After 6 weeks we have just returned to Ushuaia, Argentina safely from the Antarctic peninsula with everyone well and the yacht in perfect condition. At times we had wind with over 50 knots and took shelter at the most amazing anchorages surrounded by glaciers and mountains. The anker dragged from time to time with ice floes banging against the hawl, but our crew had always everything under control which gave me a much better sleep. I have recovered from days of seasickness while trying to do my watches and still I would go back in a heartbeat.
After an epic 6 week expedition on the yacht called Podorange with the owner/skipper Brice Monègier and crew to document the Orcas and Leopard Seals which are the 2 apex predators of Antarctica. At least we were able to observe the leopard seals with their feeding behaviour on penguins.
Mainly two of us and the Captain spent day by day in our free-diving suits on the zodiac in freezing, icy conditions in awe by the surrounding nature in hope to find a non-sleeping Leopard seal or a seal at all. At the end we could have not been happier. I can’t wait to share more as we were rewarded on our last day with 2 Leopard seals feeding on 9 penguins.
Special thanks to Brice with his endless patience and passion to keep us safe and to finally succeed in finding them and to Jorgen Rasmussen, my dive buddy and organizer who took this pic of me interacting with a Leopard Seal.
I am fascinated by these animals, which seemed to be the most intelligent mammal. This one was a female about 2.5m in length and weighting about 400kg. During our encounters we were faced with the most powerful, flexible fast moving mammal which we couldn’t keep up with in times so Brice had to get us out very fast as we were not a equal play-buddy for them. They have shown no fear, just curiosity and each of them had their own personality especially when they were hunting penguins.
More about this trip once I am back in Australia.
Thanks for all of your support…..lots of pics to get through now…..See ya soon!!!
My shots were all taken with the very reliable #canonmarkiv in the #aquatica housing
photo by : @Jorgen Rasmussen
Antarctica- Day 1
Ushuaia-Argentinia
Arrived in Ushuaia, yay! It's a cute port here in Argentina to board the 67 foot yacht Podorange with Capitain Brice Monger to start my adventure to Antarctica for our Apex predator expedition with Jörgen Rasmussen with 12 peeps on board.
After our brief last night we are planning to take a window to leave after the 50 knots gust as there is another storm coming after that, which meant to be normal here, hmm ok then I thought, if thats normal it must be save, haha.
Today we're loading the yacht and planning to leave after customs straight down south to the end of this world...
If everything goes well, we are going towards the Weddell Sea, which is awesome as not many boats get there past King George Island, where the waters can be quite wild. We will see Albatrosses (different kinds) on our way and then lots of iceberg landscape like skyscrapers, woah. Then to the wildlife over to the west side the Gerlache Strait down through the Lamaire channel, which can be visited by Minke whales and of course Humpback whales, Orcas and hopefully Leopard seals, other cute seals and heaps of e different kind of penguin colonies.
Then we will see what happens...on our list to visit the Vernafsky Research Base (Ukrainian Station) perhaps for a dance, whiskey and laughter.
Maybe the abundant British station...then a bit more south time allowing.
Shifts are 2 hours watch for obstacles or exciting wildlife visitors and 6 hours break to stay warm,dry or to take photos if the sea is not too ruff.
Here our satellite tracker app for our boat (might be off-line at times doesn't mean we are in trouble,ok?) so please don't be alarmed these trackers do fail. you can always write an email if you are very concerned to contact@voile-australe.com
https://eur-share.inreach.garmin.com/JorgenRasmussen
Now I really got to go, otherwise I will miss my boat:) Coming!!!!!
Talk to you as soon as I have internet!!
See ya!