20 Feb 2016

2 Feb Voyage: Shokalskiy Cape Evans Visit

A sunny, mild and wind free morning allowed us to make a landing at 0630hrs on Cape Royds to see Sir Ernest Shackleton’s hut and the southernmost Adelie Penguin colony. Weddell Seals greeted us as we stepped ashore to take the fifteen minute walk to the base associated with the Nimrod Expedition between 1907 and 1909, which had secured three firsts. The first to climb Mount Erebus, the world’s southern most volcano, the first to reach the Magnetic South Pole led by Professor Edgeworth David and the first attempt to reach the Geographic South Pole by Shackleton himself. Specialists from the Antarctic Heritage Trust have spent four summers restoring the buildings and artefacts to the remarkable standard we enjoyed today.

Mount Erebus looked spectacular against the azure blue of the sky. The contrasting black and white colours of the snow and volcanic rock sparkled magnificently in the suns rays, highlighting the spectacular way nature has evolved the landscape to camouflage its inhabitants, in this case the Adelie Penguin.

Passengers enjoyed brunch while we sailed to Cape Evans to see the iconic base associated with Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova Expedition between 1910 and 1913.  The hut sits proudly on the shoreline gleaming after a seven year restoration programme to the building and 11,500+ artefacts. The continuing balmy weather allowed the party to enjoy a leisurely walk around Ross Island, providing breath-taking panoramic views and the thrill of finding four Emperor Penguin chicks feeding on snow to keep them cool

We set sail for Cape Bird at 2100hrs, gliding through the icy open waters while keeping a lookout for wildlife at the end of what can only be described as an incredibly peaceful, fulfilling day.