It’s Virginia’s Birthday! Jenna and Melanie decorated our cabin door to commemorate the day. Our day started in the gym then onto breakfast.
Though it was a day at sea, the day was very busy with
preparation for our first landing on Thursday. The first briefing was a Mandatory IAATO (International
Association of Antarctica Tour Operators) Briefing. IAATO
was founded in 1991 to advocate and promote the practice of save and
environmentally responsible private-sector travel to the Antarctic. Antarctica has been governed internationally
by the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty since 1959. The participating countries have research
centers on the Continent and are dedicated to peace on the Continent. A limited amount of tourism is allowed on the
Continent though it is self-regulated for the most part. By traveling with an IAATO Member operator,
we are contributing to the protection of Antarctica.
Having visited the 7th Continent, we are now
considered “Antarctic Ambassadors”, responsible for spreading the knowledge of
the land and helping protect it.
The next two mandatory sessions involved a fitting of our
parkas and boots along with a Compulsory Biosecurity Check. The parkas and boots are kept in the Mud
Room. It is located on Deck Three next
to the exit door for the Zodiacs. The
parkas are bright green and quite warm.
The borrowed boots keep our feet warm along with helping us traverse the
sometimes rocky and slippery terrain. We
also checked the fitting for our life jackets.
All of this is kept in an open locker in the Mud Room. Each cabin is issued a locker.
During the Biosecurity Check, the Expedition guides review
our outer layers for any contaminants that could be carried ashore. A vacuum is used to remove any hairs, or dirt
from pockets and exteriors which could introduce non-native species to the
Continent.
All this preparation was for our first landing which was
scheduled to be on Thursday, March 2. We
at lunch then planned to attend the afternoon briefings which included a
lecture on Antarctic Ecology along with a Binocular Workshop and Birdwatching
with Catherine and Rodrigo. Catherine is
on vacation from her normal university position. She is very engaging and shares her knowledge
in a relatable manner. Another lecture
was entitled “Who Does Antarctica Belong To?”.
All these lectures were cancelled because we were going ashore! The weather conditions were right which
allowed the Captain to change plans and take advantage of the opportunity for
an additional landing.
There was excitement in the air as we are in B Group and
were requested to go to the Atlas Lounge for further instructions. This would be a good test of the process of
what to wear, how to maneuver getting prepared in the Mud Room when it was
filled with other excited passengers.
Our first landing was in Yankee Bay of Greenwich
Island. It was a rocky area with little
snow but lots of Gentoo Penguins. Also
present were Fur Seals and Elephant Seals, and a few Giant Petrels. Plus, two lone Chinstrap Penguins. The weather was not too cold with little
wind. It was exhilarating to be able to
walk out in the cold, taking in the beautiful scenery and observing the animals
in their natural habitat. When we first
approached the landing area, we were greeted by the smell of penguin poo
however we soon become accustomed to it and it was not as prevalent the longer
that we were on land.
We were given 45 minutes to wander around the Bay. Pylons were set out to create a barrier
between us and the penguin. Penguin
always have the right of way, and we were to stay a minimum of 5 meters
away. The day was overcast and cool; we were
bundled just right to remain warm without becoming over heated.
After the Zodiac landing, we returned to the ship where we
were greeted by a crew member with a warm towel and warm punch which became a
rum punch with the addition of alcohol.
This added to the festive feeling that surrounded our first penguin
sightings and Zodiac landing.
A briefing was held prior to dinner. Answering questions and preparing us for the
next day.
Dinner was a French theme.
The staff celebrated Virginia’s birthday by singing “Happy Birthday” and
bringing a special cake to commemorate the day.
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