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Robert Siegel
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Antarctica
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Antarctic references
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Related pages
Ice
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Icicles
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Ice sculpture
Ice
Dorian Bay
Antarctic Peninsula
December 26, 2013
Sea ice
Ice
Dorian Bay
Antarctic Peninsula
December 26, 2013
Mushroom berg
Ice
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Circling the ice
Ice
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Frozen horse
Ice
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Berg and reflection
Ice
Antarctic Peninsula
December 25, 2013
Canon 5D Mark II
Berg with icicles
Ice
Antarctic Peninsula
Canon 5D Mark II
December 25, 2013
Ice Cave
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Icicles
Useful island
Antarctic Peninsula
December 24, 2013
Inclined berg
Port Charcot
Antarctic Peninsula
December 25, 2013
Penguins
Strap but no chin
Wings don't fail me now.
Chinstrapped feet
Two chinstrap twins
And a big rock for my lady
Weeeeeeeee
You talkin' to me
Chinstrap profiled
Sky pointing
Strapped
Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua)
Gen-one
Gentoo profiled
Gentoo takes Darwin under wing
Eating snow
King of the Hill
Gentoo with eggs
Mating - with spectators
Egg turning
Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua)
Port Lockroy
Antarctic Peninsula
Canon 5D Mark II
December 25, 2013
Bed - rock
Is anybody listening?
Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua)
Port Lockroy
Antarctic Peninsula
Canon 5D Mark II
December 25, 2013
Wacky walk
Overpopulation
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
I think someone is following me.
Adélie penguin
Pygoscelis adeliae
Port Charcot
Antarctic Peninsula
December 25, 2013
Canon 5D Mark II
Check out this chick
Adélie penguin
Pygoscelis adeliae
Port Charcot
Antarctic Peninsula
December 25, 2013
When Adelies sing
Adélie penguin
Pygoscelis adeliae
Port Charcot
Antarctic Peninsula
December 25, 2013
Lone macaroni among chinstraps
And they called her macaroni
Sea birds
Of skua reference
Skua
genus: Stercorarius
Antarctic Peninsula
December 28, 2013
Skua stare down
Skua
genus: Stercorarius
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Pigeon wannabe
Snowy sheathbill
Chionis albus
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Tern cold
 - antarctica Canon EOS 5D Mark II.jpg)
A shag among gentoos
Blue-eyed shag
Phalacrocorax atriceps
Port Lockroy
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
cf Cormorants
Nested shags
Blue-eyed shag
Phalacrocorax atriceps
Port Lockroy
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
A shag on the rocks
Blue-eyed shag
Phalacrocorax atriceps
Port Lockroy
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
The flight of the shag
Blue-eyed shag
Phalacrocorax atriceps
Port Lockroy
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Shag with brood
Blue-eyed shag
Phalacrocorax atriceps
Port Lockroy
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Albatrocity
Wandering albatrossøbr>
Diomedea exulans
En route
December, 2013
Winging it
Black-browed albatross
Thalassarche melanophrys
En route
December, 2013
Cape petrel without cape
Cape petrel
(Daption capense)
En route
December, 2013
Petrel
En route
December 29, 2013
Running start
Cape petrel
(Daption capense)
En route
December, 2013
Fulmar
Southern fulmar
Fulmarus glacialoides
En route
December, 2013
Halfmar
Southern fulmar
Fulmarus glacialoides
En route
December, 2013
Quartermar
Southern fulmar
Fulmarus glacialoides
En route
December 29, 2013
Southern fulmar
Fulmarus glacialoides
En route
December 29, 2013
Kuru cousins
Prions
Drake Passage, en route
December 29, 2013
A place with some gull
Port Lockroy
December, 2013
Pod of fins
Fin whales
Balaenoptera physalus
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Humpback
Humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
This sighting was a fluke
Humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Humpback and Plancius
Useful island
Antarctic Peninsula
December 24, 2013
Killer
Killers at sunset
Antarctic Peninsula
Whale bones on ice
Seals
Leopard on ice
Leopard seal
Hydrurga leptonyx
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Surveillance
Leopard seal
Hydrurga leptonyx
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Attack
Leopard seal
Hydrurga leptonyx
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Evicerate
Leopard seal
Hydrurga leptonyx
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Elephant and gentoos
Southern elephant seal
Mirounga leonina
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
When seals tell fish stories
Weddell Seal
Leptonychotes weddellii
Antarctic Peninsula
December 28, 2013
Bob, the seal
Weddell Seal
Antarctic Peninsula
December 28, 2013
Lichens
Lichenous antarctica
Banana belt symbionts
Rockin the Lichens
Lichen on the rocks
Lichen in profusion
Inverts
Invert gold
Landscapes
A Portrait of Dorian Bay
Dorian Bay
Antarctic Peninsula
December 26, 2013
The breast of Antarctica
Una's Tits
Antarctic Peninsula
December 25, 2013
Canon 5D Mark II
Frozen Rorschach
Lemaire Channel
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Reflecting on Antarctica
Lemaire Channel
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Port Lockroy
Distant hills
Long light
Twilight in Antarctica
Port Lockroy
Signs of Port Lockroy
Port Lockroy
Not Lockroy. Lockroy!
OK, I admit it, it is a really bad reference to "Get Smart".
Port Lockroy
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Signs of penguins
Port Lockroy
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Pemmican (and marmite)
Port Lockroy
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
When penguin is on the menu
Port Lockroy
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
The well-equipped kitchen
Port Lockroy
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Charlies finds a friend at the post office
Southernmost post office
Port Lockroy
Antarctic Peninsula
December 27, 2013
Canon REBEL T5i
An event of chains
Chains
Port Lockroy
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Bob
Snow shoe exuberanbce
Dorian Bay
Antarctic Peninsula
December 26, 2013
Bob and Chinstraps
Antarctic Peninsula
December 28, 2013
Bob and Kyler
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Bob and Kyler - departing Ushuaia in style
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
In search of the antarctic lotus
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Jumpin' gentoos
Gentoo penguins
Port Lockroy
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Unsuccessful attempt to hitch a ride from a group of penguins
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
photo by Kyler Siegel
Polar plunge
Deception Island
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Photo taken by Amanda Barry
Fellow travelers
The other Dr. Bobster pays homage to Antarctica
Louis
Antarctic Peninsula
December, 2013
Marcel and Janine
Half Moon Island
Antarctic Peninsula
December 28, 2013
Betsy on ice
Port Charcot
Antarctic Peninsula
December 25, 2013
Canon 5D Mark II
Plancius
The mothership
Zodiacal outing
Our wild ride
Drake Passage
December, 2013
from the Plancius bridge
cf bridges
Rough Seas
cf water
Loading the gang plank
Antarctica references
Salon Antarctica
Patagonia
2006
List - some things I found surprising/impressive about Antarctica
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That penguins are even more entertaining than I thought they would be.
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The amount of snow and ice. Despite what you expect, it is still surprising.
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The amount of time that penguin spend "flying" throughthe air whe they swim
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Having the opportunity to see leopard seals hunt penguins.
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The number and variety of whales we saw
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How evocative the various ice formations were in terms of reminding me of other things. Much better than clouds.
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How well the ship handled - both in the high seas of the Drake but also in terms of thetight turning radius and maneuverability
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The level of bonding with many of the other passengers.
Notes
I had long wanted to go to Antarctica.
The allure had to do with remoteness, seventh continent,
tales from my parents and others about the beauty and photogenic nature of the environment,
penguins and other wildlife, and the general caché of going to a place that is visited by relatively few people.
I can date my interest back at least 10 years as I had been planning to see 7 by 50.
In anticipation of going to Antarctica, I first set up my Antarctica web page in 2006, after visiting Patagonia. There was a single picture of a sign.
As part of my long term plan, I began to read a great deal on Antarctica. This only increased my desire to go.
I even taught a turorial on Chilean Antarctica when I was in Stanford-in-Santiago in 2010.
Despite all that, my recent plans to go to Antarctic where made very much at the last minute, on impulse.
There was a lot of scrambling involved to reserve the ship, the flights, the hotels, and make various payments including the Argentine "reciprocity fee."
Aerolineas almost thwarted the whole endeavor by cancelling our flight from BA to Ushuaia.
We lost a full day but made it there with hours to spare. At the risk of continuing a long stretch of sleeplessness, we even took the opportunity to visit the national park.
We boarded the Plancius in Ushuaia on the afternoon of December 20 and disembarked on December 31, 2014.
In each direction, it took two days to cross the dreaded Drake passage.
On the way to the Antarctic peninsula, the waves where breaking over the bridge which was on the seventh deck of the ship.
From an aesthetic standpoint, Antarctica certainly delivered.
Some of the highlights are noted in my list, above.
Antarctica itinerary - December 20 - 31, 2013 (under construction)
December 20, 2013 Friday
- Arrive Ushuaia in early morning
- Board Plancius around 4 pm
- Muster drill
- Dinner
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December 21, 2013 Saturday
- Drake passage - very rough seas - waves breaking over the bridge on deck 7
- Lots of sea birds, cape petrels predominate
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December 22, 2013 Sunday
- Drake passage
- Procedure meetings
- Distribution of boots
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December 23, 2013 Monday
- Danco Island - first landing
- Lunch
- Zodiac cruise - Paradise Bay
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December 24, 2013 Tuesday
- Landing at Useful Island
- Lunch
- Zodiac cruise Foyn Harbour
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December 25, 2013 Wednesday
- Pleneau Island
- Lunch
- Port Charcot / Booth Island - Adélie penguins
- Christmas dinner
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December 26, 2013 Thursday
- Landing at Cuverville Island
- Lunch
- Landing at Dorian Bay
- "Antarctic Dinner" - barbeque
- Photograph skua that landed on deck
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December 27, 2013 Friday
- Port Lockroy - museum and store
- Jouglas Point - blue eyed shags
- Lunch
- Landing at Neko Harbour
- Start heading North again
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December 28, 2013 Saturday
- Landing Whalers Bay, Deception Island - chinstraps, gentoos, Weddell seals, skuas, ruins
- Polar plunge
- Lunch
- Last landing at Halfmoon Island
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December 29, 2013 Sunday
- Drake Passage - heading north
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December 30, 2013 Monday
- Drake Passage - heading north
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December 31, 2013 Tuesday
- Arrive Ushuaia in early morning
- Disembark around 8:15 am
- Courtesy van to airport - checked in and dropped off bags
Related pages - species
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penguins
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chinstrap
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gentoo penguin
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whales
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seals
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cormorants
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albatross
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krill
Related pages - places
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Buenos Aires, 2006
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Buenos Aires, 2013
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Ushuaia, 2013
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Patagonia
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Florida 2013 (en route to Antarctica)
Related pages - thematic
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Facebook group
-->With thanks to Kyler for being my traveling companion!
And for putting up with my disorganization, clutter, and panic.
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Last modified: July 20, 2023
Contact: siegelr@stanford.edu
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