Our flight just departed Ushuaia, heading east down the Beagle Channel, covering in 15 minutes the distance the Octantis covered in four hours yesterday westbound, before gaining enough altitude to risk a turn to the north, avoiding the tail end of the Andes Mountains, which surround Ushuaia.

Yesterday was another sea day, the last piece being the Beagle Channel. Lots of birds enjoying the brisk winds, especially those pesky Black-browed Albatrosses that seem to follow us everywhere we go. No creature on earth enjoys flying more than those birds and no creature gets more miles per calorie burned. They are masters at working the wind currents to their advantage.

We probably could have made it from West Point Island to Ushuaia in a hard day’s sailing; we cruised at 8 knots rather than the 14 to 15 we’d done earlier. But this way gave us the chance to see the Beagle Channel in daylight. It probably serves some scheduling objective known only to Viking.

It’s three-and-three-quarter hours to Buenos Aires, an eight hour layover and nine hours overnight to Miami. Rather than enduring a six hour wait in Miami, we’re renting an Enterprise Rent-a-Car for a four hour drive, plus a stop to see Cousin Debbie. We can even drop the car in Sun City Center, avoiding Tampa.

So, bottom line: should you go to Antarctica? Endure the sea sickness? Have your itinerary change twice a day? Stagger down the hall to dinner and yet another lecture by some naturalist? Clamber in and out of zodiacs wearing cumbersome all weather gear and huge rubber boots? Being rescued from an island where the overnight accommodations are folding chairs in a barracks and the mail boat comes sometime around the first of the month? See the most spectacular scenery, the most amazing wildlife, experience the most unique continent on the face of the earth?

We’ve covered a lot of the world in our travels and, no matter what continent, region or country, there’s a lot of similarities. Everywhere has mountains, bodies of water, hot and cold regions. Taylor Swift fans. But Antarctica is truly unique, a world of its own.

So the answer is yes, you should endure the hardships and if at all possible, go. In fact, the hardships are essential to understanding Antarctica. Don’t think of this as a cruise. Think of it as an expedition, an adventure. You can always recover on a Caribbean cruise later on. I, who spent time worshiping at the porcelain throne during our Drake Passage, am so thankful we did go. At last, we have an answer to those who always ask, “What was your favorite trip?”

Thanks for coming along with us!

But wait! There’s more! Judy’s still hard at work on more videos. I’ll make a posting when they’re ready. But no more blogging for me. I’m off to forage in the American lounge here in Buenos Aires. Haste luego!

One more video from Judy – West Point Island. Here’s the link:

https://judyrick.zenfolio.com/p1039409213/hdae20f8e#hdae20f8e

Today’s a sea day but the crew turned it into an open house so that we could visit the areas normally off limits to passengers. It proved to be an interesting day. One thing that continues to impress me is that the crew on this ship seems to be really enjoying their work. Normally on a cruise ship, the staff is friendly, almost to a fault, as if there’s a reward system behind their smiles. Here the smiles seem more genuine. I think it may be the expedition nature of the trip. This isn’t your usual trip around the Caribbean. The crew seems to be enjoying the trip and its unknowns. They seem to like the challenge of adapting to new situations.

The first stop was the Expedition Hanger and Science Lab. The Hanger houses all the zodiacs, the two Special Operations Boats, the two submarines (yellow, naturally), kayaks and associated support tools and systems. The overhead conveyer system to launch all that stuff is impressive. Viking has made a significant financial investment to make their expeditions different. It’s money well spent, from our experience.

The submarines, which saw little service due to weather and water visibility, were originally invented for owners of super yachts. Only later did a version for expedition cruise ships evolve. They’re good to 1,000 meters beneath the surface. The chief sub pilot told us of two occasions where he took scientists who had spent their careers studying the Antarctic Ocean floor for a ride. Both were moved to tears to see first-hand what they had studied but had never seen before.

The science lab is another interesting development. They study everything from water conditions to ocean floor mapping to DNA analysis of aquatic life forms. As I mentioned earlier, using cruise ships, which visit the same region on a regular basis, can provide a lower cost method of data gathering than traditional research vessels. Viking’s pioneering work in this area is still evolving.

Next up: the bridge. Everything’s TV screens and computers, of course. The only person actively doing anything we could see is one guy with binoculars scanning the horizon for who-knows-what: Icebergs? Whales? Ships? Nice to know there’s one human paying attention.

Lunch time, and the kitchen crew threw a  barbecue up on Deck 6. The weather was warm enough – 50s – and the wind not too strong. Fun for all, including the head chef and the crew.

Then the kitchen tour: lots of stainless steel.

Finally, the farewell party, hosted by the captain. The violin/keyboard duo did the introduction – popular classics done in a style that was a crowd pleaser but, for me, was a bit over the top. Every bow stroke doesn’t have to tug at my heart strings and make me cry, for Pete’s sake. I’m in the minority in my opinion I bet.

The captain’s summary was actually quite moving. He listed the several aspects of our trip that were firsts for Viking. He emphasized that it was the crew pulling together that made our experiences unique, exciting, enjoyable and safe. All the crew appeared on stage to a standing ovation from the appreciative passengers. Again, the crew’s enthusiasm and the passengers’ response seemed genuine on both sides.

 The contemporary guitar/singer duo ended the program with crowd participating and pleasing “Sweet Caroline and Take Me Home.”

As if we need more food, we finished the evening at the Dining Room, the upscale dining venue. It pains me to confess to three margaritas on Deck 6 and two flutes of champagne at the farewell affair but I’m proud to say I didn’t finish my second glass of wine at dinner.

Well this is it. The final day of expeditioning. There’re two more days at sea but the next time we set foot on dry land will be at Ushuaia, Argentina. According to the original itinerary, the Falkland Islands were to be our first stop. Weather dictated otherwise, and as it turned out today was a very fitting end to a great trip of exploration.

But first, Judy’s still at it. Here’s her video about our trip to Grytviken, the shore excursion requiring our rescue in ferocious winds!

https://judyrick.zenfolio.com/p1039409213/hdab9d926#hdab9d926

West Point Island is owned by Roddy Napier whose great uncle established it as a sheep farm in 1879. It had the usual history, for this region of the world, as a seal and penguin oil production site in the early 19^thcentury until overkill ended the industry here. Today, it continues as a sheep farm and as a tourist stop. In fact, West Point Island was, with Port Stanley, a pioneering tourist stop for expedition trips in the Falklands. The first visitors came here in 1968.

Roddy Napier and those who came after him were active in replanting tussac on the island. Tussac is a favorite habitat for both the albatrosses and penguins. Napier and family also planted gorse, reminiscent, perhaps, of merry old England. But here, as in other places we’ve visited, gorse is an invasive species that takes over from native plants that serve as fodder for sheep. We saw this in New Zealand where colorful gorse could be seen to dominate previous sheep grazing fields.

The main attraction here are the large colonies of Black-browed albatrosses and Southern Rockhopper penguins. The fauna are viewed at the end of a 1.2 mile hike across rolling hills with extraordinary views of the island. Today brings our lifetime penguin count from 5 to 9, adding Chinstrap, King, Gentoo and Southern Rockhoppers on this trip. There are only 18 species in the world so we’re halfway there. We’d seen plenty of Black-browed albatrosses earlier on this trip. And for those keeping score at home, I’ve entered 24 birds into the Merlin app on this trip, penguins included. I guess I’ve become a birder; we’ll see how long it lasts. I could go through the past 20 years of bird photos. The spirt is willing, but . . .

The hike was somewhat challenging. The ground was a bit uneven, the initial hill fairly steep and, worst of all, most of us hiked in our big rubber expedition boots. Because our landing was by zodiac, we were warned to wear them to avoid getting our feet wet.

The reward for making the trek, in addition to the breathtaking views and experience of viewing the birds, was a visit to the cottage occupied by the caretakers, Kiki and Thies. Kiki serves visitors a wide variety of sweet treats along with tea or coffee.

Kiki and Thies, not related to the owners, have an interesting history. The sailboat moored in the bay is the only home they have known for the past 38 years. Originally from Vienna, Austria, they have sailed that craft around the world and have made the sail from the Falklands to South Georgia three times. Kiki told us that the South Georgia trip is difficult because of the weather. Their sailboat lacks a wheelhouse so their foul weather gear is their only protection during storms. And because they lack radar, they must maintain a 7×24 iceberg watch while making the transit.

Life as caretakers on West Point Island must be much simpler since the weather, even in winter, is mild. No snow falls and, judging by the absolutely perfect weather we enjoyed, summer time is great too.

So back on board, our cabin stewards, Ming and Lau, have placed our rubber boots and waterproof pants in the hall for collection, signifying that our adventuring is done. Nothing left to do but eat our way to Ushuaia and home.

We raised the curtain of our stateroom window at 7 AM,  needing to prepare for a 9:15 SOB departure. I only wake when the sun comes up so we had to set an alarm; the window shade is a total blackout affair. We were greeted with a view of a fishing vessel – Asian of some sort – Chinese? Taiwanese? – and views of Port Stanley harbor. Soon, a Southern Giant-Petrel and a pair of Kelp Gulls flew by. The birders on board tell me there’s no such thing as a sea gull. They all have a name, and there’s a ton of them worldwide.

And, what’s that spec half way between here and the fishing ship? Could it be? Yes! It’s a penguin and one we haven’t seen yet, a Magellanic Penguin. What’s he doing there all by him/herself?

Enough sightseeing. Off to the World Café to stoke up for the morning run, then into our regalia – red jacket, black water repellent pants, rubber boots and that infernal life jacket that, lo and behold, I managed to put on without assistance in what would prove to be the only time on this entire trip, I’m, ashamed to say.

The Special Operations Boat(SOB) ride lasted 45 minutes or so and was narrated by a member of the Expedition Staff from Italy. There weren’t many members of the wildlife kingdom to point out so she spent most of the time bemoaning humankind’s lack of care for the environment. I’m as much of a tree hugger as the next guy but, really, enough is enough. I did spot a fair number of waterfowl on our trip. There were a couple of abandoned ships rotting away whose salvage is uneconomic. We also had good views of the landscape and, toward the end, passed by downtown Port Stanley.

Port Stanley, as of the Queen’s Jubilee in 2022, has been officially declared a city, population 4,500 or so, which accounts for 80% of the total population of the Falkland Islands. I’d say it deserves the title. It’s not a town anymore. There’s a fair amount of industry, mostly associated with fishing, I’d guess. You have to be careful crossing streets for fear of being run over by a right-hand drive Land Rover.

And there’s no doubt about it. The vast majority of Port Stanley-ites are loyal Brits through and through. The go-to restaurant dish is fish and chips. The accents are all British. Nary a Spanish accent to be heard anywhere. The local museum presents the 1982 war as an incursion turned back by the Queen’s own.

Our next outing was a bus ride to Scenic Gypsy Cove, maybe 20 minutes out of town. Scenic it is and also home to more Magellanic penguins, cute little buggers that they are. The lady who guided our bus trip proudly displayed a certificate she earned by swimming in the ocean at Gypsy Cove last winter (you have to get your head wet). It’s more of an accomplishment than just getting cold. Gypsy Cove was not declared land mine free until 2020, the last part of the Falklands to be cleared.

The man who led us up the hill to see the penguins told us of being the Sargent-Major of the local defense force at the time of the invasion, some 34 lads in all. He was detained on West Falkland Island under house arrest. He pointed out the distant hills where some of the important battles were fought. The initial invasion occurred not far from Gypsy Cove.

Gipsy Cove is near the Port Stanley airport. The government runs the service. If you want to go somewhere in the Falklands, you call up that morning and state your desires. They devise a route that accommodates all comers that day. Tomorrow the route will be different.

The Gypsy Cove tour dropped us off downtown and, at 1 PM, ready for lunch. Not far along we found the Groovy restaurant featuring, of course, fish and chips. We were seated with shipmates who come from Minnesota. We all ordered the fish and chips and, after a considerable wait, consumed with gusto. Two ships are in port today, ours and a Norwegian Cruise Line boat of considerably greater size. Every restaurant and tee-shirt shop in town was mobbed.

Because we’d packed in carryon luggage coming down, we were lacking in space for the expedition jackets that we’ve been given to take home. So we found a gift shop with a suitable bag which, for a considerable number of Falkland Pound Sterlings, solved that problem.

We visited the local museum, giving us a good overview of life in the Falklands. I found most interesting the displays that gave us the story of individual characters who came here, married, raised a family and worked in fishing or other maritime pursuits. The war was given considerable coverage, of course.

Then, a problem. The zipper on our new bag was stuck. We went to the store and asked for a return and replacement. The nice lady demonstrated that the zipper could be freed and made to work just fine, but we asked for and were given a different bag, one costing 5 FILB (or whatever they call their currency) less. The difference was given to us in a handful of coins of unknown value.

What to do? Go for ice cream, of course. I held out my fistful of coins and asked the lady, “Is this enough for two dishes?” She took all but three coins. “I want chocolate syrup on mine,” demanded Judy. The lady took the three remaining coins and said, “Close enough.”

The good news is that the ice cream didn’t spoil our appetite for dinner one little bit.

The good ship Octanis is making 15 knots but we’re taking an indirect route that skirts a storm to our northwest. We’re scheduled to reach Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, tomorrow morning. The seas yesterday (Feb. 12) were relatively calm with light rain but today the swell is bit more energetic under mostly sunny skies. So far, everything is copacetic, stomach-wise.

Birds, whales and icebergs are pretty scarce so far except for yesterday morning when, just after departing South Georgia, we detoured slightly to pass by the Shag Rocks, six rock outcroppings that are part of the South Georgia Ridge.

You may recall that once upon a time Argentina and Antarctica were one big happy continent. When plate tectonics did their thing, the two separated. The Antarctic Peninsula and Tierra del Fuego seem to be reaching toward each other. But in fact there is a ridge that runs between the two in a sweeping arc to the east that is the remnant of that split. The South Georgia Ridge and Shag Rocks are part of that ridge.

The Shag Rocks area is known to be frequented by whales and birds of all sorts. Our ship maintained a special lookout for whales to be sure our ship didn’t run into one. We saw more blue whales and I identified, appropriately enough, a South Georgia Shag.

One bird that fascinates me is the Wilson’s Storm Petrel, a small, mostly black bird with white markings that breeds in the Antarctic region, particularly the South Shetlands and South Georgia islands. Mom and Dad tend one chick for about 60 days and after that, it’s into the air for the rest of the year. The birds fly north for the northern summer and turn around to return to Antarctica when things get cold up north, never touching down on land until its time to nest again. The original snowbird, just like we are. There quite prevalent in the North Atlantic but we rarely see them because they like to stay off shore except in the case of a strong wind.

While at sea we have lectures given by the expedition teams. One especially interesting talk was given by Judith Scott. She is very clear to say that she’s not a marine biologist but has had a life-long interest in whales. She’s spent time around the world studying them and working as a whale watch guide in places such as Iceland and Gloucester , Massachusetts. I’ve included two slides from her presentation that give an indication of how big blue whales really are.

Judy has put together a video about blue whales that includes commentary from Judith: Here’s the link:

https://judyrick.zenfolio.com/p1039409213/hd9eb0644#hd9eb0644

Another presenter, Scott Croxson, spoke on the subject of winds, ocean currents and El Niño. On the subject of global warming and climate change, he said he no longer covers that subject in his talks. “Everyone has an opinion these days and nothing I say is going to change anyone’s mind.” I included the one chart on this subject he did present.

This morning’s talk (Feb 13) was on the history of the Falkland Islands/Malvinas. Bottom line: France, Spain and Great Britain have argued over sovereignty of the islands for going on 300 years. When Argentina was granted its independence from Spain on July 9, 1816, they too claimed ownership. Things came to warfare in June of 1982 when Argentinian forces invaded the Malvinas (as they call the Falklands). The war lasted about two weeks and ended with the surrender by Argentina.

Interestingly, the British lost the HMS Antelope, which sank during the war. My father, Phil Rick, served on the USS Antelope during World War II. It had been hit by a Japanese submarine torpedo before Dad got there. He spent the war being towed from one spot to another, waiting for repairs that never happened.

The outcome of the war was status quo: virtually everyone on the Falklands are diehard Brits. Margaret Thatcher, trailing in the polls, won reelection as British prime minister. The military junta in Argentina was deposed. Today, there are signs in Ushuaia saying “Malvinas son Argentinian” and politicians run on a platform that calls for return of the Malvinas through diplomacy.

So not much more to report, and not very many pictures, but I’ll pick up the pace when we hit Port Stanley tomorrow.