Farewell Port Lockroy and Cuverville
In the small hours of the morning, the Endeavour weighed anchor and proceeded to Port Lockroy. The weather had cleared overnight and after the past few days of low clouds and gray light, it was a real treat to see the rocky spires and snow-capped peaks of the off-lying islands of the peninsula.
Port Lockroy is one of the finest natural harbours in Antarctica. Discovered by the French explorer Charcot one hundred years ago, it has been used as a sheltered haven by many expeditions of different nationalities since. The Norwegian whalers based a factory ship there in the early 1900’s – witness the whalebones on Jougla Point where we visited. The first Antarctic aviator, Australian Sir Hubert Wilkins, flew from Lockroy in 1929. Towards the end of the Second World War, a group of nine young men built a wooden hut on tiny Goudier Island. This was to be the main base of a secret mission called Operation Tabarin. That same building, abandoned in 1962, was restored nine years ago and was officially recognised as a historic monument. It was fascinating to step back in time and see how they lived and worked in the 1950’s, and did a full science programme – a far cry from the modern Palmer Station. We also posted our mail, did some shopping and even had some old time dancing to a wind-up gramophone record. The kayakers managed to get in another paddling session too. It was a busy morning.
The afternoon saw the ship re-positioned off Cuverville Island in the Errera Channel. Most of us opted for some iceberg cruising in the zodiacs. Steve’s hardy band of followers climbed 824 feet to the summit of the island and were rewarded with a clear panoramic view. Others were quite happy to stroll the beach and quietly take in our final landing.
And the grand finale, after dinner whale watching in Dallmann Bay. We had it all: sight, sound and smells of a humpback feeding around the ship. Everyone was running from side to side - “port, starboard, port” were the cries from Tom Ritchie. The obliging whale rose to its audience, looking at us, blowing at us, waving its massive arm to us. It was indeed a grand spectacle. We turned out towards the open sea; it had been a fitting climax to our Antarctic odyssey.
In the small hours of the morning, the Endeavour weighed anchor and proceeded to Port Lockroy. The weather had cleared overnight and after the past few days of low clouds and gray light, it was a real treat to see the rocky spires and snow-capped peaks of the off-lying islands of the peninsula.
Port Lockroy is one of the finest natural harbours in Antarctica. Discovered by the French explorer Charcot one hundred years ago, it has been used as a sheltered haven by many expeditions of different nationalities since. The Norwegian whalers based a factory ship there in the early 1900’s – witness the whalebones on Jougla Point where we visited. The first Antarctic aviator, Australian Sir Hubert Wilkins, flew from Lockroy in 1929. Towards the end of the Second World War, a group of nine young men built a wooden hut on tiny Goudier Island. This was to be the main base of a secret mission called Operation Tabarin. That same building, abandoned in 1962, was restored nine years ago and was officially recognised as a historic monument. It was fascinating to step back in time and see how they lived and worked in the 1950’s, and did a full science programme – a far cry from the modern Palmer Station. We also posted our mail, did some shopping and even had some old time dancing to a wind-up gramophone record. The kayakers managed to get in another paddling session too. It was a busy morning.
The afternoon saw the ship re-positioned off Cuverville Island in the Errera Channel. Most of us opted for some iceberg cruising in the zodiacs. Steve’s hardy band of followers climbed 824 feet to the summit of the island and were rewarded with a clear panoramic view. Others were quite happy to stroll the beach and quietly take in our final landing.
And the grand finale, after dinner whale watching in Dallmann Bay. We had it all: sight, sound and smells of a humpback feeding around the ship. Everyone was running from side to side - “port, starboard, port” were the cries from Tom Ritchie. The obliging whale rose to its audience, looking at us, blowing at us, waving its massive arm to us. It was indeed a grand spectacle. We turned out towards the open sea; it had been a fitting climax to our Antarctic odyssey.
