Friday, 20 March 2020

Lamaire Channel and Port Lockroy

March 20, 2020 0 Comment

Friday 20 March 2020

Today we travelled the Lamaire channel and the icebreaker hull of the ship pushed aside the many iceburgs along our path. This photogenic straight is often referred to as "Kodak Gap"

Originally discovered in the 1870’s, by a German expedition the channel wasn’t traversed until 1898.

Belgian explorer Adrian de Gerlache was the first to sail the Lemaire Channel, and unusually (since most explorers named new destinations after themselves) he named it after another Belgian explorer – Charles Lemaire, who was famous for his exploration of the Congo.

Snowcapped cliffs jut out over pristine waters, and rugged mountain peaks soar into the sky.

Next we had a paddle. What an amazing place!

Aynsley my kayak partner was going solo

It's my iceberg!

We then went ashore:

Florence, the cruise expedition leader made sure we gave the penguins space.

I'm here!

This guy is still moulting

Port Lockroy

This afternoon we visited Port Lockroy - a bay forming a natural harbour on the north-western shore of Wiencke Island in the Palmer Archipelago in front of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Port Lockroy was discovered in 1904 and named after Edouard Lockroy, a French politician and Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies, who assisted Jean-Baptiste Charcot in obtaining government funding for his French Antarctic Expedition. The harbour was used for whaling between 1911 and 1931.

During World War II, the British military Operation Tabarin established the Port Lockroy Station A on tiny Goudier Island in the bay, which operated as a British Research station until it closed in 1962. The abandoned base was designated a Historic Site and Monument under the Antarctic Treaty and in 1996 restored as a ‘living’ museum. It is managed by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust.

The base receives visitors off ships in the Southern summer, however it was closed for winter when we visited but some of our guides had worked there in the past and we were allowed to see the historical displays of the museum and leave postcards for postage when the base reopens.

The base employs volunteers on a six month contract which includes the Antarctic season (approximately November to March), and they are expected to live and work on the island for the duration of the season, as well as take part in any training or debriefing as appropriate during their six month contract period.