Chile and Antarctica cruise

[tgh]

It was the of course the PAII and very original Silversea service and morale , the whole ship got involved.
I don't remember the reception but we were having a lot of fun all the time anyway.
Shackleton's toast ashore was champers of course, two duck loads including glasses iirc…...but I have forgotten the brand.
It was cold and white and my pics seem to show a lot more wildlife everywhere

 

[RooFlyer]

and we've been told South Georgia has been closed due to avian flu, so we're doing a detailed navigation of the Falklands instead before we head down to Antarctica.

For us, they were three specified places on the island where we could land. We got to 2 of them. For other places, we could do a zodiac drive-by of the beaches.

As a general statement, South Georgia is most certainly not closed by avian flu, but different cruise lines have different biosecurity ratings as to what and where they can access.

it’s a pretty big diversion if the cruise line can’t get the most out of it.

 

[JohnM]

For us, they were three specified places on the island where we could land. We got to 2 of them. For other places, we could do a zodiac drive-by of the beaches.

As a general statement, South Georgia is most certainly not closed by avian flu, but different cruise lines have different biosecurity ratings as to what and where they can access.

it’s a pretty big diversion if the cruise line can’t get the most out of it.

And it is a zoo down there at present:

 

[VPS]

Absolutely amazing photos and I've been to Antarctica - sadly we had to bypass South Georgia because of the weather and now I want to go back. Great TR @RooFlyer

 

[Chalkie]

For us, they were three specified places on the island where we could land. We got to 2 of them. For other places, we could do a zodiac drive-by of the beaches.

As a general statement, South Georgia is most certainly not closed by avian flu, but different cruise lines have different biosecurity ratings as to what and where they can access.

it’s a pretty big diversion if the cruise line can’t get the most out of it.

Interesting. This is what Ponant sent to our expedition:

 

[Seat0B]

I say again, your photos of the wildlife are truly magnificent.

 

[Lat34]

And it is a zoo down there at present:

View attachment 361904

It's a busy, busy place.
Aside from numerous cruise ships, sailing boats and commercial vessels, pan further left to the area north of McMurdo Station and south of New Zealand where the fishing boats are gathered.

 

[love_the_life]

Interesting. This is what Ponant sent to our expedition:

View attachment 361933

I am wondering if Ponant has not received permission to land on Sth Georgia and so decided not to bother going there at all.

 

[Chalkie]

I am wondering if Ponant has not received permission to land on Sth Georgia and so decided not to bother going there at all.

They go there every Antarctica season and there are several expeditions scheduled via South Georgia this season. It is possible that they've decided that the additional protocols required by IAATO could adversely affect the guest experience. I cannot imagine it's something that's been decided lightly.

 

[love_the_life]

They go there every Antarctica season and there are several expeditions scheduled via South Georgia this season. It is possible that they've decided that the additional protocols required by IAATO could adversely affect the guest experience. I cannot imagine it's something that's been decided lightly.

That may well be the reason - though I would have thought zodiac expeditions still would have been preferable to additional time in the Falklands. Maybe they didn't want to risk the zodiac option being removed if things got worse.We went on Ponant to Antarctica and while the experience was great, I didn't feel that Ponant were quite 'up there' with the best for a number of reasons.

But apologies for being off topic. RooFlyer's trip looks to be fantastic - so many great photos and descriptions.

 

[drron]

Well I looked up the Ponant site and only 4 of their Antarctic cruises were going to South Georgia from now. One was the Austral loop cruise which noted above has had South Georgia removed. Two of the other 3 are Austral loop cruises.
Silversea have 7.

Last week the first suspected cases of Avian flu have been reported in the South Orkney Islands. they are about half way from South Georgia to the Antarctic Peninsula.

First report of suspected cases of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the Antarctic Treaty Area | Scar

Joint statement from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP), International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)...

scar.org

South Orkney Islands

www.google.com

If it gets to the Peninsula it really is going to be a problem fo the next Antarctic cruising season.

 

[RooFlyer]

That may well be the reason - though I would have thought zodiac expeditions still would have been preferable to additional time in the Falklands. Maybe they didn't want to risk the zodiac option being removed if things got worse.

we were told that the various cruise lines get rated for bio security, depending on their own protocols and what the personal gear inspection turns up.

They (SilverSea) said SilverSea of course had the highest rating and so had the most options available to it but that is might be a bit self-serving of course. Even where places are closed due to Bird flu, zodiac drive-bys are still permitted. But they of course are always subject to the weather. So I’m guessing that the 4 sea days involved in going to South Georgia and back for maybe one landing or maybe no landings, just zodiacs was deemed just not worth it.

The current phase of the bird flu is expecting to have largely passed by next season, although I guess it will always be about, but the main effects have been felt right now.

Interestingly, we are seeing far far more dead fur seals and elephant seals than dead penguins.

 

[latawiec]

I think it was looked at reasonably seriously some years ago for Perth.

Probably about 30 yrs ago.

Now Perth already has a couple of desalinization plants.

 

[RooFlyer]

When you go ashore in your allocated zodiac, do you have to stay with that group or can you wander around on your own and then return to the ship on any available zodiac?

Sorry, I see that I didn't really answer the gist of your question. What happens when we land varies. Where we have to walk though penguins and seals, on landing we shed the life jackets and they ask us to gather in a group with one of the expedition leaders; the group doesn't have to be your zodiac. We then have to stick with that guided group until we return to the life jackets and the zodiacs. Return on any available zodiac.

Sometimes that happens outwards but we are free to wander back at our own pace.

Sometimes its entirely free ranging - the Falklands was like that (except on the particular guided tours at/around Stanley).

I think in Antarctica it will be more 'stay in your guided group' due to number restrictions and hopefully abundance of wildlife.

On this cruise 'zodiac groups' seems to be most about having people arrive at the mud room in an orderly and staged fashion. After that, you might be on any zodiac outwards or inwards or in any group onshore. Also, its almost impossible to stage it so you get your particular favourite Exped leader and/or zodiac driver. Some are definitely better than others both in knowledge and in how they handle their zodiac. All competent drivers of course, but the one I had yesterday was constantly (every two seconds) putting the engine in and out of gear, either forward and reverse from neutral, when we were paused to take pictures. Every time it jarred the zodiac and your picture was compromised. I was going to mention the issue to her at the end, but the re-boarding was difficult and I didn't get the chance.

Another zodiac driver/Exped leader was identified early on by several people (including me) as being very abrupt to the point of being rude. But more recent reports are that he was OK; someone was going to mention the issue to the Chief Expeditionist; dunno if they did or if that changed the guy's attitude.

 

[RooFlyer]

Today is a sea day, so time to catch up. We stayed moored at Grytviken that night, until early in the morning when we headed for St Andrews Bay, well known for having the largest penguin colony in the world (or maybe of King penguins) - abt 200-250,000.

As before, we were dodging icebergs all the way there, until we turned into the bay, where it was sheltered.







As usual, there were abundant penguins and seals all about the ship.



Attention soon turned to the shore and yes, there were lots of King penguins.





No landing allowed so we did a drive-by of the beach for about an hour.



Note the bodies of seals on a strand line up the beach. There are far more dead seals then penguins.

 

[RooFlyer]

OK, so this little guy decided to go for a swim (they aren't waterproof like this).



Eek! its cold!



Retreat



Another, not impressed with the wind.









Beach panorama. Most are behind the moraine line, and up the valley behind that.

 

[Port Power]

The zodiac I was on headed right towards a large, flat rock where penguins were standing. The expedition’s photographer was over that way, as well as a zodiac with only two passengers, one with a large lens on camera and the other with a GoPro on a long stick. (This is a “private photo zodiac experience” available as a select excursion.)

Right place, right time! There was a rarely seen leopard seal that caught and killed a king penguin. We spent a good half hour there watching the seal duck and dive and return to grab the penguin. There were tiny feathers all over the water surface as he shook the body to remove them. I did snap one good photo, but will load another courtesy of fellow passenger, @twangster.








We then headed to the beach for a closer look at the elephant seals.

 

[RooFlyer]

That afternoon, we sailed to Gold Harbour, our final destination in Sth Georgia. This has been our route here - arriving from the NW to Coopers Bay in the far SE originally, in poor weather. We then backtracked way up the coast to the NW and then made hops down the coast to the SE in pretty good weather. The red boat below is at Gold Harbour.



As we sailed between St Andrews and Gold Harbour, the weather was fine and sunny and we had the ever-present passing parade of icebergs with the gorgeous Sth Georgia as background.



Or you could look at those on the outside of us.





We entered Gold Harbour by carefully weaving our way through the 'bergs.



This one had a bit more than usual



Look hard on the right front, just above the semicircle on the water line.



Penguinos! Might be the rarer Chinstraps. I'll have to ask.



Landslides



First impression of Gold Harbour was amazing - a hanging glacier over folded greywackes and another glacier tumbling down into the water.

 

[RooFlyer]

Sorry, backtracking to the voyage between St Andrews and Gold Harbour.

 

[VPS]

A Buenos Aires taxi driver told me off for saying penguinos. it is pinguinos