6 November, 1995

Monday, November 6, 1995

We have left Deception Island and are headed to Palmer Station. We stopped at Port Lockroy which is in Neumayer Channel. It is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in the area for protected anchorage and has a big glacier at the head of the bay. It is huge. I still am in awe of the role size plays in Antarctica. It is a whole new demension. It has been reported that in 1991, the calving of the glacier was incessant which caused noise for 24 hours every day in February or the peak of the Austral summer. Now it is occurring at a rate of about 2 per day. A British meteorological station was established on Goudier Island in 1944 and thus Port Lockroy was manned until 1962. Today as you enter the harbor, you see penguins everywhere. And you smell them too. Because penguins eat a lot of fish, and fish is high in nitrogen, you can imagine what the waste of penguins must smell like. I took a large number of pictures and certainly hope they turned out. I sat among the penguins in their nesting area and I mean I was close. 2 or 3 feet away. They are fighting and arguing over nesting sites now and the noise is incredible. I cannot describe the noises that penguins make. It is kind of a squack but very low pitched. They have not laid eggs yet. The nests are crude as they are covered with penguin droppings and dirty rocks and ice. I realize that it is all relative. They only look that way because of the area that they are located in with its' harsh winters and living conditions. It was awesome to sit among these birds and sometimes I feel that I am too intent on taking pictures instead of just sitting and enjoying the experience. It was a marvelous experience and Port Lockroy will be one of my favorite places. Lots of penguins and no seals. After we left, we packed gear and we cruised the Neumayer channel I worked on plots and packed gear in my berth also. This was just a short note to tell you all about another interesting adventure.

Peace.

George