After dropping my bags with Oceanwide Expeditions and walking around the Urban Reserve on the waterfront, I headed for the port area. The walk takes you past the Saint Christopher. It is a good place to look for Flightless Steamerduck: I've seen it there on two of my three visits to Ushuaia in recent years.
SH Vega is at the front, with Ortelius in the middle and Ushuaia at the back: SH Vega is a polar strength cruise ship which carries about one hundred and fifty passengers in cruise ship type cabins, but I would book on Oceanwide Expeditions ships in preference every time
As I walked past the Saint Christopher, there was a pair of Flightless Steamerducks feeding in front of the boat. Note, the paler head of the male, the heavier orange bill and shorter wings, compared to the Flying Steamerducks (in the last Blog Post).
Flightless Steamerduck: This monotypic species occurs from Southern Chile to Tierra del Fuego
Neotropic Cormorant: This is the brasilianum subspecies which occurs from Costa Rica South to Tierra del Fuego
Night Heron: This adult Night Heron was preening itself on the remains of nearby boat
Some of the local Gulls for the Seagull fans.
Kelp Gull: This is the nominate dominicanus subspecies which occurs in coastal Southern South America, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Southern Australia, New Zealand & it's Subantarctic Islands
Kelp Gull: Adult. Note the long green legs. This isn't the subspecies that has occurred in the UK
Kelp Gull: Presume this is a First Summer individual
Dolphin Gull: The best Gull species I've seen
After another short walk, I arrived at the port area. I knew we wouldn't be allowed onboard Ortelius for at least another ninety minutes. However, getting there early would mean I would get a seat in the small waiting area. Plus, I would be in the perfect position to be able to board quickly, once we were allowed in. Being in a four berth cabin, it's first come, first choice of bunks. I wanted a lower bunk to allow me to get up quickly and quietly, so I could get on deck for some early morning watches.
Ortelius: My home for the next ten nights
Getting familiar with the lifeboat drill before we sailed
Good to see the IAATO rules for viewing Whales and Seals
The IAATO rules for viewing Whales and Birds
One of the key meetings at the start of the cruise was to meet Pippa, the Expedition Leader, and the rest of the Expedition staff.
The Expedition Team (left to right): Shan, Allan, Saskai, Jess, Sam, Beth, Wei and Gary. The Deputy Expedition Leader George isn't in this photo
After introducing the Expedition team, Pippa went onto provide some details on the likely route. The original plan was to sail South in the Weddell Sea until we were close to the Emperor Penguin colony on Snow Hill Island. However, there had been exceptional amounts of sea ice in the Weddell Sea this season and it didn't seem likely that we would be able to get close enough to Snow Hill. When travelling to extreme locations on expedition ships, I've learnt the weather doesn't always allow the original plan to be achieved.
Pippa, our Expedition Leader
I had bumped into a couple of Expedition staff from one of the other ships in the Urban Reserve and they had said only one ship had managed to make it to Snow Hill about a month earlier. Pippa confirmed that the first two trips on Ortelius hadn't been able to get far South in the Weddell Sea. She did mention that the latest weather forecasts, suggested the ice could move and open a window for us to get closer to Snow Hill Island by the time we reached the Weddell Sea. However, that forecast could and did change into one that wasn't going to allow us to head even as far South as I reached in Jan 23.
Our planned route for the South Shetland Islands to the Weddell Sea: I've coloured Snow Hill Island red
Despite the news about the sea ice, I was still travelling to Antarctica early enough in the Summer season to have a reasonable chance of seeing Emperor Penguins on the sea ice. We would have four days in Antarctica to look, which is a lot longer than most Antarctica trips. It was Oceanwide's key reason for this trip and the route. We knew that the bridge crew would be keeping a close eye out for Emperor Penguins when we reached the Weddell Sea, even if I, some of the keener passengers and the Expedition staff weren't looking due to meal times, the long days etc.
The orange is the Antarctic Peninsula and associated islands: There was exceptional amounts of sea ice (pink) in the Weddell Sea this season and we were wanting to sail about fifty or sixty miles down on the East side of the Peninsula. It didn't look promising
First we had to get down the Beagle Channel. Finally, about 18:30 all the mandatory meetings were over and I went up to the top deck, rather head down for the first evening meal. It wasn't going to be dark until about 21:30. Having seen the pod of Commerson's Dolphins the day before, I was keen to have another look for them. I scanned hard, but the calm conditions of the morning had changed to more typically choppy weather. This made looking for an unobtrusive Commerson's Dolphin harder, if they were still around. I didn't have any joy. However, I did well for Whales after we had passed Martillo Island: with three Humpback Whales, followed by two Sei Whales and finally a Fin Whale. There was also repeats of all the Seabird species I had seen the day before on the Martillo Island trip.
Passing Martillo Island, with some Argentinian mountains in the background
At least a half hour after we passed Martillo Island, the pilot left Ortelius. Once he had departed, the bridge and the bridge wings were opened to the passengers. I switched to the starboard bridge wing and as dinner was over, I was joined by one of the Expedition team, Jess. Jess used to work for ORCA as a seasonal live-aboard surveyor on one of the UK ferries. She had a good Cetacean background and was very familiar with the surveying I do for this excellent charity. She had missed the first two groups of Whales, but she arrived in time to see the Fin Whale. We also had brief sightings of the only Dolphin in the Beagle Channel that evening. It didn't give long views as it raced into to play in the wake of the bow. However, we saw enough to be sure it was either a Dusky Dolphin or a Peale's Dolphin: with the former species being the commoner Dolphin, from my experience in the Beagle Channel.
Fin Whale: Unlike the distant tail-slapping group of Humpback Whales and close, but brief, Sei Whales, this Fin Whale stayed on the surface long enough to get some photos
Fin Whale: With a dorsal fin and a lot of back showing, the likely species in these waters are Fin Whale or Sei Whale. The extent of the back will rule out the smaller Whale species like any of the potential Beaked Whales or an Antarctic Minke Whale
Fin Whale: There is a nice smooth curve on a broad-based dorsal fin which fits well for a Fin Whale. Sei Whale have a proportionally narrower-based dorsal fin, as the dorsal fin is thinner and taller, with a distinctive kink on the leading edge
Fin Whale: Another view of the back and the dorsal fin
About thirty minutes the light was going and it was time to head below and socialise with some of the passengers I had met when we first came on board. Then it was time to turn it as I had set my alarm for an early start.
