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Antarctica Travel Blog Dec 3 and Dec 4: Wildlife of Macquarie Island

December 4, 2011 – 1:57 pm

December 3, 2011 We arrived at Macquarie Island about 7am. The sea was calm and the weather was foggy with light mist. We were met by park rangers from the ANARE station for a walk around the Isthmus. The Isthmus was teaming with wildlife including huge male elephant seals, king penguins and rock hoppers. We [...]

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Antarctica Travel Blog Dec 1 and Dec 2: Cruising North to Macquarie Island

December 2, 2011 – 1:45 pm

December 1, 2011 and December 2, 2011 The days were spent cruising north to Macquarie Island. The time was spent attending lectures, cleaning our gear for our anticipated visit to Macquarie Island. The sea was rough with swells up to 20 -22 feet which was enough to cause some passengers to stay in their cabins. [...]

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Antarctica Travel Blog Nov 27 thru Nov 30: Ross Ice Shelf and Kapitan Klebnikov Final Days in the Ross Sea

December 1, 2011 – 4:44 pm

November 27, 2011 The Ross Ice Shelf came into view about noon. Size of France and is about 600 miles The vastness cannot be captured in with any lens. The icy cold winds coming off the shelf stirred my imagination about the explorers that had to tackle this massive piece of ice before beginning their [...]

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Antarctica Travel Blog Nov 26: At Last, Cape Evans and the Stunning Mount Erebus

November 26, 2011 – 10:57 am

November 26th, 2011 Much to our surprise, the winds increased to 44 knots which again prevented the helicopters from flying to Ross Island for sightseeing. The expedition leader gave up on the weather and decided we should head north, approximately 140 miles northeast to the Ross ice Shelf. Then, as soon as ship started backing [...]

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Antarctica Travel Blog Nov. 25: Whiteouts and the Solar Eclipse

November 25, 2011 – 10:49 am

November 25, 2011 Our plans for visiting McMurdo and Ross Stations, Scott’s Discovery hut at Cape Evans and hiking Observation Hill were delayed by the weather. Here in Antarctica, “weather is our master”, our expedition leader, Shane Envoy, has reminded us many times. Whiteout conditions and 40 knot winds lasted throughout the day with temperature [...]

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Happy Thanksgiving from Antarctica!

November 24, 2011 – 10:37 am

November 24, 2011 Our visit to the Adelie Penguin Colony was cut short by white conditions with 40 knots per hour winds. All passengers were on the island which was a ten minute helicopter ride from the icebreaker. After one hour on shore, the wind and snow flurries increased until the icebreaker was no longer [...]

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Antarctica Travel Blog Nov 23: Visiting the Hut of the Doomed 1912 Expedition of Robert Falcon Scott

November 23, 2011 – 10:08 am

NOVEMBER 23, 2011 During the early morning the captain moved the ship south toward Cape Evans on Ross Island. The ship was at its furthest point south on this expedition. Temperature was minus 4 degree C, with wind making it a bit chilly, but the sky was mostly blue. It was a perfect day for [...]

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Antarctica Travel Blog Nov 22: Penguins and Preparing for McMurdo Dry Valleys

November 22, 2011 – 11:46 am

November 22, 2011 Last evening, we headed toward an area further close to Taylor Valley in the McMurdo Dry Valleys in hope to make a helicopter operation. About 2am the Kapitan Khlebnikov’s engines were shut down as the captain could not get the ship closer to the valley due to the thick ice. The goal [...]

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Antarctica Travel Blog Nov. 21: Shackelton Hut from Nimrod Expedition 1907-1909

November 21, 2011 – 11:00 am

November 21, 2011 Shackleton’s Nimrod Hut, Lat. 77 33 South. Long 166 67 E Last night, we left Franklin Island about 10 pm and continued our journey south to McMurdo Sound. Mt Erbus came into view during early afternoon. What a lovely sight as we cruised along side Ross Island. The ice was amazingly thin [...]

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Antarctica Travel Blog Nov. 20: The best way through ice is around ice . . .

November 20, 2011 – 2:19 pm

NOVEMBER 20, 2011 Again we were reminded of the old Russian saying “the best way though ice is around ice.” The day was spent weaving in and out of ice through the patches of sea ice. Cape Washington was no longer in reach due to the ice conditions but we did make it to a [...]

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