After a couple of stormy days at sea with winds upward of 40kts, we arrived at the South Orkney Islands. We are now at 61′ South and inside the Antarctic Treaty Zone at last. There are 4 islands in the S. Orkneys. The Vavilov anchored off Laurie Island. It is cold now, though I hear it is colder in New York! So, on with the 4 layers of clothes and foul weather gear on top and into the Zodiacs with us. The sea was still a little rough and I got splashed on the way to land. While the foul weather gear kept me dry I couldn’t believe how cold the water felt, even through all the layers.
The only people living on Laurie are housed in the Orcadas Meteorology Station, owned by Argentina. It was set up in 1903 by a Scotish explorer William Spiers Bruce. When Bruce left Laurie a year later he handed it over to Argentina and as such is the oldest continuously run research facility in Antarctica. The accommodation has improved over the years (not by much) but the original base is still there and is open to visitors.
Original Station
There are 45 people stationed here in during the Summer months, 14 of whom stay on through the Winter (only 2 women – doctor and nurse). They were delighted to have visitors and plied us with tea/coffee and biscuits. I would have felt bad taking their goodies except that we passed piles and piles of crates on the beach where a supply ship had just re-provisioned them. This is a desolate place and I can’t imagine how people spend a whole year here. No mobile phone signal!! No WiFi. I couldn’t do it. There is a church though, maybe life here would drive me into believing.
Tiny church in the new base.
New base in the background. Not as pretty as the old one but definitely warmer.
For an hour or so before we arrived at Laurie we started to see out first ice bergs. They have broken away from the Filchner Ice Shelf on the Antarctic peninsula and floated out through the Weddell Sea into the Southern Ocean. (More on ice bergs in the next blog). So, on the way back to the ship, the Zodiac drivers took us for a spin to see a couple.
Where is everyone? click to see lone penguin.
About to be an ice berg – known as calving.
Oh Oh !!
No blog would be complete without a shot of some penguins. In this case, Chinstraps.
