Crossing the Drake

[PerfectlyPerth]

The Drake is MISERABLE. It is the worst 4 days of my life. I never thought I'd rather be working than on vacation, but the Drake definitely made me rethink that thought. It's rougher than the Tasman Sea, North Atlantic, or really any ocean or sea I have EVER BEEN ON. IT IS AWFUL! I have sailed to South Georgia Island as well, and that is at least a little better.

 

We were on a small expedition ship, The Kapitan Khlebnikov, which is a Russian ice breaker with no stabilizers so that may have made it worse than being on a large cruise ship.

 

The boat had everything strapped down, and had seat belts in beds and nets as well. Everything had the sticky carpet runners on all surfaces to keep things from sliding. All the table cloths were wet to also keep things from sliding. They put Emesis bags every two feet in the hall. I felt like I was walking up hill when going down a hallway. It was miserable. Absolutely awful, and I never get see sick have been on MANY cruises.

 

The KK is a full class icebreaker - not a 'small exhibition ship' and certainly not a 'boat'. The zodiacs on board are boats! Remember the saying "A boat can fit on a ship, but a ship cannot fit on a boat" - it saves insulting the captains by referring to their vessels as mere boats!!

 

I have had 66 days on the KK including the previously mentioned force 11 storm, and the far far rougher Southern Ocean. Loved every second of it. As did the majority of the crew, expedition team, and passengers (most of whom have been on the KK many times). The rough seas were some of the most grandest times I have had in my life. No one was miserable except the 5 or 6 people who did suffer terrible seasickness but as they had been on the KK plenty of times they were well prepared and had packed all their usual remedies, and the doctor was giving them phenergan injections regularly.

 

The boat would rock 25-30 degrees regularly for days. I watched the inclinometer they had in the library trying to see how high it could hit.

 

 

 

Lol - on both of my trips we hit the magic 55 and 60 degree tilts. It was fun sitting in the lounge balancing a hot chocolate (I was smart and took a thermos cup with screw on lid, having already met past travellers who mentioned cups of tea spilling etc) as we all were ready to photography the inclinometer (or as we dubbed it - the tiltometre!!) when it hit the highest sway point. Not to mention lining up at the bridge (or further above on the outer deck for the well balanced and braver mob) for the iconic "huge wave over the bow" photos. Also fun the time we had to form a human chain in order to get everyone out of the bridge when the captain deemed it too dangerous to be up there!!

 

Well the Khlebnikov is a Russian Icebreaker sin i don’t know if it even comes equipped with Stabilizers.

 

It doesn't - of course - being a breaker - they would snap off in the ice!! The main difference between a breaker and a normal ship is the shape of the hull. The normal ships have a V shaped hull to go through the sea. Icebreakers have a rounded hull for the ice. So out at open sea they are essentially a champagne cork just bobbing around on top of the water.

 

Your photos are gorgeous. I 'still' haven't got around to putting my 4 trips into books - its still on my 'to do' list!

 

For me - doing the two trips on the KK first - they felt like true polar expeditions and experiencing the rough seas the way they were meant to be experienced. I loved each and every second of it. Trip 3 was on the Sea Adventurer (now renamed Ocean Adventurer), small vessel with 116 pax and stabilisers. I spent most of the trip wishing there was more rocking and rolling as it all felt a tad too smooth for my liking.

Trip 4 was on the Ortelius with around 80 pax from memory, from NZ to USH so plenty of huge oceans but still the force 9 storm felt 'less adventurous' to me being on a vessel with stabilisers. There were several KK expedition team members and past passengers on board and they agreed - we all missed the true rock and rolling of the KK.

The biggest joke among my friends is that I am a lifelong insomniac - I average about 90 minutes of sleep per night. The longest and best sleeps of my life were on the KK in the middle of the worst storms ! I would drop off for 3 or 4 hours. I have yet to work out how to make my bed at home replicate deck 7 of the KK! If someone patented a bed that simulated a force 11 storm in an icebreaker - I would buy it!

 

In the big cruise ships I have also been in force 11 storms in the Indian and Pacific oceans and one typhoon in the upper Pacific. Mostly pretty tame because of the size of the vessel and the stabilisers. On one ship the stabilisers broke on night 2 and fellow passengers moaned and groaned and threw up in the dining room. Personally I couldn't even feel the ship moving! On those big liners I usually have to go outside and really stare at the sea to make sure we are actually moving!

 

Re the KK getting stuck in ice - if folks have been (or are heading) to the Ushuaia Prison Museum - there is a big photo display and news footage and stories of the event and the 'rescue'. Great aerial photos from the choppers - I purchased one as a print for my wall. I know many of the team who were on board and a couple of the passengers. They still list it as a huge travel highlight in their lives.

 

My big motto for polar travel (and any other kind of expedition travel really) is:

 

Attitude is the difference between an ordeal, and an adventure.

[rimmit]

The KK is a full class icebreaker - not a 'small exhibition ship' and certainly not a 'boat'. The zodiacs on board are boats! Remember the saying "A boat can fit on a ship, but a ship cannot fit on a boat" - it saves insulting the captains by referring to their vessels as mere boats!!

 

I have had 66 days on the KK including the previously mentioned force 11 storm, and the far far rougher Southern Ocean. Loved every second of it. As did the majority of the crew, expedition team, and passengers (most of whom have been on the KK many times). The rough seas were some of the most grandest times I have had in my life. No one was miserable except the 5 or 6 people who did suffer terrible seasickness but as they had been on the KK plenty of times they were well prepared and had packed all their usual remedies, and the doctor was giving them phenergan injections regularly.

 

 

 

 

 

Lol - on both of my trips we hit the magic 55 and 60 degree tilts. It was fun sitting in the lounge balancing a hot chocolate (I was smart and took a thermos cup with screw on lid, having already met past travellers who mentioned cups of tea spilling etc) as we all were ready to photography the inclinometer (or as we dubbed it - the tiltometre!!) when it hit the highest sway point. Not to mention lining up at the bridge (or further above on the outer deck for the well balanced and braver mob) for the iconic "huge wave over the bow" photos. Also fun the time we had to form a human chain in order to get everyone out of the bridge when the captain deemed it too dangerous to be up there!!

 

 

 

It doesn't - of course - being a breaker - they would snap off in the ice!! The main difference between a breaker and a normal ship is the shape of the hull. The normal ships have a V shaped hull to go through the sea. Icebreakers have a rounded hull for the ice. So out at open sea they are essentially a champagne cork just bobbing around on top of the water.

 

Your photos are gorgeous. I 'still' haven't got around to putting my 4 trips into books - its still on my 'to do' list!

 

For me - doing the two trips on the KK first - they felt like true polar expeditions and experiencing the rough seas the way they were meant to be experienced. I loved each and every second of it. Trip 3 was on the Sea Adventurer (now renamed Ocean Adventurer), small vessel with 116 pax and stabilisers. I spent most of the trip wishing there was more rocking and rolling as it all felt a tad too smooth for my liking.

Trip 4 was on the Ortelius with around 80 pax from memory, from NZ to USH so plenty of huge oceans but still the force 9 storm felt 'less adventurous' to me being on a vessel with stabilisers. There were several KK expedition team members and past passengers on board and they agreed - we all missed the true rock and rolling of the KK.

The biggest joke among my friends is that I am a lifelong insomniac - I average about 90 minutes of sleep per night. The longest and best sleeps of my life were on the KK in the middle of the worst storms ! I would drop off for 3 or 4 hours. I have yet to work out how to make my bed at home replicate deck 7 of the KK! If someone patented a bed that simulated a force 11 storm in an icebreaker - I would buy it!

 

In the big cruise ships I have also been in force 11 storms in the Indian and Pacific oceans and one typhoon in the upper Pacific. Mostly pretty tame because of the size of the vessel and the stabilisers. On one ship the stabilisers broke on night 2 and fellow passengers moaned and groaned and threw up in the dining room. Personally I couldn't even feel the ship moving! On those big liners I usually have to go outside and really stare at the sea to make sure we are actually moving!

 

Re the KK getting stuck in ice - if folks have been (or are heading) to the Ushuaia Prison Museum - there is a big photo display and news footage and stories of the event and the 'rescue'. Great aerial photos from the choppers - I purchased one as a print for my wall. I know many of the team who were on board and a couple of the passengers. They still list it as a huge travel highlight in their lives.

 

My big motto for polar travel (and any other kind of expedition travel really) is:

 

Attitude is the difference between an ordeal, and an adventure.

That is an impressive list of expedition travel. Is any of it for work or do you just enjoy the adventure? At 66 days spent on the KK did you do a hemi or full circumnavigation on those voyages?

 

I totally agree it’s all in the attitude. Clearly, the location made it worthwhile if I was willing to go for round 2 to South Georgia. Your fellow passengers were clearly more seasoned. If you are spending 30 plus days at a time on the KK, or doing an USH to NZ it is clearly not going to be your first trip to Antarctica. The dining room was at best 25% occupied so I don’t think we had the most seasoned Pax list.

 

Thank you for the kind words on the photography. I had only bought my first DSLR 5 months prior to going and started practicing photography just to get some decent pics from that trip. My South Georgia pics are better technically but I did not have time to stick them in a book yet. South Georgia just isn’t as pretty as Antarctica. Too much rock and and a rediculous amount wildlife. Please post if you ever put them in a book. I love pics of Antarctica esp those take from Pax on expeditions as they are so rare.

 

I haven’t been in the condition you have been in but I agree about the cruise ships. Anytime people are moaning and groaning, all I think about is that this is nothing compared to the rolls the KK can do.

 

Yes I was definitely aware that the bottom the boat was flat compared to the normal V. Hence the rubber ducky analogy. It really just bobs around.

 

I was very sad when the KK had moved off Antarctica charters as it was my dream to take my son on it some day and see the baby emperor chicks, because as you know it’s only icebreakers that have a high probablility chance of seeing those chicks as you need the choppers to get you there. The other expeditions don’t even remotely guarantee it as the failure rate is so high. It was good to see it start going back this year. I hope it can continue and hopefully you can get back on it now that it has returned to Antarctica. Do you have any future trips planned on it now that it’s returned?

 

It is definitely true adventure as you are going places in which evacuation is sketchy at best or just not available. Anyone that has been to Antarctica knows there is an irresistible draw to go back there. It’s that sense of adventure you you speak of that makes it such a great time.

 

The crazy weather that changes on a dime is definitely a highlight and makes for the best stories. From the time your zodiac leaves the “ship” to the time you hit the landing area it can go from sunny and beautiful to hurricanes force winds and you can’t see a thing. It’s the motto of expedition travel “weather dependent.” On our South Georgia expedition we missed 45% of the landings, which is par for the course, including Salisbury which was a bummer for most.

It didn’t bother me as much as the main one I wanted to see was St. Andrews Bay which we amazingly had beautiful weather for.

 

Good luck in your future travels. I hope next time you can get a level 12 storm!! Maybe you could sleep a whole night!

Edited September 28, 2018 by rimmit

[donaldsc]

That is an impressive list of expedition travel. Is any of it for work or do you just enjoy the adventure? At 66 days spent on the KK did you do a hemi or full circumnavigation on those voyages?

 

I totally agree it’s all in the attitude. Clearly, the location made it worthwhile if I was willing to go for round 2 to South Georgia. Your fellow passengers were clearly more seasoned. If you are spending 30 plus days at a time on the KK, or doing an USH to NZ it is clearly not going to be your first trip to Antarctica. The dining room was at best 25% occupied so I don’t think we had the most seasoned Pax list.

 

Thank you for the kind words on the photography. I had only bought my first DSLR 5 months prior to going and started practicing photography just to get some decent pics from that trip. My South Georgia pics are better technically but I did not have time to stick them in a book yet. South Georgia just isn’t as pretty as Antarctica. Too much rock and and a rediculous amount wildlife. Please post if you ever put them in a book. I love pics of Antarctica esp those take from Pax on expeditions as they are so rare.

 

I haven’t been in the condition you have been in but I agree about the cruise ships. Anytime people are moaning and groaning, all I think about is that this is nothing compared to the rolls the KK can do.

 

Yes I was definitely aware that the bottom the boat was flat compared to the normal V. Hence the rubber ducky analogy. It really just bobs around.

 

I was very sad when the KK had moved off Antarctica charters as it was my dream to take my son on it some day and see the baby emperor chicks, because as you know it’s only icebreakers that have a high probablility chance of seeing those chicks as you need the choppers to get you there. The other expeditions don’t even remotely guarantee it as the failure rate is so high. It was good to see it start going back this year. I hope it can continue and hopefully you can get back on it now that it has returned to Antarctica. Do you have any future trips planned on it now that it’s returned?

 

It is definitely true adventure as you are going places in which evacuation is sketchy at best or just not available. Anyone that has been to Antarctica knows there is an irresistible draw to go back there. It’s that sense of adventure you you speak of that makes it such a great time.

 

The crazy weather that changes on a dime is definitely a highlight and makes for the best stories. From the time your zodiac leaves the “ship” to the time you hit the landing area it can go from sunny and beautiful to hurricanes force winds and you can’t see a thing. It’s the motto of expedition travel “weather dependent.” On our South Georgia expedition we missed 45% of the landings, which is par for the course, including Salisbury which was a bummer for most.

It didn’t bother me as much as the main one I wanted to see was St. Andrews Bay which we amazingly had beautiful weather for.

 

Good luck in your future travels. I hope next time you can get a level 12 storm!! Maybe you could sleep a whole night!

 

I am doing a South Georgia and the Falklands trip leaving in about 7 weeks. Anything that I should especially look for or look out for.

 

DON

[PerfectlyPerth]

I am doing a South Georgia and the Falklands trip leaving in about 7 weeks. Anything that I should especially look for or look out for.

 

DON

 

LOL - everything Don ! Just sit back and enjoy every single thing about the trip.

[PerfectlyPerth]

That is an impressive list of expedition travel. Is any of it for work or do you just enjoy the adventure? At 66 days spent on the KK did you do a hemi or full circumnavigation on those voyages?

 

No as per my signature block it was two separate trips including the KK's final voyage (until it finally gave in to the public pressure and returned for the upcoming Snow Hill trips. I couldn't afford them this time around but I know plenty of the crew and also quite a few passengers who have booked the 4 trips back to back.

 

I totally agree it’s all in the attitude. Clearly, the location made it worthwhile if I was willing to go for round 2 to South Georgia. Your fellow passengers were clearly more seasoned. If you are spending 30 plus days at a time on the KK, or doing an USH to NZ it is clearly not going to be your first trip to Antarctica. The dining room was at best 25% occupied so I don’t think we had the most seasoned Pax list.

 

On the big trips I have done its been generally a higher percentage of multiple polar travellers rather than first timers - maybe 60%. But then again - I chose the big 33 day obscure location trip as my first time.

 

I love pics of Antarctica esp those take from Pax on expeditions as they are so rare.

 

You should check our trip reports digest on Trip Advisor - plenty of folks post links to their Flikr or Smugmug accounts etc.

 

I haven’t been in the condition you have been in but I agree about the cruise ships. Anytime people are moaning and groaning, all I think about is that this is nothing compared to the rolls the KK can do.

 

Yes it is easy to launch into a spiel of a Monty Python nature - "Rough? You don't know rough" !

[rimmit]

No as per my signature block it was two separate trips including the KK's final voyage (until it finally gave in to the public pressure and returned for the upcoming Snow Hill trips. I couldn't afford them this time around but I know plenty of the crew and also quite a few passengers who have booked the 4 trips back to back.

 

 

 

On the big trips I have done its been generally a higher percentage of multiple polar travellers rather than first timers - maybe 60%. But then again - I chose the big 33 day obscure location trip as my first time.

 

 

 

You should check our trip reports digest on Trip Advisor - plenty of folks post links to their Flikr or Smugmug accounts etc.

 

 

 

Yes it is easy to launch into a spiel of a Monty Python nature - "Rough? You don't know rough" !

 

You have to go to Snow Hill! It's amazing! The chicks are too cute, you really just want to pick them up and cuddle them. Post if you do. It's such an amazing place. I really am glad they started going back there again.

 

If you don't mind me asking, why did the KK pull out of Antarctica for a bit. I heard it was due to emissions, but it's back again so that's not the case unless they did some retrofitting.

[rimmit]

I am doing a South Georgia and the Falklands trip leaving in about 7 weeks. Anything that I should especially look for or look out for.

 

DON

 

Watch out for the Elephant seals. They are incredible. They don't do much, but when they do... It's like two trucks hitting each other. One that was right near our landing got into a fight literally feet from us. One of our expedition team leaders backpacks was crushed by them, and thankfully he was able to retrieve it after the fight, as they were only partially laying on it, so he yanked it out from under them without any repercussions. It's incredibly when they fight. Like Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed.

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10101879036367907&l=4a9bb99abb

 

Not sure if you can see that pic. My privacy settings may not let you. But it's impressive when they fight.

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10101879036467707&l=46b9d21647

[donaldsc]

Watch out for the Elephant seals. They are incredible. They don't do much, but when they do... It's like two trucks hitting each other. One that was right near our landing got into a fight literally feet from us. One of our expedition team leaders backpacks was crushed by them, and thankfully he was able to retrieve it after the fight, as they were only partially laying on it, so he yanked it out from under them without any repercussions. It's incredibly when they fight. Like Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed.

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10101879036367907&l=4a9bb99abb

 

Not sure if you can see that pic. My privacy settings may not let you. But it's impressive when they fight.

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10101879036467707&l=46b9d21647

 

WOW!!!! Wish me luck.

 

DON

[PerfectlyPerth]

You have to go to Snow Hill! It's amazing! The chicks are too cute, you really just want to pick them up and cuddle them. Post if you do. It's such an amazing place. I really am glad they started going back there again.

 

 

 

If you don't mind me asking, why did the KK pull out of Antarctica for a bit. I heard it was due to emissions, but it's back again so that's not the case unless they did some retrofitting.

 

 

 

The emperor colonies I've been to are ten times the size of the Snow Hill colony so I haven't missed anything by not going to that specific location. Especially the many enormous colonies at Atka ice port and all the ones along West Antarctica between commonwealth bay and Davis station and the massive colony on the Shackleton Ice Shelf - over half a mil couples.

 

The KK originally simply finished its 20 year tourism contract in 2011 and was recalled back to its Russian owners to operate as a working breaker in the north. Quark managed to negotiate a new contract for short term use in the Arctic season. Then worked on the new Snow Hill 4 trips. It costs over a million to bring the empty vessel south and unlike other vessels it cannot subsidise that cost by having paying passengers doing repositioning trips. As it is operated by steam the vessel itself gets unbearable hot and not ideal for "pleasure cruising". At the end of the final voyage as we moved from the Southern Ocean into the Indian Ocean it was 40 degrees C on board. Closer to the equator it gets even worse.

So they have to do it with just a skeleton crew. A very sweaty skeleton crew I imagine !

 

The tourism market changed - to the larger pax vessels and more fancy cabins etc and the shorter trips just on the peninsula. Appealing to the box tickers rather than the expeditioners. It's a different customer base these days.

The big long grand expeditions of the 90s and 2000s and the full circumnavigations are unlikely to happen again. And if they did - the cost would be prohibitive to the majority. I know quite a few folks who did the famous KK circumnavigation and a bunk in a triple share cost over $100k. It would cost double that today.

 

When I win lotto I'm just going to buy my own second hand icebreaker and choppers ! DIY !

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[rimmit]

The emperor colonies I've been to are ten times the size of the Snow Hill colony so I haven't missed anything by not going to that specific location. Especially the many enormous colonies at Atka ice port and all the ones along West Antarctica between commonwealth bay and Davis station and the massive colony on the Shackleton Ice Shelf - over half a mil couples.

 

The KK originally simply finished its 20 year tourism contract in 2011 and was recalled back to its Russian owners to operate as a working breaker in the north. Quark managed to negotiate a new contract for short term use in the Arctic season. Then worked on the new Snow Hill 4 trips. It costs over a million to bring the empty vessel south and unlike other vessels it cannot subsidise that cost by having paying passengers doing repositioning trips. As it is operated by steam the vessel itself gets unbearable hot and not ideal for "pleasure cruising". At the end of the final voyage as we moved from the Southern Ocean into the Indian Ocean it was 40 degrees C on board. Closer to the equator it gets even worse.

So they have to do it with just a skeleton crew. A very sweaty skeleton crew I imagine !

 

The tourism market changed - to the larger pax vessels and more fancy cabins etc and the shorter trips just on the peninsula. Appealing to the box tickers rather than the expeditioners. It's a different customer base these days.

The big long grand expeditions of the 90s and 2000s and the full circumnavigations are unlikely to happen again. And if they did - the cost would be prohibitive to the majority. I know quite a few folks who did the famous KK circumnavigation and a bunk in a triple share cost over $100k. It would cost double that today.

 

When I win lotto I'm just going to buy my own second hand icebreaker and choppers ! DIY !

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Previously you stated you wanted to go to Snow Hill. Why would you want to go there when the colony you saw was much bigger?

 

Did you actually see the chicks? The chicks are the only reason to go to snow hill. We went late Oct. and almost all were teenagers by then. We lucked out and were able to photography one still under feet, but most were put from under at that point. They were still adorable. I was under the impression that Snow Hill was the only truly accessible colony to see the chicks as the ice would be too thick to get to any of the other colonies as snow hill is the northern most emperor colony. Even at Snow Hill many years based on how thick the pack ice is it can be difficult and many expeditions can miss seeing them. That is why a Snow Hill is the only place a commercial break expedition can go to see the chicks.

 

Also, I thought there were only 550k-600k emperor penguins total in the world. Has there been a population explosion recently, as if there were half a million pairs that is a million emperors in that one location alone. I was always under the impression that emperors are never found in the sheer numbers like the kings are on South Georgia. There are 300,000 pairs of Kings at St. Andrews Bay in South Georgia which is the largest King colony and they outnumber the emperors by total population by a ton.

South Georgia has much larger penguin colonies than those found on Antarctic Sea Ice.

[PerfectlyPerth]

Previously you stated you wanted to go to Snow Hill. Why would you want to go there when the colony you saw was much bigger?

 

Did you actually see the chicks? The chicks are the only reason to go to snow hill. We went late Oct. and almost all were teenagers by then. We lucked out and were able to photography one still under feet, but most were put from under at that point. They were still adorable. I was under the impression that Snow Hill was the only truly accessible colony to see the chicks as the ice would be too thick to get to any of the other colonies as snow hill is the northern most emperor colony. Even at Snow Hill many years based on how thick the pack ice is it can be difficult and many expeditions can miss seeing them. That is why a Snow Hill is the only place a commercial break expedition can go to see the chicks.

 

Also, I thought there were only 550k-600k emperor penguins total in the world. Has there been a population explosion recently, as if there were half a million pairs that is a million emperors in that one location alone. I was always under the impression that emperors are never found in the sheer numbers like the kings are on South Georgia. There are 300,000 pairs of Kings at St. Andrews Bay in South Georgia which is the largest King colony and they outnumber the emperors by total population by a ton.

South Georgia has much larger penguin colonies than those found on Antarctic Sea Ice.

 

While I have done 75% of Antarctica's circumference - I haven't done it all - so there are still a thousand locations on my to do list and Snow Hill Is is on the list - but as I said - the colonies I did have the privilege of reaching were much bigger than Snow Hills colony (so all I was saying before is that I haven't been deprived by not going there in particular), and phenomenal and memorable for life. Yes more chicks than we could count - at their cutest and fluffiest - thousands upon thousands. We spent days up to 12 hours long with each colony - returning to the ship after midnight most times. I averaged 10,000 photos per voyage and hundreds and hundreds of videos of the chicks which keep me happy until I win Lotto and return! (someday - sigh!).

 

The trips I did on the Khlebnikov were to extremely remote regions that have only had tourists reach there once before - or never before. If you google the Atka Ice Port and that region along Queen Maud Land you will see how inaccessible it is - so it was a rare experience to get there, making our way across the entire Weddell Sea and the packice, and spend a week around that area. On that same trip we also had 6 days around the Sth Sandwich Islands which almost never get reached other than by the KK. No emperors there but the largest chinstrap colony known of. We didn't land due to the force 12 storm that was across the whole region but we were able to cruise close enough to every island multiple times over the 6 days to be able to see the chinstraps, lava and steam vents etc without needing binoculars or zoom lenses.

 

The Shackleton Ice Shelf colony along East Antarctica was discovered by our chopper pilots purely by accident when they were scouting out a days adventure hike for us - and it was reported around the world as it was a previously unknown and uncounted colony. The other colonies we spent entire days with along the East Antarctica region were of sizes that could not be exaggerated - incredible experiences. Most of the colonies in that region have not been located or counted so the total populations are unknown. They are not near any of the stations and generally its only known via satellite images showing all their guano patches. My friends that work at the stations only get out to the colonies near them if they are doing specific counts or research and thats not generally yearly.

 

The Heard Island colony of King's and elephant seals is equal in size to SGI numbers - so that too was an incredible landing right below an active volcano.

 

The Ush to NZ trip on Ortelius was much later in the season - Feb/March - so no big emperor colonies as all had gone to sea. Mostly just stragglers in groups on ice floes along the way. And plenty of adelies along the whole voyage, and a mystery chipstrap population that the expedition team were not expecting to find on Peter the First Island. It would be nice to see that expedition moved to Dec to utilise the choppers to get to the emperor colonies - but not being a proper breaker, the Ortelius would be hampered by ice more.

 

Now - I need to go by another lotto ticket because all this reminiscing is making me want to return to the south promptly!:ship:

[digitl]

Yes it is easy to launch into a spiel of a Monty Python nature - "Rough? You don't know rough" !

 

AKA the Yorkshireman sketch. We're not all like that though. Well, not quite.

[PerfectlyPerth]

AKA the Yorkshireman sketch. We're not all like that though. Well, not quite.

 

Looxury !!!!! ;p

[digitl]

You were lucky. We lived for three months in a brown paper bag in a septic tank.

 

 

For those who haven't a clue what this is about...

 

https://www.google.co.uk/url?q=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DVKHFZBUTA4k&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiRjfOfqvHdAhUL04MKHUOKAqwQtwIwAXoECAoQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2pOZi8mgnSO9FQtj6RJDB0

[rimmit]

While I have done 75% of Antarctica's circumference - I haven't done it all - so there are still a thousand locations on my to do list and Snow Hill Is is on the list - but as I said - the colonies I did have the privilege of reaching were much bigger than Snow Hills colony (so all I was saying before is that I haven't been deprived by not going there in particular), and phenomenal and memorable for life. Yes more chicks than we could count - at their cutest and fluffiest - thousands upon thousands. We spent days up to 12 hours long with each colony - returning to the ship after midnight most times. I averaged 10,000 photos per voyage and hundreds and hundreds of videos of the chicks which keep me happy until I win Lotto and return! (someday - sigh!).

 

The trips I did on the Khlebnikov were to extremely remote regions that have only had tourists reach there once before - or never before. If you google the Atka Ice Port and that region along Queen Maud Land you will see how inaccessible it is - so it was a rare experience to get there, making our way across the entire Weddell Sea and the packice, and spend a week around that area. On that same trip we also had 6 days around the Sth Sandwich Islands which almost never get reached other than by the KK. No emperors there but the largest chinstrap colony known of. We didn't land due to the force 12 storm that was across the whole region but we were able to cruise close enough to every island multiple times over the 6 days to be able to see the chinstraps, lava and steam vents etc without needing binoculars or zoom lenses.

 

The Shackleton Ice Shelf colony along East Antarctica was discovered by our chopper pilots purely by accident when they were scouting out a days adventure hike for us - and it was reported around the world as it was a previously unknown and uncounted colony. The other colonies we spent entire days with along the East Antarctica region were of sizes that could not be exaggerated - incredible experiences. Most of the colonies in that region have not been located or counted so the total populations are unknown. They are not near any of the stations and generally its only known via satellite images showing all their guano patches. My friends that work at the stations only get out to the colonies near them if they are doing specific counts or research and thats not generally yearly.

 

The Heard Island colony of King's and elephant seals is equal in size to SGI numbers - so that too was an incredible landing right below an active volcano.

 

The Ush to NZ trip on Ortelius was much later in the season - Feb/March - so no big emperor colonies as all had gone to sea. Mostly just stragglers in groups on ice floes along the way. And plenty of adelies along the whole voyage, and a mystery chipstrap population that the expedition team were not expecting to find on Peter the First Island. It would be nice to see that expedition moved to Dec to utilise the choppers to get to the emperor colonies - but not being a proper breaker, the Ortelius would be hampered by ice more.

 

Now - I need to go by another lotto ticket because all this reminiscing is making me want to return to the south promptly!:ship:

 

Based on what you’ve seen, I don’t know if I would recommend Snow Hill. For the price and what you see if you’ve seen those other colonies it’s not worth it unless you just want to check some boxes off your list. Snow hill is great but I’d say you’ve seen better sites.

[PerfectlyPerth]

Happy to report that the folks on the Khlebnikov at the moment have had 3 full days at the Snow Hill colony so far. Looking forward to seeing my friends photos when they return. They are doing the 4 trips back to back (my expedition team friends and some past passenger pals) so it's going to be weeks til they are back in the land of wifi. 

There are 8 berths left on the final voyage due to a cancellation - if anyone has some wads of $$$ laying around. 

[rimmit]

There was clearly some pent up demand after years of not offering it.  Please post the links to the pics once they get them up if your friends don’t mind.  

We only had 80 on our expedition when we went.  Over 20+ berths available. Stock market tanked in 2008 so i assumed some people pocketbooks too a big hit and they cancelled as originally it was fully booked and we were on a waitlist.  We got off the wait list late May and the ship left end of October.

When we went, we lucked out and had four  full beautiful days there.  They said it was the best weather they had ever had in all of their years of going there. The expedition right before us unfortunately the icebreaker could not get very close, and from what I was told by the team, most people had about 30 minutes due to the amount of time it took the shuttle everybody there and back.  They also only were able to go there for just one day.  All that effort for 30 minutes.  Although it is better that than some of the other expeditions that fail to see the snow hill at all due to the ice thickness.

 

i remember using the comps on board.  If you watched Lost (tv show) i remember that the radio room looking like it was straight out of the Dharma initiative or a 1979s era Russian submarine.  Lol.