Saturday, 29 December 2018
Bransfield Strait, Antarctica (again)
Alarm call at 0715hrs. Open curtain. It’s open water. Was expecting spectacular scenery having, in theory, cross the Bransfield Strait overnight to arrive at Portal Point. Breakfast was scheduled for 0730hrs but we hear that all staff are to report to the Lounge for a staff briefing now followed by all passengers being summonsed to the lounge for a briefing.
There is no spectacular scenery anywhere. It’s just water and sky. We’re in the middle of nowhere. Assume we’ve been delayed for some technical reason.
Mr Oz tells me that he heard an almighty bang above his cabin at about 0200hrs. The sea was a little choppy during the night so we surmise that perhaps a Chinese person has been tossed out of the top bunk.
Transpires that there was a medical emergency last night and a decision made to return to Frei Base Station for a medevac back to Punta Arenas. Told that they don’t know how long we’ll be in Frei Base Station as we’ll have to wait for the aircraft to have a weather window. Mr Oz enquires as to whether it’s anything to do with the loud noise he heard but is told no. A passenger has suffered a suspected aneurism and needs urgent medical attention. Good job it happened on day 1 when we were only 9hrs sailing from Frei rather than towards the end otherwise that would have been a couple of days sailing plus a wait for the aircraft. Not only that but there’s a group of Chinese doctors on board. They’re all friends from university way back when. Discover that there are three eye specialists and a retina specialist, which is fortunate as the medevac has problems with their sight.
So the lesson for today is this.
Make every day count. You never know when something untoward may happen to you. Live life. Enjoy life. Do things. See the world before it’s too late. Don’t sit at home putting things off. Do it now. Whilst you can! Life is too short.
Upon arrival at Frei, it transpires there’s another expedition ship doing a changeover of tours so our medevac is able, very fortunately, to get on their flight, which is due around 1100hrs.
Whilst we’re laid up we have a couple of hours on the Zodiacs visiting Ardley Island, about 100m from King George Island. It’s a rarity in that it houses 3 types of penguin. The Adelie, Gentoo and Chinstrap, who all live in close proximity.
This means I get to use my polar gear at long last. I’m on deck 3 which is about 4m from water level.
Right. Here’s the sequence.
Take off normal clothes. Stand there in underpants and socks. Find thermal long johns in luggage.
Put on black thermal long johns. It’s the first time I’ve worn such things. They’re like wearing thick tights. I’d like to say I look like a male ballet dancer. All toned muscular legs wrapped up in skin tight tights. But. You know.
Put on black thermal long sleeved vest.
Stand and admire in mirror at one’s physique. All skin tight clothing. You’re right ladies. Black works. I look three stones lighter. In. My. Head.
Put on normal trousers.
Put on normal shirt.
Put on hiking socks.
Start sweating buckets you’re so hot because the cabin’s so hot.
Put on fleece jumper.
Sweat some more.
Put on thermal wellies.
Put on waterproof trousers.
And then.
You remember.
Sod it!
You have 2hrs in the Zodiacs.
You need a final pee.
So.
It all comes off again.
Sweating like I don’t know what now.
Chuffing nora.
Final pee. Tick.
On it all goes again.
Why is this cabin so hot?
Once redressed then it’s wrapping scarf around neck such that it will protect mouth and nose.
Put on polar puffa jacket.
Put on thermal hat.
Put on waterproof outer coat.
Dripping with sweat now.
Put on life vest and pull tight.
Look like an overblown Michelin man!
I have to go outside to cool down.
Despite the faff, it’s all needed. Once on the Zodiacs and zooming across the bay the windchill is biting.
Short trip on shore to Ardley Island to see, and smell, the penguins. Rules are that penguins have priority on a walk. You have to keep 5m away from them and stop if you see a penguin waddling across your path.
Penguins perambulating prevent people proceeding on pebble beach.
What surprises is the number of penguin skeletons on the beach. Told that it’s usually because the parents feed the biggest chick first and second chick is only fed when biggest one is full. So quite often the second chick dies.
Back on the Zodiacs to circumnavigate the small island. See a seal on the shore line. It’s not moving. I ask the guide if it’s dead. As soon as I’ve said it the seal rolls over, raises its flipper as if to say hi and smiles (see photo below). I kid you not. You couldn’t have made it up. Joke that it must be an animatronic machine such was the timing of it.
At the briefing on board, there was a huge chorus of approval from the Chinese when it was announced that we’d be going to see the China Great Wall Antarctic Station. One of the largest on King George Island. As we zoom across the water, there’s a loud bang from the Zodiac and the engine is stopped. We’ve hit an underwater rock. Propeller blades damaged but not enough not to function fortunately.
Our short shore excursion comes to an end and we return to the ship. Having come from the cold air on the water into the warmth of the ship we’re all desperate to strip off our polar gear. Back to cabins to undress. Everything comes off again. I’m down to my underpants and socks again when I realise that there’s a Zodiac full of Chinese waiting to transfer to ship pretty much outside my cabin window. So. There they are. And there I am. Praying they don’t look up!
Our medevac has successfully got on a flight and heading back to Punta Arenas. Now able to set sail again down the Bransfield Strait. I can see from my weather app on my phone that it’s going to get choppy about 6pm for about 12hrs.
Sure enough. It does. Wind picks up. Snow starts. White horses gather pace. We’re having a swell time. We’re rocking and rolling.
Chat with one of the guides after dinner and it transpires we have a mutual friend in the UK. Small world, eh.
