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If you look carefully you can see Argentina's Almirante Brown Station by the shore at the foot of Mount Hoogh. It has not been staffed for some years because of Argentina's financial difficulties.
Half of us landed and looked around Almirante Brown Station while the other half cruised around the bay in zodiacs. Then, they landed and we cruised.
Gentoo penguins around Almirante Brown Station.
A visit around but not in the Almirante Brown Station. Some climbed up the hill to get a better view of the bay and to slide back down on their bums in the snow.
Almirante Brown Station and the Orlova with Bryde Peak on Bryde Island in the background. The real attraction was the cruise around the bay.
The bay is well named for the spectacular scenery of mountains like Bryde Peak, glaciers and icebergs.
Here are Garzon Glacier and Peak.
Garzon Peak between Garzon Glacier and Petzvol Glacier.
Here is another view of Petzvol Glacier.
And another view of Bryde Peak reflected in the mirror like sea.
One of several icebergs in the bay.
Mike Murphy pointing to a minke whale that circled the zodiacs for more than an hour.
This minke whale was definitely playful. Here it is rushing towards us and diving under our zodiac at the last minute. It could have easily dumped us in the water if it had bumped the zodiac but it just wanted to play.
Here it is racing between the two zodiacs.
Here it is again, between us and the Orlova.
Rojas Peak on our way out of the bay
If you look carefully you will see the Chilean Videla Station in the centre of this photo.
Here is another view of the Presidente Videla Station as we cruised by without stopping. Some hawk-eyed passengers claimed to see people but it was too far for me.
Mount Britannia on Rongé Island on the other side of Andvord Bay.
I cannot identify this beautiful peak. Please get in touch with me if you can document its identity.
This 180 degree panorama of the Errera Channel showing Rongé Island on the left and the continent on the right. After a last landing on Cuverville Island, we passed between the Anvers and Brabant islands to enter the redoubtable Drake Passage where howling winds and an angry sea tossed the Orlova about like a toy. The night was rough and few made it to breakfast but it got better in time for lunch and conferences were held that afternoon and the next day which was Christmas.
The sea was still rough when we reached Cape Horn, the southernmost land of the Americas, early in the afternoon. The weather calmed down as we approached the Beagle Channel where the Orlova anchored to await the pilot. The conference filled day was ended beautifully with the Captain's farewell Christmas dinner and party.
Captain Andrei Rudenko, (extreme right), and his senior officers, all Russian, shared a farewell cocktail with us.
And the feminine staff sang some farewell songs in Russian.
After the final recap we insisted to regroup the
Quark Expeditions staff for this
picture. From the left back::
Delfine Aures -- Ornithologist
Mike Murphy -- Assistant Expedition Leader
Kara Weller -- Biologist
Olle Carlsson -- Expedition Leader
- ?
Stephen Granger -- Expedition Doctor
Charles Swithinbank -- Glaciologist
Sally Gillis -- Geologist
Matt Pope -- Naturalist
Brandon Harvey -- Naturalist
Farewell dinner and party.
The next morning we reached Ushuaia early in the morning having travelled 1740 nautical miles (3200 km), in eight and a half days. A memorable experience!
