22nd January 2008 - Drake Passage heading south.

Time 07:24, 56 degrees 56.56’ South (honestly!), 65 degrees 04.63 West, Wind west force 7-9, Air Temperature 10 oC, Water Temperature 6.2 oC, overcast clearing for a while, occasional showers, foggy over the Antarctic convergence .

This has been the roughest crossing of the Drake this season. While according to some it was not too bad it still resulted in some passengers last night sleeping on the floor of their cabins because the heavy swell kept pushing their mattresses off their beds. A TV screwed to a table came away and ended up on the floor. This morning there was still a heavy swell with waves as high as 25 ft / 21 metres and a few definitely 30 foot/9 metres.

Spot the Wandering Albatross on a bumpy Drake Passage today.

Regardless of the weather the show must go on and I gave my lecture to a surprisingly large crowd of passengers in the Ambassador Lounge where all our lectures and cruise shows are hosted. Not sure if I mentioned this before now but the Ambassador lounge is the hardest place to give a lecture. I is warm, comfortable, dark and add in the motion of the ship and you are guaranteed to have people falling asleep in minutes no matter how good the lecture is. So much so that I tell passengers before I start that I won’t take it personally if they start falling asleep. On the other hand maybe I do put them to sleep! Anyway, during this mornings lecture I dances around the stage as the boat rocked from side to side unpredictably. Right in the middle of the lecture we hit a big wave and I have the surreal experience of seeing all the passengers suddenly lurch to the left, resulting in one woman falling off her seat and requiring medical attention. Thankfully she was not injured but got a bit of a fright. I finished the lecture we no more casualties thankfully. Spent most of the day at the “office” on the back deck with a good number of passengers coming out to look at the seabirds or maybe just some fresh air!

I continue to pester and persuade the remaining members of the team to be guest bloggers and this evening Rich Kirchner, Assistant Expedition Team Leader we tell you a bit about himself and his work.

Rich Kirchner, Assistant Expedition Team Leader.

Rich is an internationally published wildlife photographer from Bozeman, Montana, USA. He served as zodiac driver, lecturer and assistant expedition leader aboard natural history cruises in the Arctic, Antarctic, and other parts of the world. In the past Rich has spent 21 months living in Antarctica with the U.S. Antarctic Programme, including a winter at McMurdo Station which is situated on Ross Island.

Rich – Antarctica is a wonderful area to photograph wildlife but it also requires some specialized equipment and technique to get the ultimate shots. First of all, you’re cruising across the southern ocean where you may have extreme movement of the ship and extreme movement of your subject. Large numbers of seabirds follow closely behind the ships. Photographing sea birds can be a real challenge because of their fast flight and the rocking of the ship, so having a motor drive and vibration reduction lenses can be invaluable. Shooting many frames is your best chance of getting one or two good compositions clearly in focus. A thirty-five millimeter digital camera, with a medium to long zoom range, is best for this. Once you arrive in Antarctica, you may have another set of variables to deal with, especially weather and salt water spray, both of which can be damaging to sensitive equipment.

Adelie Penguins on Ice (photo copyright Rich Kirchner)

Zodiacs are used for close cruises and ship to shore transport. These open boats offer opportunities for photos of wildlife in their marine habitat. The cold alone can drain batteries, or negatively effect the functioning of your camera. Take precautions to protect your equipment from moisture and cold. One rouge wave can destroy cameras while riding in a zodiac. Have some kind of waterproof protection for your cameras. On shore, expect changing weather, from rain to glorious sun and everything in between. Even though it is the white continent with most newer cameras, there is little need to compensate in your exposures. On a very bright day with an extremely white scene you may need to open up one stop. The beauty of the digital age is that you can preview your shots and see your results, and readily compensate if needed. It is easy to be fixated on one penguin or one scene, but there is so much to capture that you need to be aware that things can be happening right behind you.

Gentoo Penguins in a row (photo copyright Rich Kirchner)

In a penguin colony there is constantly changing activity in every direction. Wide angle lenses are great for scenic shots. Wildlife is best captured with a medium to long zoom or telephoto lens. Be prepared to take more photos than you might ordinarily take. Have plenty of memory space or film. Remember, this is a once in a lifetime trip.

Thanks Rich!

Aidan - Thanks for the Ushuaia info, unfortunately the next time I am there I will be heading for the airport. Must have a chat when I get back. Thanks for the comments!

Janis and Gary - Will pass on your request for contact details to Marylou and yse that photographic guide to the birds of Patagonia etc is an excellent companion to the Birds of Chile (Jaramillo). Thanks for the comments!]

Wildlife seen sailing south on the Drake Passage (for the last time!)

Mammals

Sei Whale 1
Unidentified Whale 1

Birds
Wandering Albatross 6+
Royal Albatross 2
Southern Giant Petrel 12+
Northern Giant Petrel 1
Grey-headed Albatross 3
Black-browed Albatross 10+
Cape Petrel 3
Blue Petrel 200+
Antarctic Prion 10+
Unidentified Prion 80+
White-chinned Petrel 5+
Wilson’s Storm Petrel 3+
Black-bellied Storm Petrel 2

Note: The + sign after the counts indicates that we saw at least that number but more may have been present.