Myke's Photo Gallery: Day 7: Lemaire Channel, Petermann Island, Booth Island, and Port Charcot
March 10, 2019

Day List | Buenos Aires | Day 0: Ushuaia | Day 1: Beagle Channel | Day 2: Drake | Day 3: Approach | Day 4: Antarctic Circle | Day 5: Stonington Island | Day 6: Fish Islands | Day 7: Lemaire Channel | Day 8: Cuverville | Day 9: Wilhelmina Bay | Day 10: S. Shetland Islands | Day 11: Drake | Day 12: Beagle Channel | Top 100 | What's Next?

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Another early morning. We were scheduled to cruise the ship through the Lemaire Channel although we were warned that we might not make it since the weather report said there would be ice. We got the call to come out on the bow of the ship as we cruised through the channel though. I missed the first part of the approach but was there to see the channel filled with ice and what looked like a giant tabular iceberg blocking it. Our captain was determined though and sure enough, he found a way through. On the way, I got my first glimpse of some Minke Whales.

Our first stop was Petermann Island. We opted to do a landing only for this time so we could get a little more rest. There was a small Argentine base here but it was unoccupied. The landing site was a rock beach with little pools of water where Gentoo Penguins were surfing and having fun playing in the water. As we walked further, I snapped what others would think was one of my best photos of the trip — a handful of Gentoos standing around with the red color of the base building in the background as a Brown Sku bird just happened to be soaring overhead. Climbing up onto land, there were a handful more penguins. I also noticed a red spot in the snow off in the distance which I thought was someone’s scarf that they had dropped. When I approached, I found it instead to be a dead penguin which had been meticulously picked apart by the skuas. They had a surgical precision to it which was amazing that they were able to get every single bit of meat and had seemingly cut back the feathers on its head with a scalpel.

After a late lunch, we headed back out to nearby Port Charcot and >Pléneau Bay. Our guides described Pléneau as an “iceberg graveyard” since many of them run around here so there is a detailed history in the ice. We started with a Zodiac cruise, seeing Crabeater Seals and many cool icebergs. You can tell the anchored icebergs from the floating ice because the bottom foot or two of it is eroded from the water at high tide.

Stepping onto land at Port Charcot, we started to climb to the top where Jean-Baptiste Charcot had discovered the land back in his expedition in 1903-05. They dragged stone after stone up this hill to construct a monument at the top called a cairn. James and I headed there but had to stop to see a colony of Gentoo Penguins feeding some newborn chicks. Unfortunately these chicks were just recently hatched and just starting to feed so it’s not likely that they be able to grow strong enough and finish molting before the winter starts. Since nearly all of the other penguins we’d seen were well into their molting process, it was cool to see the chicks feeding though. Their parents take turns going out to catch krill and then returning to land. They then start to regurgitate the partially digested food while their chicks eagerly pick it out of their mouths. That can’t be a pleasant experience for the parents! After feeding, the chicks are so full that they take a nap as their parents guard them against potential skua attacks.

After watching them for a while, we continued the hike up the hill. While not super challenging compared to other hikes I’ve been on, I imagined as the early explorers did it while carrying heavy rocks and in much more primitive gear to protect against the elements. James and I posed for a photo at the top as Jeremy took our picture. A second later, James dropped to one knee and looked up at me to say “Myke, will you marry me?” I had to ask him if he was serious since we had talked and joked about it so many times since we had first started dating 3.5 years ago. When he confirmed, I said “of course” that I would marry him. Fortunately Jeremy quickly realized that James was seizing this opportunity and snapped a handful of photos to capture the moment. The other guides who were up there to witness the moment were also a bit in shock. One of the professional photographer guides, Michelle, had to ask us to recreate the moment so she could also capture it. James and I snapped a handful more photos to remember the spot and talked through what had just happened as we walked back down the hill, holding hands.

Some of the research that had been done on this site involved tracking the magnetic south pole to see if it changed throughout the year, so I hurriedly walked over to that make-shift base just as the guides were wrapping up on the island. It was basically just a wall built out of stones next to the side of the rock cliff, but it had a great view of where we had just been.

Back on the boat, everyone on board celebrated the passage through the LeMaire Channel with a BBQ on the deck. The crew had prepared a full buffet including hamburgers, hot dogs, baked chicken, and a BBQed pig. It was still a bit cold outside but we ate our food on the deck as we enjoyed the views. The sun started to set as we sailed back through the channel which made for a beautiful view. All of the regulars said that they had never seen such a beautiful sunset.

The Lemaire Channel approach
The Lemaire Channel approach
Everyone gathers on the bow of the deck
Everyone gathers on the bow of the deck
One of the cliffs at Lemaire
One of the cliffs at Lemaire
Iceberg
Iceberg
Looks like the Lemaire Channel is blocked with a huge iceberg
Looks like the Lemaire Channel is blocked with a huge iceberg
Definitely looks blocked from here...but we made it through!
Definitely looks blocked from here...but we made it through!
Everyone eagerly anticipates what will happen next
Everyone eagerly anticipates what will happen next
Minke whales
Minke whales
Gentoo penguins swimming
Gentoo penguins swimming
Minke whales
Minke whales
Cool iceberg mostly underwater
Cool iceberg mostly underwater
Penguins at Petermann Island
Penguins at Petermann Island
Argentine base at Petermann Island
Argentine base at Petermann Island
Gentoo Penguins
Gentoo Penguins
Gentoo Penguin wading
Gentoo Penguin wading
Gentoo Penguin surfing
Gentoo Penguin surfing
Gentoo Penguins
Gentoo Penguins
Gentoo Penguin
Gentoo Penguin
Brown Skua keeping an eye out for something to eat
Brown Skua keeping an eye out for something to eat
James and a penguin
James and a penguin
Calling out for food
Calling out for food
Molting Gentoo Penguins
Molting Gentoo Penguins
Gentoo Penguins on a piece of sea ice
Gentoo Penguins on a piece of sea ice
Gentoo Penguin waddle
Gentoo Penguin waddle
Gentoo penguin skeleton that has been picked over by the skuas
Gentoo penguin skeleton that has been picked over by the skuas
The Moment
The Moment
Molting Gentoo Penguin
Molting Gentoo Penguin
Gentoo Penguin
Gentoo Penguin
Molting Gentoo Penguin youngster
Molting Gentoo Penguin youngster
Gentoo Penguin
Gentoo Penguin
This iceberg reminds me of an Olympic Luge track
This iceberg reminds me of an Olympic Luge track
Iceberg with reflection
Iceberg with reflection
Hollow cave in an iceberg
Hollow cave in an iceberg
Black and clear ice
Black and clear ice
Mound of dirt in an iceberg was probably carried from long away
Mound of dirt in an iceberg was probably carried from long away
Ampitheatre iceberg
Ampitheatre iceberg
Vertical ice fizzure
Vertical ice fizzure
Seal chewing on his flipper
Seal chewing on his flipper
Seal yawn
Seal yawn
Self hug for warmth
Self hug for warmth
Look at those teeth!
Look at those teeth!
Crabeater Seal yawn
Crabeater Seal yawn
Crabeater Seal
Crabeater Seal
Another seal yawn showing off those awesome teeth
Another seal yawn showing off those awesome teeth
Crabeater Seals among the ice
Crabeater Seals among the ice
Crabeater Seals on floating ice
Crabeater Seals on floating ice
Pack ice
Pack ice
Anchored ice with awesome vertical columns
Anchored ice with awesome vertical columns
Crabeater Seal
Crabeater Seal
Crabeater Seal
Crabeater Seal