Gerlache Strait. Ice shows up well on the radar and with visibility now up to a mile we set a course for the Neumayer Channel on the opposite side of the Gerlache Strait. Although the scenery was hidden in the mist, the day had its own magic as we had a long, panoramic view of ice and rock sandwiched between the low grey cloud base and the mirror-like pewter of the sea. Occasional shafts of sunlight broke through to illuminate a single ice berg or a distant glacier in startling clarity, creating an almost surreal scene. By the time we were entering the north end of the Neumayer Channel (see photo) in mid-afternoon the light was improving and we were able to appreciate the grandeur of the 1.5 mile wide passage. To port were almost sheer rock cliffs rising into the clouds, so steep that even the tenacious ice could not find a grip; to starboard the ice clad slopes of the mountains on Anvers Island soared out of sight, with vast glaciers of tumbling, tortured ice filling the valleys. As we came around the final point the sun was breaking through to reveal truly breath taking vistas in all directions, a world of ice and mountains. We could also see that the way ahead was choked with ice, small bergs and brash ice jostling together with no clear leads. It is the most ice we have encountered so far and the final miles were taken at a snail's pace as we wove our way between the larger bergs, pushing through the small bits and pieces in between - both exciting and nerve-wracking! Our destination was Dorian Bay, a tiny enclosed pool entered through a very narrow gap only 10 feet deep, between an ice cliff and a rock reef. Once inside we tied 4 lines ashore to rocks and sat in the cockpit to take in the magnificent surroundings. A large colony of Gentoo penguins is spread over every rocky mound, the closest group about 100m from the boat and we can hear them crooning and trilling to each other, a totally different sound to the Chinstraps.....
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