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 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 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.

 

 

 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

 

 

 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 January 23 – Iquique, Chile

 

Iquique is a larger city than Arica, but still perched on the edge of the Atacama desert, sandwiched between high barren hills and the Pacific Ocean.  The city was founded in the 16^th century, but there is evidence of human habitation as far back as 7000 BC, by the indigenous Chango people who settled the coastline of the Atacama desert from southern Peru to northern Chile.  Chango is one of 10 indigenous peoples recognized by Chile and there is a remaining population of about 4,000 people.

 

Iquique was a prosperous saltpeter mining town in the 19^th century, today it is a popular holiday destination with a tax free zone, a seafront casino and beautiful beaches.

 

The ship docked near the old town center.  There was a significant swell which was mostly protected by the sea wall, but no natural harbor.  However the ship was still rolling at the dock, but not nearly as much as the container ships anchored offshore.  There were also a number of Chilean navy vessels anchored behind the sea wall.  This port is often bypassed by cruise ships due to the swell at the dock, making it hazardous to tie up and disembark passengers.

 

The shuttle bus dropped us at the main town plaza dominated by a 19^th century clock tower and ornate theater, undergoing restoration.  The plaza and surrounding area is mostly a pedestrian mall with many pubs, restaurants and hundreds of street vendors selling stuff under canopy tents or even out in the open since there is seldom rain here.  We were cautioned against wandering very far from the main plaza due to high crime rates.

 

January 24, 2023 – Antofagasta, Chile

 

After an overnight transit in mostly calm seas, Seabourn Quest arrived at the port city of Antofagasta, some 700 miles north of Santiago.  Antofagasta is the capital of the province and region of the same name and has a population of more than 400,000.  Again, the city is at the base of steep barren hills spread out along the Pacific beaches.  The harbor is protected from the ocean by a seawall forming a space with room for perhaps six ships at one time.  The skyline is impressive, with many high rise buildings stretching for miles along the shore.  However, the slums stretching up the hillside reminded us of the favellas in Rio De Janiero.

 

Our shore excursion today includes the main Plaza Colon, a mining museum, then a 60 mile drive into the Atacama desert to the small town of Baquedano, an important rail junction with a number of well preserved locomotives used in the nitrate industry.  Mining is still practiced for things like copper and the tailings from the open pit mines are huge.  The rail lines are still in use.

 

From that town we went to Chacabuco, one of a number of purpose built towns constructed in 1920’s for the workers in the nitrate plants which accounted for 50% of Chile’s GDP at the time.  When that industry collapsed after only 14 years, the towns were abandoned and fell into disrepair.   The Pinochet government used Chacobuco as a concentration camp for some 1800 political prisoners from 1973-1975.  It is now a “ghost town” with a grim past and a tourist attraction.  The German government is funding the restoration of some of the old buildings.  The town is really grim, with collapsed buildings, barren dirt streets and no water.  Ocean Falls in British Columbia looks like an oasis compared to Chacabuco.

 

One point of interest was a chapel constructed in the prison area of Chacabuco by the political prisoners in the 1973-75 time period, still well preserved.

Returning to the ship we had a nice dinner at the poolside patio grill followed by a dance party around the pool as the ship departed at 11:00 from Antofagasta and nosed out into the gentle pacific swells.  We are  headed for San Antonio, one of the port cities for the capital of Santiago. 

 

 January 23 – Iquique, Chile

 

Iquique is a larger city than Arica, but still perched on the edge of the Atacama desert, sandwiched between high barren hills and the Pacific Ocean.  The city was founded in the 16^th century, but there is evidence of human habitation as far back as 7000 BC, by the indigenous Chango people who settled the coastline of the Atacama desert from southern Peru to northern Chile.  Chango is one of 10 indigenous peoples recognized by Chile and there is a remaining population of about 4,000 people.

 

Iquique was a prosperous saltpeter mining town in the 19^th century, today it is a popular holiday destination with a tax free zone, a seafront casino and beautiful beaches.

 

The ship docked near the old town center.  There was a significant swell which was mostly protected by the sea wall, but no natural harbor.  However the ship was still rolling at the dock, but not nearly as much as the container ships anchored offshore.  There were also a number of Chilean navy vessels anchored behind the sea wall.  This port is often bypassed by cruise ships due to the swell at the dock, making it hazardous to tie up and disembark passengers.

 

The shuttle bus dropped us at the main town plaza dominated by a 19^th century clock tower and ornate theater, undergoing restoration.  The plaza and surrounding area is mostly a pedestrian mall with many pubs, restaurants and hundreds of street vendors selling stuff under canopy tents or even out in the open since there is seldom rain here.  We were cautioned against wandering very far from the main plaza due to high crime rates.

 

January 24, 2023 – Antofagasta, Chile

 

After an overnight transit in mostly calm seas, Seabourn Quest arrived at the port city of Antofagasta, some 700 miles north of Santiago.  Antofagasta is the capital of the province and region of the same name and has a population of more than 400,000.  Again, the city is at the base of steep barren hills spread out along the Pacific beaches.  The harbor is protected from the ocean by a seawall forming a space with room for perhaps six ships at one time.  The skyline is impressive, with many high rise buildings stretching for miles along the shore.  However, the slums stretching up the hillside reminded us of the favellas in Rio De Janiero.

 

Our shore excursion today includes the main Plaza Colon, a mining museum, then a 60 mile drive into the Atacama desert to the small town of Baquedano, an important rail junction with a number of well preserved locomotives used in the nitrate industry.  Mining is still practiced for things like copper and the tailings from the open pit mines are huge.  The rail lines are still in use.

 

From that town we went to Chacabuco, one of a number of purpose built towns constructed in 1920’s for the workers in the nitrate plants which accounted for 50% of Chile’s GDP at the time.  When that industry collapsed after only 14 years, the towns were abandoned and fell into disrepair.   The Pinochet government used Chacobuco as a concentration camp for some 1800 political prisoners from 1973-1975.  It is now a “ghost town” with a grim past and a tourist attraction.  The German government is funding the restoration of some of the old buildings.  The town is really grim, with collapsed buildings, barren dirt streets and no water.  Ocean Falls in British Columbia looks like an oasis compared to Chacabuco.

 

One point of interest was a chapel constructed in the prison area of Chacabuco by the political prisoners in the 1973-75 time period, still well preserved.

Returning to the ship we had a nice dinner at the poolside patio grill followed by a dance party around the pool as the ship departed at 11:00 from Antofagasta and nosed out into the gentle pacific swells.  We are  headed for San Antonio, one of the port cities for the capital of Santiago.