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 Brazil Part 2 – Recife and Natal, Brazil

 

March 3, 2023 – Recife

 

After 2 days at sea we arrived at Recife, one of the ports we had been at in 2008.  Many guests went to the colonial town of Olinda, which Miriam had visited on that earlier visit.  Olinda sits on a hill some 9 KM from Recife, which sits at sea level with one of the longest urban beaches in the world.  We had planned to spend some time on the beach, but the transfers to the beach we cancelled due to safety and congestion concerns by the shoreside tour operator.  By the time the ship docked the temperature and humidity were both out of sight.

 

Instead, Patrick rode the shuttle into the Casa da Cultura in the old city where many handicrafts were for sale.  Walking around the immediate neighborhood with many abandoned buildings, crumbling sidewalks, and with many shops selling home goods like appliances and mattresses, stepping around homeless people sleeping on the sidewalks and being accosted by panhandlers, Patrick decided to just return to the ship.

 

Interior of Casa da Cultura

An actual phone booth in ceramic hat

Recife is known for dolls

Typical street scene

Some of the homeless sleeping on the sidewalks

Colonial era theater

 

Saturday, March 4, 2023 – Natal, Brazil

 

Natal was named after the Portuguese word for Christmas on December 25, 1599 and is the capital city of Rio Grande do Norte, a state in Northeastern Brazil.  It is known for massive sand dunes, and dozens of sandy, white beaches stretching more than 9 KM from north to south.

 

We arrived at the pilot station about 0630 and negotiated the narrow entrance to the small port, passing under a large suspension bridge across the river.  On the southern side of the channel was the star shaped Fortaleza dos Reis Magos.  The fortress was built in 1598 to protect the area from French pirates and during Brazil’s colonial period was one of the most important defensive barriers in Brazil.  For more than 300 years it was used as military quarters, administration and even as a prison.  It is built in the water and is accessible via a pedestrian path.  The name come from the statues of the Biblical Magi at the fort entrance.

 

Local fishing boats

High tide at the beach

The courtesy shuttle dropped us at a local handicraft market across the street from one of the city beaches, called Yak beach.  We had intended to walk around town but were advised to stay out on the beach side as the interior roads were not considered safe for tourists.

The beaches were a mix of tidal pools protected by a coral reef and sections open to the surf.  The surf was fairly high, the wind brisk and the temperatures HOT, but the wind did moderate the high temperatures.  At high tide the beach nearly disappears and the vendor carts struggled in the wet sand at water’s edge.

 

Natal is also home to the worlds largest cashew tree, covering 8,000 square meters and producing more than 60,000 cashews per year.  The tree is believed to be at least 1,000 years old and is roughly the size of 70 normal cashew trees.  Since the tree is located more than 18 miles from the ship and a lengthy taxi ride, we did not get a chance to actually see the tree.

 

Seabourn Quest departed Natal for the three day 1000 NM journey to the entrance of the Amazon.  We should cross the bar into the Amazon about noon on the third day.  The entrance has to be carefully timed as March is known for the strength of a tidal bore known as a pororoca, which can be surfed for miles, or can be destructive as it travels at 10-15 knots for up to 300 miles upstream.

 

 

 Brazil Part 2 – Recife and Natal, Brazil

 

March 3, 2023 – Recife

 

After 2 days at sea we arrived at Recife, one of the ports we had been at in 2008.  Many guests went to the colonial town of Olinda, which Miriam had visited on that earlier visit.  Olinda sits on a hill some 9 KM from Recife, which sits at sea level with one of the longest urban beaches in the world.  We had planned to spend some time on the beach, but the transfers to the beach we cancelled due to safety and congestion concerns by the shoreside tour operator.  By the time the ship docked the temperature and humidity were both out of sight.

 

Instead, Patrick rode the shuttle into the Casa da Cultura in the old city where many handicrafts were for sale.  Walking around the immediate neighborhood with many abandoned buildings, crumbling sidewalks, and with many shops selling home goods like appliances and mattresses, stepping around homeless people sleeping on the sidewalks and being accosted by panhandlers, Patrick decided to just return to the ship.

 

Interior of Casa da Cultura

An actual phone booth in ceramic hat

Recife is known for dolls

Typical street scene

Some of the homeless sleeping on the sidewalks

Colonial era theater

 

Saturday, March 4, 2023 – Natal, Brazil

 

Natal was named after the Portuguese word for Christmas on December 25, 1599 and is the capital city of Rio Grande do Norte, a state in Northeastern Brazil.  It is known for massive sand dunes, and dozens of sandy, white beaches stretching more than 9 KM from north to south.

 

We arrived at the pilot station about 0630 and negotiated the narrow entrance to the small port, passing under a large suspension bridge across the river.  On the southern side of the channel was the star shaped Fortaleza dos Reis Magos.  The fortress was built in 1598 to protect the area from French pirates and during Brazil’s colonial period was one of the most important defensive barriers in Brazil.  For more than 300 years it was used as military quarters, administration and even as a prison.  It is built in the water and is accessible via a pedestrian path.  The name come from the statues of the Biblical Magi at the fort entrance.

 

Local fishing boats

High tide at the beach

The courtesy shuttle dropped us at a local handicraft market across the street from one of the city beaches, called Yak beach.  We had intended to walk around town but were advised to stay out on the beach side as the interior roads were not considered safe for tourists.

The beaches were a mix of tidal pools protected by a coral reef and sections open to the surf.  The surf was fairly high, the wind brisk and the temperatures HOT, but the wind did moderate the high temperatures.  At high tide the beach nearly disappears and the vendor carts struggled in the wet sand at water’s edge.

 

Natal is also home to the worlds largest cashew tree, covering 8,000 square meters and producing more than 60,000 cashews per year.  The tree is believed to be at least 1,000 years old and is roughly the size of 70 normal cashew trees.  Since the tree is located more than 18 miles from the ship and a lengthy taxi ride, we did not get a chance to actually see the tree.

 

Seabourn Quest departed Natal for the three day 1000 NM journey to the entrance of the Amazon.  We should cross the bar into the Amazon about noon on the third day.  The entrance has to be carefully timed as March is known for the strength of a tidal bore known as a pororoca, which can be surfed for miles, or can be destructive as it travels at 10-15 knots for up to 300 miles upstream.

 

 

 Brazil Part 1

 

Ilhabela, Rio de Janeiro and Armacao dos Buzios

 

February 25, 2023

 

After several days at sea, we arrived at Ilhabela, on Sao Sabastiono Island, south of Rio de Janeiro about 200 NM.

 

Ilhabela means “beautiful island” and is famous for gorgeous beaches, dense tropical forests and hundreds of waterfalls.  Before the Portugal colonized Brazil in 1500, the island was the home of an indigenous tribe called Tupinambas.  These people called the island “Ciribai” which means tranquil place.  The island is now a resort playground for both Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, with several large marinas and many small hotels.  We anchored off of Ilhabela’s historic town center and tendered ashore for a variety of tours.  Patrick picked a 4×4 excursion to several waterfalls  and Currall Beach for a swim break.

 

Currall Beach

The water was warm and the surf low, so water entry was easy.  The beach was nice, but to get a seat or lounge chair one had to buy some drinks or food from the restaurants that controlled each section of the beach.  However, the prices were reasonable and the Caipirinha’s were good, so it was very acceptable.  Due to recent heavy rains and mudslides, one of the waterfalls was not accessible.  The historic city center is dominated by a church and naval museum and many small shops and restaurants.

 

Naval Museum

Historic Waterfront – Ilhabela

After a full day, Seabourn Quest headed for Rio de Janeiro, getting to the pilot station at 0230, and docking at the cruise terminal at 0430 on February 26 for an overnight stay.

 

February 26, 2023 – Rio de Janeiro

 

Rio de Janeiro literally means “River of January”, and is the 6^th most populated city in the Americas.  Part of the city has been designated as a World Heritage Site.  Rio was founded in 1565 by Portugal and in 1763 became the capital of the State of Brazil, a state in the Portuguese Empire.  From 1808 to 1822 it was actually the capital of the Portuguese empire under Queen Maria I and later her son Joao, who raised Brazil to the dignity of a kingdom, within the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves.  In 1822, the Brazilian war of independence began and Rio became the capital of the Kingdom of Brazil until 1889 and then the capital of the Republic of Brazil until 1960 when the capital was transferred to the new city of Brasilia.

 

Rio is known for beaches, landmarks such as the statue of Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado mountain, Sugarloaf mountain with the cable car, Carnival, bossa nova music, and the samba.

 

The cruise terminal is located in the Gamboa district close to the original downtown area on Guanabara Bay. Guanabara Bay is reputed to be the largest bay in the world by volume.  We were only a few blocks from the Carnival Stadium and there were still several floats on the streets in the morning from the last night of Carnival, although smaller celebrations continued through the evening.  Patrick joined a Seabourn Ventures nature walk in the botanical gardens which back up to the Tijuca State Forest.

 

The drive to the gardens took 45 minutes.  Due to the many road closures for Carnival, we actually got a good look at many of the neighborhoods of Rio.  Our route included a trip through the tunnel bored through Corcovado Mountain which is dominated by the Christ the Redeemer statue at the very top.  The botanical gardens were started in the 1800’s by the king of Portugal and Brazil.  It is divided into many sections and more than half the species were imported as gifts to the king.  There was an extensive collection of orchids and 18 different species of palm trees.

 

Jackfruit or Durian

Royal Palms and Statue of gardens founder

Acai berries

Returning to the ship mid-afternoon we prepared for an evening gala event for those guests on the entire Grand Americas cruise.  The event was held at Casa das Canoas, designed by Oscar Niemeyer in 1951.  It is now an event venue but was originally a private residence perched high on the hills above the beaches in the Canoas neighborhood of Barra de Tijuca, a suburb of Rio.  Oscar Niemeyer is also the person who designed many of the public buildings in Brasilia, the purpose built capital of Brazil.  After appetizers, cocktails, dinner and a Carnival show, it was after 2300 when we finally returned to the ship.

 

February 27, 2023 – Rio de Janeiro

 

We left on a private city tour with a driver and guide at 0830 and headed first for the Corcovado cog railway to ascend the mountain and view the “Christ the Redeemer” statue at the top.  The crowds were already intense when we reached the end of the cog railway, which has new cars since we visited in 2008, and ascended the 220 steps to the top.  People were pretty good about giving everyone space to get their pictures of both the statue and the surrounding hills and beaches.  Returning to the bottom we headed to Sugar Loaf mountain and the two-stage aerial trams traveling 400 meters to the top.  The gondolas’s for the aerial trams are also new since our 2008 visit.  The views of the beaches and city were spectacular.  By the time we descended to the base once again it was time for lunch.  Our guide took us to the Copacabana Palace Hotel for a traditional Brazilian BBQ at the Churrascaria Palace, located across the street from the hotel just off the beach.  Here they bring around skewers of meats and for a fixed price you can eat as much of the different steaks, chicken, fish, sausages and other cuts of meat, as well as enjoying an extensive buffets of salads, other hot dishes and desserts.

 

Christ the Redeemer statue

Church of the Immaculate Conception

Following lunch we walked across the street to Copacabana beach and enjoyed the scenery before heading back to the ship, stopping for photos at several cathedrals and the very modern science museum close to the ship.  The Church of the Immaculate Conception is the home church that spurred the construction of the Christ the Redeemer statue.  We were unable to enter any museums since all museums in Rio are closed on Mondays.

 

The ship departed Rio at 2100, passing by Sugar Loaf and the domestic airport in near darkness, heading back out into the South Atlantic ocean for our next stop in the morning.

 

February 28, 2023 – Armacao dos Buzios

 

This small but upscale community stretches some 8 KM along the shore, with many beaches and small bays.  The former fishing village of Buzios became a favored destination for jet-setters with the visit of Bridgett Bardot in the 1960’s.  In the past the village was a focal point for slave traders, Portuguese and French pirates.  Today Buzios is one of the most charming destinations in the Brazil.

 

Seabourn Quest anchored about ¾ NM off the main harbor, filled with boats on moorings, and began tender operations shortly after 0800.  Patrick did a kayak tour, a real change from Antarctica and the Falklands since we could wear shorts, t-shirts and sandals with just a kayak vest rather than suit up in a dry suit.  We took a zodiac ride to a beach several KM west of town and entered the kayaks from the zodiacs.  Our route took us along the beaches back towards the main harbor, with birds, sea turtles, snorkelers, divers, water taxis, swimmers and an amazing variety of swimwear on the beach including what only be described as dental floss bikinis.  The wind had picked up and rounding the points into the next beaches was a lot of work in seas up to 3 feet.

 

The ship departed at 1500 with a sail away celebration around the pool in 90 degree clear skies.  The breeze kept it comfortable.

 

Later that evening we celebrated Miriam’s birthday in the Thomas Keller Grill, with a special cake arranged by Ruben, one of maitre’d’s on the ship who has been on several of our other cruises.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uruguay and Argentina

 

Monday, February 20, 2023 – Montevideo, Uruguay

 

After leaving the Falkland/Malvinas Islands we sailed for two days to our first landfall in South America since departing Punta Arenas, Chile on February 2.  The first stop was Montevideo, Uruguay on Monday, a national holiday, part of Carnaval.  Many, if not most shops were closed, but restaurants and bars were open.  That also meant no crowds.  Montevideo sits on the north side of the Rio de la Plata, first discovered by European explorers in 1516 while searching for a route from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean.  It is considered by some to be the widest river in the world, stretching some 140 miles at it’s widest point.

 

Montevideo and the River Plate (Rio de la Plata) is also the site of the first major naval battle of World War 2, which took place on 13 December 1939.  The German Battleship Graf Spee took sanctuary in Montevideo after a major battle with three British Cruisers, HMS Exeter, HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles.  Graf Spee heavily damaged both HMS Exeter and HMS Ajax and retired to the neutral port of Montevideo.  International rules dictate a warship can only remain in a neutral port for 24 hours, but Captain Hans Landsdorff extended the stay to 72 hours.  Fearing a major British fleet was waiting for him, Landsdorff took Graf Spee out into the Rio de la Plata and scuttled Graf Spee on 17 December 1939.  Fleeing to Buenos Aires, he took his own life four days later.  The wreckage was rediscovered in 2004 and the 27 ton optical rangefinder for the main gun turrets was recovered and is on display at the entrance to the port.

 

Montevideo is home to nearly half of the 3.5 million population of Uruguay, which became an independent nation in 1828.  Uruguay maintains strong ties with the UK, France and Italy.

 

The ship docks within walking distance of the central plaza in the old town so we were able to see many of the important sights without participating in a tour.

 

Most of the way from the port to the central plaza is closed to traffic and is a pedestrian walkway for about one mile from the port to the Plaza Independencia, or Independence Square, dominated by a large monument to General Jose Artigas (1764-1850), one of the political founders and heroes of Uruguay and the Rio de la Plata region.  The monument stands atop his mausoleum.  Along the way are several more plazas, a large cathedral and an imposing opera house.  Many of the older buildings are in ornate art deco style from early in the 1900’s.  Like many cities, there is graffiti and wall paintings everywhere.

 

Plaza Independencia

Produce Market

Main cathedral – Montevideo

Monument and mausoleum to General Artigas in Independence Plaza

The harbor is still home to many derelict fishing vessels, less than we saw in 2016.

 

Tuesday, February 21, 2023 – Buenos Aires, Argentina

 

After an overnight crossing of the Rio de la Plata, Seabourn Quest docked in Buenos Aires and by 0900 we were meeting the car, driver and guide that had been prearranged for us.  After a driving tour of some of the 26 neighborhoods which make up the city, as well as a shopping stop, we arrived at La Brigada restaurant in the San Telmo neighborhood.  La Brigada is famous for steaks that can be cut with a spoon.  There we met with two of Patrick’s classmates from the Stanford Sloan program who we had not seen since 2016 in Buenos Aires.  We reconnected during a leisurely delicious lunch, sampling several varieties of Argentine steaks.

Following lunch we returned to the port at 1600 and the ship sailed at 1700 for Punta del Este, Uruguay, our next destination.

 

Wednesday, February 22, 2023 – Punta del Este, Uruguay

 

Punta del Este is both a city and municipality on the eastern tip of the Rio de la Plata, and is known as the Monaco of the South.  The year round population is only about 10,000, but that number triples during the summer season.  There are broad beaches, sculptures such as La Mano (or Los Dedos) on Playa Brava, many fine restaurants and a bustling but compact city center.  The city hosts music festivals, whale sightseeing and international education conferences.

 

Seabourn Quest anchored 2 miles from a large marina close to Isla Gorriti and we were tendered ashore. Isla Gorritti is now a playground for yachts, sheltered from the Atlantic Swells, but was a pirate stronghold in the 16th century.  The city is easy to walk around and nothing of interest was more than 2 miles away.  Patrick walked along the beachfront, past El Faro, the lighthouse, passing several of the busy beaches before reaching Los Dedos (or La Mano – the hand) which won an international award for sculpture in 1982.

Private houses on the waterfront 

 

After an interesting, but warm day, with temperatures reaching 86 degrees, we weighed anchor and set out into the Atlantic, heading for our first Brazilian port of call, Ilhabela on San Sebastiao Island.

  

 Falkland Islands

 

The Falklands Islands are an archipelago off the southern tip of South America.  There are more than 740 islands, most of them uninhabited.  The population is less than 4,000, with more than half in the capital, Port Stanley.  Since there are so few people, many species of animals, mainly seabirds, breed on the islands.  The total land area is about 4500 square miles, most on East and West Falkland Islands.  The Falklands are a windy environment, with poor soil and few native trees, mostly low shrubs.  However, oil and gas have been discovered, but the cost of extraction compared to the price of oil has not justified exploitation to date.  Also, there is a water shortage on the islands, barely enough to support the current population.  There are some sheep farms, producing high quality wool and meat, but the sheep require more than double the acreage per sheep compared to other sheep producing areas, so it is not a large industry.

 

The isolation of the islands, and ongoing disputes over sovereignty between Argentina and the UK, including the infamous 74 day war in 1982, when Argentina invaded the islands, but were ultimately defeated by the UK, means there are few flights, only one per week at the current time.  The flight is staged out of Chile, since Argentina will not allow flights from Argentina to the Falkland Islands and sometimes flights to there are denied entry into Argentinian airspace.

 

Our reasons for stopping in the Falkland Islands included more wildlife encounters, with several new species of penguins possible, other species of seabirds, touring the city of Port Stanley, a little piece of Britain overseas, and learning about the history, including european discoveries and claims, settlements and ultimately disputes over who owns the archipelago.

 

Thursday, February 16, 2023 – Port Stanley

 

After two days at seas, with some rough seas and high winds, Seabourn Quest entered the anchorage off of Port Stanley at 0700 and anchored about one mile from the tender dock.  The inner harbor is too small for our ship, so were tendered in by the ship’s tenders.  Clearance took some time, so shore excursions were all delayed.  Miriam elected to remain on board while Patrick went on a 7 hour wildlife encounter via 4×4 vehicles.

 

The encounter took place at Seal Bay, on the north coast of East Falkland Island.  After a one hour drive we headed off road in seven 4×4 vehicles containing either 3 or 4 passengers.  The terrain was across extensive peat bogs and even across shallow lakes until we reached the cliffs along the coast.  Our first stop provided views of Rockhopper Penguins, Imperial Cormorants, Upland Geese, Caracara’s and Skuas.  The second stop was down on the beach where we visited a Gentoo Penguin colony and had a snack before heading back to the ship.  Due to the clearance delays and the length of the tour, we barely made the last scheduled tender back to the ship, so had limited views of Port Stanley.

 

Lonely Gentoo penguin chick on beach

Friday, February 17, 2023 – New Island

 

New Island is a nature conservancy on the far western edge of the archipelago.  It is home to more than 40 species of birds.   Seabourn Quest anchored in one of the eastern bays, sheltered from the wind and commenced operations at 0730, with both Zodiac tours ashore and kayaking.  Patrick went kayaking, seeing Magellanic Penguins, Gentoo Penguins, Imperial Cormorants, Peale’s Dolphins, Giant Southern Petrels, Prions, Caracara’s, and an abandoned whaling station and the group was even followed by an Elephant Seal.  Following the Kayak tour, the zodiac trip ashore to a beautiful sandy beach followed a 1 kilometer marked path to an incredible Black Browed Albatross rookery, with many young chicks.  Mixed in with the albatrosses were more Rockhopper Penguins, Caracara’s, Peregrine Falcons and several species of Shags, more Upland Geese and several other bird species such as Thrushes, Prions and Kelp Geese,

Kelp Gull – New Island

 

By noon everyone who wanted to go ashore had done so, the anchor was weighed and we set course for the 1000 NM voyage to Montevideo, Uruguay.  As we left, there were dozens of Sei whales close to the ship, more dolphins and many Southern Fur Seals.  

 

 

 

 

February 12, 2023 – Grytviken, South Georgia Island

 

Seabourn Quest anchored off of King Edward Point, Cumberland Bay at 0700 in windy, but relatively calm conditions since the wind was from the west over the land, so no fetch.  Clearance procedures to go ashore took some time, but the ship scored 100% on the biosecurity inspections.

 

We were taken ashore by zodiac and walked by the graveyard where Sir Ernest Shackleton and  Frank Wild among others are buried.  We could not enter the graveyard itself since the path was blocked by numerous Elephant Seas and hundreds of Southern Fur Seals and pups.  Walking around the bay we passed by King Penguins, more fur seals, and the remnants of the whaling equipment, abandoned when the Norwegians stopped whaling in the 1960’s.

 

Many of the buildings have been torn down as part of asbestos abatement, but there were still plenty of photo opportunities.  The church is in good shape.  There is a museum, post office and gift shop.  The museum includes a replica of the James Caird, the lifeboat that Shackleton and 5 others sailed to South Georgia from Elephant Island.

 

Whalers Church, Grytviken

Remnants of the whaling equipment

Replica of the James Caird

King Penguins, Grytviken

Whalers Church

Fur Seal pup feeding

Fur Seal Pups

Following our visit to Grytviken, the captain sailed a short distance up the coast and entered Stromness Harbor, the site of another abandoned whaling station.  This is the station that Shackleton arrived at with two others after the arduous trek from the other side of the island.  Seabourn Quest remained anchored in the bay in front of the station until midnight.

 

February 13, 2023 – Salisbury Plain, South Georgia Island

 

Early in the morning, in fog, we took up position 3000 feet off the beach landing site.  At 0830 we began beach landings to see up to 500,000 King Penguins and hundreds of fur seals and pups nestled in the Tussock Grass.  The beach landing was exciting and to walk among that many birds in a single colony stretching up into the hills and extending for miles along the beach was amazing, as was the noise and the smell. There were also giant petrels and Skuas looking for weak or small chicks to feast on.  Also several Blue Eyed Shags flew by.  Even with the low visibility and rain, it was truly stunning.

 

Patrick had hoped to kayak here, but his excursion was cancelled due to low visibility.

 

By 1700 everyone who wanted to go ashore had done so, so all the zodiacs were recovered and we set sail for the Falkland Islands, a distance of approximately 740 NM.

  

 Thursday, February 9, 2023 – Elephant Island

 

Seabourn Quest steamed at 17-19 knots northeasterly from the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula 115 NM to Elephant Island.  The skies cleared after several hours, but the wind was still brisk and the seas were still 2.5 meters.  At 1630 Elephant Island showed up about 15 NM in the distance.  As we approached the eastern tip of the island numerous Fin whales were spotted, along with flocks of seabirds including Cape Petrels and groups of penguins porpoising in and out of the swells.  The area is rich in Krill.

Our Route through the Antarctic Peninsula to Elephant Island

 

Map of Elephant Island with Point Wild on north side

Cape Petrels off of Cape Valentine

Shackleton Memorial at Point Wild

We passed about 4 NM abeam of Cape Valentine, avoiding reefs.  This point was the first landfall for Shackleton’s group, but it was an unsafe area with no real shelter and rockfalls down the steep slopes.  Shackleton moved to the middle of the north side and and found an area in which they could build shelters.  Their shelters were the two other lifeboats, overturned and with canvas sidewalls.  By this time it was April and winter was approaching.  The third lifeboat, “James Caird” took off for South Georgia with a crew of six and after an amazing journey three of them turned up at the Stromness whaling station on May 20, 1916.  The James Caird was recovered along with the other three crew a few days later.  After four attempts, the survivors on Elephant Island were all recovered by Shackleton five months later.

 

The Seabourn Quest also rounded Cape Valentine and retraced Shackleton’s route, approaching Point Wild where Shackleton set up camp.  We approached to within ½ mile and were able to see the memorial cairn set up at the site of the camp.  Landing on the island is not permitted and the site is now also a penguin colony, which was not present 110 years ago.

 

During the voyage to Elephant Island, retracing Shackleton’s route, we were treated to a lecture by Robert Egelstaff, the lead kayak guide, who had been on Seabourn Venture with us this past summer.  His talk, “In The Wake of Shackleton” was about how he and three others built a replica 29 years ago of the “James Caird”, the 22 foot lifeboat from the Endurance, and recreated that famous voyage from Elephant Island to South Georgia.  They named the replica “Sir Ernest Shackleton”.

 

Robert and his teammates took the same amount of time, 14 days, and were able to take the same number of noon sextant sights (4) as Frank Worley, the Captain of Endurance, to determine their location.  Due to weather they were unable to land in King Haakon Bay, where Shackleton and his 5 companions landed, instead finding shelter on the NE side of South Georgia.  Their replica boat is on permanent display in the UK at the Scott Polar Museum in Cambridge.

 

As a matter of interest, last year the wreck of Endurance was found in the Weddell Sea, only 4 miles from Frank Worley’s estimated position relying only on celestial navigation and a chronometer that had not been adjusted for 18 months.  The wreck lies more than 10,000 feet deep and is in surprisingly good shape.

 

Seabourn Quest departed from Point Wild on Elephant Island at 1845 and headed out across the Scotia Sea, following the general track of Shackleton more than 800 NM to South Georgia.

 

February 10-11, 2023 – Transiting the Scotia Sea

 

Midday on Feb 10 Seabourn Quest passed through a large field of tabular bergs, giving us some spectacular views, even though it was a little hazy/foggy.  The morning was spent on bio-security inspections of all outerwear going ashore on South Georgia and a mandatory bio-security briefing in preparation for the inspections by health officers from South Georgia when we arrive at Grytviken on Feb 12.  The government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are determined to preserve the area from an ecology standpoint.  Since were here last they have eradicated rats, removed the non-native reindeer and actively look for non-native plants and remove them.  They have also established a 200 NM Marine Protected Area around the islands, strictly controlling all activity, including illegal fishing.

 

Internet connectivity remains very poor, with little communication from the crew on what the real problem is, since we are quite a bit further north and it should be better than on the Antarctic peninsula where coverage was surprisingly good.

 

We continued with lectures on Shackleton’s voyages, on the Global Ocean, and on several attempts to cross the white continent, Antarctica.

 

On Feb 11, we had lectures on “What happens to Whales when they die at sea”, descriptions of both the Amundsen and Scott races to the South Pole and their respective life histories, and on Elephant Seals, which we expect to see on South Georgia.

 

 

 

 

 

 Drake Passage and Antarctic Experience

 

February 4, 2023 – enroute the Antarctic Peninsula via the Drake Passage

 

The ship did depart Ushuaia and continued easterly down the Beagle Channel towards the southeastern tip of South America.  The seas were initially calm, but by 0800 we were in the Drake Passage proper.  The Drake Passage is notorious for strong westerly winds and large seas.  There are no landmasses further south except for Antarctica, so nothing to impede the wind and seas.  The water depth averages 11,000 feet.  The body of water is named after Sir Francis Drake, but he never actually crossed the passage.  We passed 30 miles abeam of Cape Horn about 0930.

 

Entering the open ocean, the seas increased, along with winds of more than 40 knots.  There was a large westerly swell averaging 5 meters, with at times an occasional 10 meter swell, with wind driven seas of 4+ meters.  Theses conditions persisted until late afternoon when the winds decreased, but the large swell persisted overnight.  The ship’s stabilizers really got a workout since the wind and seas were just aft of the starboard beam.

 

February 5, 2023 – Approaching the Antarctic Peninsula

 

The swells decreased somewhat overnight and at 0430 we crossed 60 degrees South and the Antarctic convergence zone.  At about 1230 we entered Nelson Strait and proceeded into Eduardo Frei Montalvo Station on King George Island to pick up polar jackets (Courtesy of Seabourn Venture) for those guests still without jackets.  Snow squalls greeted our arrival at the anchorage.  By 1900 we were complete with that stop and began the overnight voyage to Portal Point, our destination for the next day.  Traveling in the waters of the Antarctic Peninsula, in most areas there is a 10 knot speed limit to help protect numerous Humpback Whales, which are feeding on the rich krill here during the Antarctic summer.

Eduardo Frei Station

 

February 6, 2023 – Portal Point, Antarctic Peninsula

 

Portal Point received it’s name since it is named as the gateway to a overland route to the Antarctic Plateau.  In 1956, a hut was established here by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey.  Arriving at 0800, it took the expedition team a while to sort out zodiac problems and identify suitable locations for kayaking.  Portal Point is located on the Antarctic Peninsula itself, our only chance to actually step on the Antarctic continent.  Nonetheless, we finally started going ashore and Patrick started his first kayak excursion this trip.  The weather was a little windy and choppy, with very little wildlife, but we did see a glacier calving while in the kayaks.  There were no penguins, but there were both Weddell and Crab Eater seals, as well as Antarctic Terns, Kelp Gulls and Skuas.

 

The weather deteriorated enough (and since the ship was 2-3 miles from the landing sites) that the final kayaking excursion was cancelled and it was a wet ride from shore back to the ship.  However, everyone who wanted to go ashore was given the opportunity, including some of the crew.

 

This is not the furthest south we will go, however we are now at 64 degrees 30 minutes south latitude.

 

February 7, 2023 – Melchior Bay 

 

We entered Melchior Bay, formed by a group of islands known as the Melchior Islands and the site of an inactive Argentina research station.  The bay was reasonably protected from the wind and swells we had experienced overnight.

 

Patrick was once again on an early morning kayak excursion, where we saw one solitary Chinstrap Penguin, a number of fur seals, Blue Eyed Shags, Kelp Gulls and Antarctic Terns.  The afternoon zodiac excursion was underwhelming, cruising along the opposite shoreline from our kayaking route, with few wildlife sightings except for fur seals, and two  Weddell seals.

 

February 8, 2023 – Cuverville Island

 

Cuverville Island is in Errera Channel and is home to the largest single colony of Gentoo Penguins in Antarctica, some 6500 breeding pairs.  The island was discovered by the Belgium Antarctic Expedition of 1897-1899 led by Adrien de Gerlache who named it after a French vice admiral, J.M.A. Cavelier de Cuverville.  The island has been designated an important Bird Area by Bird Life International.  Other birds such as Imperial Shags and Southern Giant Petrels also nest here.

 

Weather is predicted to be windy, so there was to be a early and shortened day when the wind arrived.  However, operations started at 0700, when the wind was light.  Patrick was in the first group for kayaking, which started from a beach below a small Gentoo Penguin colony on Ronge Island, at 64 degrees 40 minutes south latitude.  The excursion started by following the shore of Ronge Island and then heading east towards Cuverville Island through massive floating bergs and past a Danish sailboat anchored in the lee of Cuverville Island.  Our route then went around Shipwreck Island, with a derelict small boat and a number of seabirds such as Antarctic Terns, Kelp Gulls, and even a few Gentoo Penguins, as well a several fur seals.

 

There are massive chains still draped around the small island, left over from before WW1 and used by the Norwegian whale factory ships before the market for whale oil collapsed after the discovery of synthetic oil and chemicals after WW1.  The whale oil was a component used in making Nitroglycerin.

 

We then paddled around some small bergs and practiced paddling in brash ice, taking some time to sit quietly in our kayaks and meditate on the experience and the location before recovering into the Zodiac for a wet ride back to the ship.  

 

The wind had started to increase, but Patrick changed out of the dry suit into the antarctic parkas, boots and waterproof pants and headed back to Cuverville Island for a brief closeup look at the Gentoo Penguins with a number of large gray puffy chicks.  After about 20 minutes the wind really increased and at 1015 we were all recalled to the ship and all further shore operations were cancelled, since the wind was now gusting to 50 knots and the seas were building quickly.  After a really wet ride, we returned safely to the ship and watched as the expedition team gathered up the rest of the guests from both the beach and the kayak excursion.  It took another 120 minutes, with winds now gusting to 70 knots, to get all the guests back on board and all the zodiacs and kayaks recovered.

 

We steamed slowly north out of Errera Channel into Gerlache Strait, destination unknown for the time being.

 

At the 1830 recap briefing the new destination of Hope Bay  on Antarctic Sound at the very tip of the Antarctic Peninsula was announced.  Hope Bay has a large Adelie Penguin colony which we saw briefly in 2016, before katabatic winds suddenly began gusting to 50+ knots in the space of just a few minutes, and all the zodiacs were recalled.

 

The wind and seas continued to be unfavorable all night as we steamed northeast in Bransfield Strait past King George Island.

 

Thursday, Feb 9, 2023 – At Sea

 

Our hopes for zodiac excursions and kayaking at Hope Bay were dashed since the weather had not improved as expected and waiting for improvements would have affected the timing of our planned stop at South Georgia Island.  Visibility was poor, it was raining, winds and seas were well beyond the operational limits for shore operations, so the Captain and Expedition Leader made the call about 0800 to turn around and  head for scenic cruising around Elephant Island, famous for it’s role in Shackleton’s voyage as the island on which the majority of his crew waited while Shackleton sailed to South Georgia to mount a rescue operation.

 

Heading to Elephant Island we passed a number of impressive tabular icebergs.

 

 

 Sunday, January 31, 2023 – Enroute to Punta Arenas

 

We were supposed to cruise Chilean Fjords today, but the Captain announced there was a failure of one of the two gyrocompasses and he was unwilling to enter the fjord system with only one.  In addition, the satellite internet had a hardware failure, so we were without internet.  The swells were running at 3 meters, so the ride was relatively bouncy, with a lot of pitching motion the entire day.

 

Monday, February 1, 2023 – Chilean Fjords and El Brujo Glacier

 

After cruising offshore overnight, early in the morning we turned back into the Chilean Fjords, heading down Samiento Channel, the principal north/south channel in the Fjord system.  The ship then headed for El Brujo Glacier, arriving at 0830.  We stayed for about one hour and saw one calving incident as the Captain slowly rotated the ship so everyone could get a view.  Heading back away from the glacier face the ship then continued south down Samiento Channel towards our next destination, Punta Arenas, located about halfway through the Straits of Magellan.

 

El Brujo Glacier

Tuesday, February 2, 2023 – Punta Arenas

 

Punta Arenas is the largest city south of the 46^th Parallel, with a population of 131,000 in the municipality.  The city is an important logistical center for lumber, oil from Tierro del Fuego, a large Duty Free center, and for support to Antarctic expeditions.  The city’s main boulevards are wide and tree lined.  Our ship did not depart until 2100, so we had plenty of time to explore and make last minute purchases we may have forgotten for the upcoming Antarctic visit.

 

The weather across the Drake Passage is predicted to be sloppy, so at the last moment the Captain announced we would divert to Ushuaia and anchor for the evening to sneak across to Antarctica in calmer weather.  Unfortunately, that will cut our time short by one day in the Antarctic Peninsula.

 

Condor Sculpture In Punta Arenas

Magellan Statue in Plaza des Armas

Wednesday, February 3, 2023  Glacier Alley and Ushuaia

 

The ship entered the north arm of Beagle Channel, known as Glacier Alley at about 0900, since at least 7 glaciers line the north side of the channel in a space of only 10 NM.  The wind was blowing and there was a lot of rain, but there were enough gaps in the squalls everyone good a good view of the glaciers.  By 1100 we had passed the last glacier and headed directly for Ushuaia, where the anchor was dropped at 1500.  The wind and rain prevented tender operation initially and we never were cleared for tender operations, so we are at anchor until we leave at 2400.  The Drake Passage is expected to be rough, so the ship has handed out sea sickness medication to everyone.

Glacier Alley

 

 

 

Jan 25-26, 2023 – At Sea enroute to San Antonio, Chile

 

Seabourn Quest spent 2 days traversing the 700 NM between Antofagasta and San Antonio, which is one of the two port cities for Santiago, the capital of Chile.  Santiago is 71 miles from our port stop, where about ½ the passengers ended this segment of the cruise.  The same number will embark for the Antarctic Segment.  The ship is limited to 400 passengers for this segment in order to do landings in Antarctica.

 

Jan 27, 2023 – San Antonio, Chile

 

Seabourn Quest docked shortly after 0700 under cool overcast skies and by 0800 the first disembarking passengers were leaving the ship.  All decks were filled with staff cleaning and preparing suites for the soon to arrive new guests.  By 0900 the skies had cleared and the temperature rose to about 72 F.  Patrick took the shuttle to the cruise terminal and walked along the sea wall about 1 mile to a local shopping mall to get some additional Voltaren gel for our arthritic joints.  The seawall enclosed a fishing boat harbor and there were many local fisherman cleaning fish and selling them to local Chileans.  About 1200 the new guests began arriving and the ship began to get crowded as the balance of the 400 passengers arrived.

 

The ship departed on time at 1700 and headed out into the Pacific, where the swells were from the south at more than 3 meters and the winds increased to 40 knots.  The ship began to pitch as we headed south along the Chilean coast.  Overnight the swells increased again.

 

Jan 28, 2023 – At Sea, enroute Puerto Montt, Chile

 

The winds and seas remained high during the day as the ship continued south at 15.5 knots.  The Antarctic parka and boot exchange, as well as the introduction of the 18 person expedition team occupied most of the morning.  We continue to have most of our meals poolside, but now the heat-lamps are on and we are wearing jackets, with blankets at our table.  Tonight is the Captain’s reception, mostly for the newly embarked guests and so it is the first formal night of this segment of the cruise.  Miriam and I have booked dinner at The Grill, so we will miss the lobster and filet mignon offered in the main restaurant, but both are always on the menu in The Grill.

 

January 29, 2023 – Puerto Montt, Chile

 

As Seabourn Quest turned into the Chilean Fjord system shortly after 0500, it was clear with stars.  Soon the fog rolled in and at 0600 the foghorn began the two minute automated signal blasts on the horn.  The fog persisted off and on all the way to Puerto Montt, where the ship anchored off the town and the tenders were deployed.  At 1000 the ship was cleared and passengers on shore excursions lined up to get off the ship.  Patrick waited 30 minutes and the tender was nearly empty.

 

Puerto Montt has changed since 2015, with a very nice seaside esplanade with playgrounds for children, public sculptures and other displays.  It is not yet totally finished and stretches for more than one mile along the harbor.  At one end is a new passenger terminal still under construction and the other end has a modern shopping mall.  Going the other direction is a more traditional open air shopping area with restaurants, local handicrafts and local foods, stretching nearly another mile.  Since it was Sunday, the market was crowded with local families shopping.

 

The German influence in this part of Chile is apparent in the architecture.  Our departure was at 2200, since the distance to our next destination is only 108 NM.  When the sun came out we were treated to views of one of the active volcanoes surrounding Puerto Montt.

 

January 30, 2023 – Castro, Chile

 

Overnight the ship travelled at fairly slowed speeds, and dropped anchor in front of Castro at 0600.  The ship is anchored alongside of massive aquaculture farms, mostly mussels and oysters here, however this area also has extensive salmon farming.  The last time we were here we visited a nature preserve where Darwin began his observations on the origin of species so we did not visit the town itself.  Today Patrick took the tender into shore and walked up the hill to one of the Unesco World Heritage sites, the Cathedral of San Francisco, which is yellow painted metal on the outside and beautiful wood on the inside.

 

We depart early from Castro to do scenic cruising before arriving in Punta Arenas the day after tomorrow.