The Drake Passage lived up to its reputation for big weather on our two-night passage back to Ushuaia from the Girlache Strait. We experienced 33-40 ft (10-12m) seas with winds blowing steadily 60 kts and gusting to 70. We didn’t, however, experience the dreaded “Drake Shake”. The National Geographic Endurance handled the conditions remarkably well,…
Tag Archives | trawlers
Feb. 13 – Cañon Blanco
“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey.” -Babs Hoffman
There’s a saying that the journey is better than the destination or something like that. Our true adventure today was getting to the destination. If you travel to Puerto Rico I suggest not counting on Google to get you where you want to go. Yesterday and today it took us on some pretty out of the way roads that ended up at a dead end or turned into a river bottom. We could see we were so close but we just couldn’t get there. If Stan hadn’t been so determined to find our intended destination I would have given up and gone home. Some of the roads were a little scary. We were right on the edge of a mountain on roads that were no wider than our car, but the views were amazing.
Some of the views while we were looking for Cañon Blanco.
We finally used Waze and arrived at Cañon Blanco on the Caonillas River. It was so impressive and worth the effort it took for us to find it. The glowing, white rock canyon, stands out against the lush greenery of the forest and the beautiful blue sky. It was completely different than anything we’ve seen.
Looking up river from the canyon.
Looking down river towards the canyon.
The beginning of the first canyon. The canyon was deeper and more impressive here.
This is the beginning of the second canyon we thought it was very pretty also.
We even found a waterfall called Cascada la Danzante (the dancing waterfall) at the end of the canyon where the river starts to flatten out.
This is as far as we explored…we loved this area of Puerto Rico.
In numerous places along the river we found pre-Columbian petroglyphs carved into the rocks by the Taino Indians.
Feb. 13 – Cañon Blanco
“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey.” -Babs Hoffman
There’s a saying that the journey is better than the destination or something like that. Our true adventure today was getting to the destination. If you travel to Puerto Rico I suggest not counting on Google to get you where you want to go. Yesterday and today it took us on some pretty out of the way roads that ended up at a dead end or turned into a river bottom. We could see we were so close but we just couldn’t get there. If Stan hadn’t been so determined to find our intended destination I would have given up and gone home. Some of the roads were a little scary. We were right on the edge of a mountain on roads that were no wider than our car, but the views were amazing.
South Georgia Island
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.
Shackleton Grave from our 2016 Trip
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 Interior
Whalers Church
Fur Seal pup feeding
Fur Seal Pups
Rusting machinery and buildings
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.
Abandoned Norwegian Whaling Ship
Grytviken, South Georgia Island
Stromness Whaling Station where Shackleton arrived on foot
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.
Part of the massive King Penguin Colony
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.
South Georgia Island
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.
Shackleton Grave from our 2016 Trip
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 Interior
Whalers Church
Fur Seal pup feeding
Fur Seal Pups
Rusting machinery and buildings
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.
Abandoned Norwegian Whaling Ship
Grytviken, South Georgia Island
Stromness Whaling Station where Shackleton arrived on foot
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.
Part of the massive King Penguin Colony
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.
Second Trip tp Marina Costa Baja Days 9 – 11
Sunrise on Tuesday, February 7 The weather was back to cold and windy again. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, we mostly laid low in the marina. Eric finally completed a project that he’d started in San Diego: creating a system to … Continue reading →
Keith’s Perspective on La Paz (Costa Baja)/Le Point de vue de Keith sur La Paz (Marina Costa Baja)
I am having a good time at La Paz. We’ve eaten out a lot: breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. Je passe un bon moment à La Paz. Nous mangeons beaucoup dehors : petit déjeuner, brunch, déjeuner et dîner. We went … Continue reading →
Feb. 12 – Jayuya, PR
“Travel doesn’t become adventure until you leave yourself behind.” –Anonymous
Today we left the beach and headed inland to Jayuya (hah-YOO-yah). The town is known as the “Town of The Three Peaks” and is located high in the central mountain region of the island, north of Ponce. It’s the site of the highest mountains in Puerto Rico, surrounded by the Cerro La Punta and Los Tres Picachos mountains. We plan to do a little hiking and explore the mountains and waterfalls in the area.
We spent the morning enjoying our last view of the Atlantic Ocean. We’ve truly loved being here, but we are ready for something a little different. The road through the mountains was an adventure in itself…beautiful but narrow and very windy. It’s a good thing Stan doesn’t mind this type of road. Google tried to send us on a few shortcuts, but the friendly locals set us straight.
Believe it or not this is one of the wider mountain roads we were on today.
This Caonillas Lake we passed it on our way to Jayuaya.
The house we’re staying in isn’t fancy, but very adequate. It’s a historic house built in the 1920’s and it sits across the street from the town plaza. We wandered around this afternoon and it’s a pretty little town on the Rio Grande del Jayuya. The people are super friendly. We were invited to join a local family to watch the Super Bowl, but we passed. We were just too tired.
Our home for the next three nights.
The house is basic but we have three bedrooms and two baths. Each bedroom has AC, but the evenings are in the low 60’s so they are only needed to keep out the sounds of the town and the roosters.
Our Lady of Monserrate Parish in the plaza across the street from our house. The bells ring each morning at 6:30…no need for an alarm clock here.
One of the pedestrian bridges that cross the river in town.
The Rio Grande del Jayuya that runs through town.
These stairs lead to the monument that pays homage to the Taíno culture of Puerto Rico. The Taínos were the indigenous inhabitants of Puerto Rico. It is located just off the plaza where our house is.
The sculpture at the top of the stairs is a bust of the Taíno leader Hayuya. The stairs lead to the tomb. The words made with mosaic tiles in the steps greet visitors and are the Taíno names of Puerto Rican towns.
The view from the top of the stairs.
We ended up going to Patria Mia for lunch and dinner since it was close to the house and so good. We were the only turistas in the whole place.
Way over there in the west is where we came from today.
Feb. 12 – Jayuya, PR
“Travel doesn’t become adventure until you leave yourself behind.” –Anonymous
Today we left the beach and headed inland to Jayuya (hah-YOO-yah). The town is known as the “Town of The Three Peaks” and is located high in the central mountain region of the island, north of Ponce. It’s the site of the highest mountains in Puerto Rico, surrounded by the Cerro La Punta and Los Tres Picachos mountains. We plan to do a little hiking and explore the mountains and waterfalls in the area.
Elephant Island and Scotia Sea
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
Fin Whales off of Cape Valentine
Point Wild, Elephant Island
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.
Tabular Berg more than 1 mile wide
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.
