Rob LarterFeb 5
Day 1 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: departing from #Ushuaia and sailing east along the Beagle Channel.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterFeb 5
Days 2-4 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: crossing #DrakePassage until we sighted Smith Island, South Shetland Islands. As expected, there were some rough seas, but I didn't feel well enough to take photos in the worst conditions.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterFeb 8
Day 5 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: approaching Neptune's Bellows, the narrow entrance to the 7 km wide flooded volcanic caldera of Deception Island, South Shetland Islands.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterFeb 8
Day 5 (continued) of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: first landing, at Telefon Bay, Deception Island, South Shetland Islands. From the landing site we walked to the summit of Cross Hill and around the phreatic eruption crater it stands on one side of.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterFeb 8
Day 5 (continued) of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: first close encounters with some of the local inhabitants at Telefon Bay, Deception Island, South Shetland Islands.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterFeb 8
Day 5 (continued) of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: second landing, at Whalers' Bay, Deception Island, South Shetland Islands. From the landing site we walked up a valley to a depression in the caldera rim from which Nathaniel B Palmer first sighted the mainland of the Antarctic Peninsula in 1820.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterFeb 8
Decaying remains of the old whaling station at Whalers' Bay, Deception Island, including a derelict whalers' hut that was used as the main accommodation building by British researchers stationed here between 1944 and 1969. Under an international agreement Deception Island is designated as an Antarctic Specially Managed Area, but there is little evidence of any management. The decaying remains of the station here are neither being conserved nor removed.
Show threadRob LarterFeb 8
Wildlife encountered during our landing at Whalers' Bay, Deception Island.
Show threadRob LarterFeb 10
Day 6 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: a close approach to Half Moon Island in McFarlane Strait, South Shetland Islands, but strong winds precluded a landing. Subsequently we approached close to Edinburgh Hill on Livingston Island, a volcanic plug exhibiting spectacular columnar jointing.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterFeb 15
Day 7 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: an exploration of a narrow channel between Spert and Trinity Islands in small boats, weaving between numerous icebergs and growlers.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterFeb 15
The stand-out sights of this small boat excursion were a number of Weddell seals resting on some of the bergy bits.
Show threadRob LarterFeb 22
Day 8 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: instruction on climbing on the higher sections of the masts and the yards, then passage through Lemaire Channel (commonly referred to as Kodak Crack back in the day when all photographers used film), followed by a landing on the Yalour Islands, which host a large Adelie peguin rookery.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterFeb 22
Day 8 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa (continued): a few photos of Adelie penguins on the Yalour Islands.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterFeb 24
Day 9 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: first landing on the mainland of the Antarctic Peninsula, at Stony Point, Paradise Harbour.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterFeb 25
Day 9 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa (continued): a selection of wildlife photos taken at Stony Point.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterFeb 28
Day 9 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa (continued): the varied expressions of a Weddell seal resting on the beach at Stony Point.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterMar 1
A lot of melting was taking place when we visited Stony Point. Of course, this was summer in Antarctica, so some melting was expected. However, temperatures on this day and through January as a whole were 1 to 2°C above the recent average, which itself is a couple of degrees warmer than in the mid-20th century. Later this day the dry air temperature recorded on Bark Europa in neighbouring Andvord Bay was 3.8°C. Average 21st century January temperature at the US Palmer Station on Anvers Island is 2.7°C.
Show threadRob LarterMar 5
Day 9 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa (continued): second landing of the day on the mainland of the Antarctic Peninsula, at Neko Harbour.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterMar 9
Day 9 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa (continued): Gentoo penguins at Neko Harbour, and a penguin egg that had recently been plundered by a skua.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterMar 11
Day 10 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: landing on Jougla Point, a location formerly used by Whalers and literally a stone's throw away from the island where the former British base of Port Lockroy is located.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterMar 13
Day 10 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa (continued): gentoo penguin, penguin chicks and a giant petrel feasting on its prey at Jougla Point.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterMar 15
Day 10 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa (continued): visit to the historic Port Lockroy base, established in 1944 and now maintained by @UKAntarcticHeritageTrust
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterMar 22
Day 11 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: landing on Danco Island, the location of former British Base O, occupied 1956-1959, demolished and removed 2004.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterMar 23
Day 11 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa (continued): Gentoo #penguins on Danco Island.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterMar 28
Day 11 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa (continued): our final landing, at Orne Harbour on the mainland of the Peninsula. We climbed up a snow slope to a narrow ridge on which there was a chinstrap #penguin rookery. It was amazing to see how high up and how exposed the locations are where some chinstraps choose to raise their chicks. It was also impressive to watch them climbing icy slopes on which even experienced climbers would feel uncomfortable without an ice axe and crampons.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterMar 29
A short video clip of chinstrap penguins and chicks in the rookery on the crest of the ridge. Sound on to hear their calls.
Show threadRob LarterMar 29
Days 12-14 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: sailng back north across Drake Passage.
1. Unfurling the staysails.
2. Members of voyage crew at the helm shortly before dawn.
3. A full set of five square sails on the foremast, together with a staysail attached to the forward side the mast.
4. A majestic rainbow compensates for unpleasant conditions after a squall had passed by.
#BusmansHoliday
Show threadRob LarterMar 29
Day 15 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: riding the waves across Drake Passage with Bark Europa in full sail, viewed from near the wheelhouse.
Show threadRob LarterApr 2
Day 16 of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: several members of the voyage crew were keen to see Cape Horn on our way back to Ushuaia. The Captain agreed, but warned us that we would pass the Cape in the early hours of the morning. Hence all we could see was the dark shape of hills against a cloudy sky and the flashing lights of two lighthouses (see short video clip in post below).
Show threadRob LarterApr 2
Night time video clip looking towards Cape Horn in which lights from two lighthouses can be seen flashing intermittently.
Show threadRob LarterApr 3
I'd seen Cape Horn once before, from above on a flight 12 years ago on the British Antarctic Survey Dash7 aircraft, going from Punta Arenas, #Chile to Rothera Research Station on the #Antarctic Peninsula.
Show threadRob Larter
Day 17, the final day, of my voyage to the #Antarctic Peninsula on the #tallship #BarkEuropa: returning along the Beagle Channel to Ushuaia, from where we had set out. There I was able to pay my respects to the bust of Adrien De Gerlache, who led the Belgica expedition of 1897-1899 on which much of the area we had visited was first charted. Like Bark Europa, the Belgica was a three-masted bark, but a little smaller. The Belgica also called at Ushuaia in the last few days of 1897 before heading to Antarctica. Finally, I joined many of the other voyage crew in the Patagonia bar to reminisce on our shared adventure.
Apr 11 at 6:48pmWeb