This is what it looked like on the night of March 9 heading for Neko Harbour. It was perfectly awful weather and Neko Harbour was shaping up as the only landing for the Octantis to land passengers on the Antartica continent itself. It did not look good. Thumping their boots on Antartica itself is a Big Bragging Deal for a lot of people.
In 2018, after nearly 23 days in Antartica waters, our ship, like the Octantis, had not managed to land anybody on the continent itself, and, although we had landed on a number of islands, grumbling was afoot, and the ship’s officers had begun sweating. One potential landing site after another on the Antartica continent kept becoming unavailable because of weather. As the end of that voyage approached, all passengers had to show for their trip was “interaction with lots of penguins on lots of crummy island,” as one passenger put it.
But! Finally! In 2018 it was Neko Harbour to the rescue! … in 2018 off we all went, tromping around for a while on the Antartica continent’s ice and snow — and that was that. Everybody went home able to say, not merely that they had “been” to Antartica, but that they had “walked around on the Antartica continent itself, and not some dinky island or two”.
For most, us included, it meant they had visited all seven of the Earth’s continents. I guess it’s sort of a big deal now that I think about it.
NEKO HARBOUR
Dawn, March 10, Neko Harbour on the Antarctic continent. The snow and choppy seas had settled during the night so it was: All shore wishing to go ashore! … Carol Anne went. I didn’t bother.
The penguins had taken their young and gone back to sea, and since I had landed at Neko Harbour in 2018, I considered myself an Old Antartica Sea Salt. I was savoring the idea of an empty ship and sniffing those freshly baked cookies over by that comfortable chair across from the coffee machine on Deck 5’s World Cafe.
Neko Harbour is in the Red Box at the Tip of the black arrow. The line two thirds down the image is the Antarctic Circle.
A lone zodiac heads toward Neko Harbour. This is the first step in preparing for a landing. The preparatory landing procedure is always the same: The ship stops, stabilizes using GPS and one zodiac with several crew members is sent to shore to scout a landing location, and to land provisions and tents for a 72 hour survival. These provisions assure that should passengers be stranded on shore by a sudden change in weather, they will have a chance to survive. Some years ago an Antarctic party was trapped on shore by a sudden change in weather. They all perished.
Two more zodiacs head to Neko Harbour. Other passengers are already on shore and two of them can be seen climbing the hill on a path cut by penguins in the middle right of the photograph.
Kayaks from the ship off Neko Harbour.
Early evening, March 10, leaving Neko Harbour. Usually the zodiacs, kayaks, submarines and special operations boards (SOB) are collected back into the hangar at the rear of the ship by late afternoon, and the ship gets underway before 6 pm. March 10 was a gray day with a beautiful sunset. The most spectacular sunrises and sunsets we have ever seen were crossing the Pacific Ocean from Valparaiso in South America years ago on our way to New Zealand.
Neko Harbour would be our last landing in Antartica. The following day rough seas and weather made it unwise to attempt the Damoy Point landing.
DAMOY POINT
We did not land.
DECEPTION ISLAND ,,, where we landed in 2018 but bypassed in 2023
As small as the Octantis is, it cannot navigate into Deception Island. Deception Island’s single entrance has a large underwater rock outcropping square in the middle of the entrance which could sink the ship, and has done for a few times in the past. On a much smaller ship in 2018 we slipped in and spent the day ashore here. Cruising Antarctic waters requires captains and crews who are judicious, highly skilled and watchful. Deception Island is not for sissies.
The Octantis has screens, like the one above, which rotate with sayings about traveling and places. The ship offers a rich education for those with curiosity about polar expeditions. Hallways and walls throughout the ship have photographs of earlier expeditions. Public areas are chocked full of artifacts about explorers and exploring.
For us, the Octantis was a feast. We love the grand elegance of the Antarctic and the Arctic. These are places that call us back.
We love how the Octantis celebrates all aspects of the magnificent places. We will return, and take others with us. We want to see these places through the eyes of others as they see for the first time that which we have seen.
Our 23 days in 2018 in Antartica was immersive, but this 65 day voyage from Antartica along only two longitudes between Earth’s north and south poles may stand the test of time as our best trip ever.
Gifts, like the certificate above, would appear from time to time on the end of our bed. As time went on, it got crowded — nine bottles of wine, a six pack of South American beer, two ball caps, two Panama hats, two backpacks, chocolates from South Africa, fudge from Wisconsin … you get the idea. Lots of loot.
Our close special friends, the Novaks, spent the day with us when we docked in Norfolk, Virginia, and they haul a lot of this stuff to Williamsburg. Without their help, we might have had to rent a U-Haul.
In our library/guest room in Florida we have a world map with pins stuck in the places we have been. The map is flanked by framed certificates like the one above from other voyages.
Diary 2023 