‘PENGUINS, PETRELS and HUMPY SOUP’ a voyage from mainland Chile to the Antarctic Peninsula, via The Falklands.
- jeff0198
- Jul 23
- 17 min read
PART TWO; ICE, PINGWINGS AND HUMPY SOUP!
With Anno Brandreth and Mikey Bailey
CRUISING BY ANTARCTIC PENINSULA
ANTARCTICA
This vast stretch of land, ice and sea is an example of nature at its most spectacular. The Antarctic Peninsula offers breathtaking natural beauty in one of the world’s most remarkable regions and is home to penguins and many species of whale, who are drawn here by the high volume of krill available. The closest land to the Peninsula is Ushuaia, some 700 miles away.
27th February Elephant Island
Elephant Island, an ice-covered mountainous island in the outer South Shetland Islands, lies about 240 km (150 miles) off the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Named after the elephant seals sighted by its 1821 discoverers, it gained notoriety as the harrowing refuge for Sir Ernest Shackleton’s stranded Endurance crew in 1916.
In August 1914, Shackleton and twenty-seven men embarked on the Endurance bound for the Weddell Sea. However, they became trapped in the ice and, months later, abandoned their ship when it flooded and sank. As the ice finally melted, they navigated to Elephant Island in their lifeboats. Stranded upon arrival, Shackleton’s resolve to save his crew remained unshaken. He and five men took a lifeboat and finally landed on South Georgia Island on May 10. There, Shackleton and his two strongest men walked over treacherous mountains to reach a whaling station. From there, they successfully rescued the three other men on the island’s other side. Finally, on August 30, 1916, Shackleton’s rescue ship, the Yelcho commanded by Luis Pardo, arrived at Elephant Island, ensuring the survival of his entire crew.
The island’s namesake, the formidable elephant seals, are totally unique. Their large hanging noses resemble elephant trunks, and they are renowned for their loud, roaring noises, especially during mating season. However, do not let their cuteness deceive you; when giant males engage in fights for mates, things can become quite fierce.
Seals, renowned for their beautiful fur coats and oily blubber, were hunted extensively in the late 18th and 19th centuries. This led to much of the early Antarctic exploration. Today, seals are protected and thrive in Antarctica. With few predators aside from the occasional killer whale, seals are surprisingly relaxed around humans and often more curious than anything else. Observing seals up close on an Antarctic cruise is a real delight.
Six seal species inhabit Antarctic waters: Ross, Weddell, Crabeater, Leopard, Fur and Elephant seals. Fur Seals are the smallest, with adult females weighing just 150 kg, while male Elephant Seals can weigh a whopping 4000 kg.
Four of these species are ice-habitat specialists, breeding on sea ice in spring. Leopard and
Ross seals tend to be solitary, while Weddell and Crabeater seals form breeding groups or colonies.
The other two species – Antarctic and sub-Antarctic Fur Seals, and Southern Elephant Seals – are found north of the pack ice zone and breed in dense colonies on beaches.
Today was a big day in terms of Fin Whales with over 50 encounters!
The second-largest animal on Earth is a streamlined, fast-swimming baleen whale that can reach lengths of up to 26 metres. During the austral summer, these magnificent creatures migrate to the nutrient-rich icy waters of Antarctica to feed almost exclusively on massive swarms of krill.
Key characteristics and behaviour include their size and speed. Weighing over 80 tonnes, they’re second only to the blue whale. Their sleek shape and “greyhound of the sea” nickname allow them to swim at sustained speeds of 18-25 mph and burst up to 30 mph.
As lunge feeders, they can consume up to 2.8 tonnes of krill a day. Often rolling on their right side, they scoop up large amounts of water and prey before filtering the krill through their baleen.
They communicate using extremely loud low-frequency sounds that can travel hundreds of miles underwater.
We also encountered a few Humpbacks and a further 3 Southern Rights and a passenger reported a Blue, which unfortunately occurred during our absence from the deck to give a talk – typical!
Another day, another Penguin species – and this one is a cracker – Chinstrap, in colonies roughly estimated at 100,000 birds observed (not counted!)
Chinstrap penguins are a member of the brush-tailed penguin family and are closely related to Adélie and Gentoo penguins. The best time to witness Chinstrap colonies at their peak is during the Antarctic summer from November to February. This is when they’re busy breeding, feeding their chicks and showcasing their impressive climbing and sliding skills in sprawling noisy colonies.
Chinstraps construct simple nests from stones, often engaging in fierce competition to secure the best pebbles. Both parents share incubation duties for two eggs before switching to feeding their chicks. Their breeding season is packed with chaos and feisty squabbles.
Observing Chinstrap Penguins in the wild offers a captivating glimpse into one of Antarctica’s most energetic species. Their agility on steep rocky slopes, distinctive vocal calls and lively social interactions make them likely contenders for your new favourite animal. Experiencing them in their natural habitat deepens your appreciation for the intricate social structures that enable their survival in such a challenging environment.
But it wasn’t only flightless birds that joined us on this day, we saw at least 5 Grey-headed Albatross.
Solitary Grey-headed Albatrosses can travel up to 13,000km in search of food and spend most of their lives at sea. Living an average of 35 years, there are approximately 250,000 left, according to Red List data.
Beyond their majestic presence, the Grey-headed Albatross holds a world record. In 2003, they were named the fastest horizontal fliers by the Guinness Book of Records. With a wingspan of 2.2m, they can reach speeds of up to 127km per hour and circumnavigate the globe in just over a month.
Despite spending most of their lives at sea, Grey-headed Albatross return to land to breed. They construct cone-shaped nests from mud and grass on slopes or cliffs, preparing for the single egg laid by the female each October. Mum and dad take turns incubating the egg, though the male usually does most of the work. After hatching, chicks spend four and a half months on land before taking flight and spending their first six to seven years at sea. When they finally return to land, they return to the same colony they were born in.
Scientists monitor the population during mating season but the outlook for this remarkable bird is concerning. South Georgia, an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, serves as the largest breeding ground for grey-headed albatrosses. However, the breeding population there has suffered a catastrophic decline.
Rising sea-surface temperatures have led to food shortages, suggesting that periodic temperature extremes are at least a contributing factor. Climate change has also resulted in more extreme weather in the region, including high winds that can be fatal to young chicks.
Smaller but no less spectacular was the first encounters for the cruise with Antarctic Prion.
Antarctic Prion, also known as Dove Prions, are highly adapted marine birds of the Southern Ocean. They employ a unique feeding style known as hydroplaning—skimming the water surface with wide wings and submerged bills to filter-feed on krill, using specialized comb-like structures in their mouths.
They are the largest of the prions. They measure about 27-28 cm in length, boast a 61-66 cm wingspan, and weigh 150-160 grams, featuring blue-grey upperparts and white underparts, a striking dark "M" pattern across their back and wingtips, and a wedge-shaped tail with a black tip.
The Greek word prion means "a saw," referring to the serrated, filter-like edges of their bills.
Antarctic prions breed in large, noisy colonies on subantarctic islands (like South Georgia and Macquarie Island). To avoid predators like skuas and gulls, they are largely nocturnal at their colonies and nest in deep, rocky cavities or burrows. Due to their massive range and population, they are evaluated as Least Concern. However, localized colonies face threats from introduced predators like feral cats and rats.
Giant Petrel complex and the White Nellie.
The most obvious big bird throughout the cruise with a face only a mother could love – I was still getting asked what they were in the Beagle Channel!
Stinkers, Southern Giant Petrels AKA Antarctic Giant Petrel, this large seabird can grow up to 40 inches and boast a wingspan exceeding six feet. Southern colonies are larger than their northern counterparts following. Two colour morphs are observed: the darker one has a grey-brown body speckled with chest markings while the lighter one is almost entirely white. Breeding occurs on the Antarctic mainland and subantarctic islands, favouring ice-free rocky bluffs and plateau edges. Large populations are found on the Falkland Islands, South Shetland and Macquarie Island with the breeding season commencing in October. In flight, their hunch-backed appearance sets them apart from all other similar sized birds.
Outside of the breeding season, Southern giant petrels prefer to stay alone; however, around good feeding areas, they may gather in groups and fish together. These birds feed during the day in coastal and pelagic waters where they often follow fishing boats and cruise ships. They are extremely aggressive predators and will kill other seabirds (usually penguin chicks, sick or injured adult penguins, and the chicks of other seabirds). They have even been seen with prey items, holding them underwater and drowning them. Southern Giant Petrels have been observed even drowning Yellow-nosed and Black-browed Albatrosses.
We were lucky enough to see two examples of the white morph individuals known as the ‘White Nellie’
South Shetland
The South Shetland Islands, an Antarctic archipelago stretching 540 kilometres, lie 120 kilometres north of the Antarctic Peninsula across the Bransfield Strait. Often the first stop for expeditions crossing the Drake Passage, these glaciated and wildlife-rich islands boast the most diverse and accessible biological region in Antarctica.
Deception Island, an active horseshoe-shaped volcanic caldera, offers visitors a chance to explore abandoned whaling stations at Whalers Bay.
28th February Wilhelmina Bay, nestled on the west coast of Graham Land along the Antarctic Peninsula, is renowned for its dramatic ice cliffs and abundant humpback whale population. Dubbed “Whale-Mania Bay,” this nutrient-rich inlet is a top destination for wildlife enthusiasts and scenic Zodiac cruises.
Humpback Whales: The bay’s tranquil, krill-laden waters draw dozens of Humpback Whales, offering a chance for close encounters with these majestic creatures.
Humpbacks are the best value to our teams in terms of truly spectacular, boisterous individuals who are not shy and can be very demonstrative – if a whale passes by and waves a large white pectoral fin in your direction – it’s probably a Humpy!
As I said in my talk, they can fit in 5 elephants within their vast bulk but are surprisingly acrobatic – and it was wonderful to hear passengers pick up on my description of the bay being like a large bowl of soup covered in Humpbacks – hence Humpy Soup!
As we slowly navigated around the bay it was obvious that every inlet for miles around had around 6/7 feeding Humpies and we stopped counting at around the 256th individual in mid-morning!
Humpback Whale’s journey to Antarctica during the austral summer (December to March) to feast almost exclusively on massive swarms of Antarctic krill. This peak feeding season sees an estimated 3,000 humpbacks congregating in hotspots like the West Antarctic Peninsula before embarking on a long migration to warmer tropical breeding grounds.
Summer Feeding Habits
In Antarctica, Humpback Whales are “gulp feeders” consuming up to 1.5 tonnes of krill daily. Wilhelmina Bay and the broader Antarctic Peninsula are prime viewing locations for these acrobatic marine mammals.
Spectacular displays like breaching, flipper-slapping and cooperative bubble-net feeding are common, and we were lucky enough to observe a female teaching her calf to use this technique.
While summering in the Southern Ocean, their diet consists of Euphausia superba (Antarctic krill) which helps build up the blubber reserves needed for their lengthy northern migration.
A handful of Antarctic Minke Whales were also present with at least 3 allowing identification.
Dramatic Scenery: The area is framed by awe-inspiring snow-capped glacial ice walls scattered with icebergs and crowned by a towering pyramid-shaped peak.
Wilsons Petrels were present throughout the day, with over 150 plus counted, one of the world’s hardiest seabirds, at home in the stormy Antarctic as well as the North Atlantic. Barely bigger than swallows, these small, deep brown birds with white tail coverts flutter and glide across oceans in search of plankton. They orient into the wind, patter their feet on the surface, and seize tiny prey with the bill. They often feed around baleen whales, which carry plankton to the surface as they forage.
Wilson's Storm-Petrel is one of the widest-ranging of all seabirds. It breeds as far south as Antarctica but regularly travels to all the world's oceans except the North Pacific and Arctic.
Storm-petrels impressed early mariners by their ability to survive far out to sea. The name “petrel” derives from Peter’s walk on water (however brief) in the Gospel of Matthew in the Christian Bible—a reference to the storm-petrel’s tendency to patter its feet on the water as it forages. In New England and Newfoundland, fishermen still refer to storm-petrels as “Mother Carey’s chickens,” a reference to ‘mater caritas’, the Virgin Mary.
Not all birds can be described as ‘pretty’ and our next species would give the ‘Stinkers’ a run for their money in the attractiveness stakes!
The "Antarctic shit chicken" is the affectionate (and accurate) nickname given to the Snowy Sheathbill (Chionis albus) by researchers and explorers. This cheeky, chicken-sized scavenger earned its reputation by happily eating anything in a penguin colony, including carrion, regurgitated krill, and faeces. It is the only bird species endemic to the Antarctic region that doesn't have webbed feet, relying entirely on walking rather than swimming.
Along with eating poo and dead animal parts, they are kleptoparasites that will literally steal food right out of a penguin's beak.
Famously fearless and will casually wander into research camps, ride on Zodiac boats, and even hitch rides on passing ships, and this was verified via fellow passenger John Marshal who took the following shot early morning on Borealis!
A much more desirable and pretty bird is the elusive Snow Petrel. Named after its snowy white plumage, this small petrel easily blends in with its surrounding environment, despite its dark eyes and blue-grey feet. It is one of only three species of birds that have been found at the South Pole and prefers to spend its time perched on icebergs and floes. In flight, snow petrels have an erratic pattern and tend to stay quite distant from the ship – hence my truly disastrous ‘record shot’ below!
Aside from breeding on the Antarctic continent, snow petrel colonies have been found in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, with nests created in shallow depressions lined with pebbles. A single egg is laid from late November to early December, with partners faithful to one another throughout their lifetime. But in this extreme landscape even the prettiest birds have a dark side - in addition to feeding on fish and krill, snow petrels are known to feast on dead seals and whale carcasses.
1st March Port Lockroy, a natural harbour and historic British research station (Base A), is situated on the tiny Goudier Island off the Antarctic Peninsula. Established in 1944, it’s most famous for its “Penguin Post Office” – the world’s southernmost operational post office – which processes approximately 70,000 letters annually. This site attracts numerous Antarctic expedition cruise ships and is managed by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT). As a “living museum,” it transports visitors back to the 1940s and 1950s. The island itself boasts a large colony of breeding Gentoo Penguins, and we recorded around 15,000 on this day.
Penguins are highly social birds, relying on complex group behaviours to improve survival and breeding success. They form large colonies, sometimes numbering in the tens of thousands, where huddling helps conserve heat during harsh Antarctic conditions.
Research shows that larger groups can reduce mortality by improving collective vigilance against predators. Synchronized breeding also helps colonies time reproduction more effectively, increasing the chances of chick survival.
Chinstrap Penguin research has recently shown to be an important biological source of trace elements such as iron to the Antarctic waters, contributing to the Southern Ocean upper layer fertilization, and this can be observed as we made our way through the peninsula – the greens and pink staining was often a prompt to get ready for action as the runoff dynamics of guano into the ocean directly and indirectly impact the entire Antarctic food web, from primary producers to predators.
This was brought home to us as a handful of passengers encountered an adult Leopard Seal in the water, with its serpentine leering grin as it quartered the surf for prey.
A small count of Antarctic Petrel were encountered, Antarctic Petrels, which live and breed in the Southern Ocean, are often seen soaring high above the continent’s icebergs or perched in large flocks on ridges. Their distinctive features include a brown head, neck and back, white wings and a tail tipped with brown-black feathers. These petrels boast a wingspan of up to 43 inches and weigh around 24 ounces.
Mostly found in the Ross and Weddell Seas, Antarctic petrels hunt for krill, fish and squid by diving from both the surface and the air. While they prefer coastal cliffs and rocky islands for nesting, they’ve also been spotted roosting inland. Breeding occurs between October and November with their eggs hatching during the height of summer.
60 plus Southern Fulmars surrounded the deck throughout the sailing today.
Also known as the Antarctic or silver-grey fulmar, this bird breeds in large colonies along the Antarctic coast and peninsula. Adults typically measure 46–50 cm in length and have a wingspan of 1.1 to 1.2 metres.
Appearance-wise, they’re pale grey above and white below with a distinctive white flash on their wings and a pink bill tipped with black.
Breeding occurs on steep rocky coastal cliffs and islands like the South Sandwich, South Orkney and South Shetland. Adults return in October, lay a single egg in November or December and raise chicks that fledge by March or April.
Opportunistic foragers, they feed by picking krill, small fish and carrion directly from the water’s surface. Their behaviour is renowned for their stiff low-gliding flight over waves. They’re also known to trail expedition cruise ships alongside Cape Petrels to scavenge, and what a thrill to watch them at the stern as the day ended.
2nd March Drakes Passage
The 550-nautical-mile (800 km) Drake Passage separates Cape Horn in South America from the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It serves as the primary maritime gateway to the continent and is renowned for its formidable Antarctic Circumpolar Current and unpredictable seas. Crossing takes approximately 48 hours.
Geographically and physically, the passage is uniquely treacherous. It’s the only place on Earth where water circles the globe without colliding with land. This allows the Antarctic Circumpolar Current to transport an estimated 100 to 150 million cubic metres of water per second—more than all the rivers on Earth combined. The passage funnels this immense volume of water and wind into a narrow gap, creating massive ocean swells and chaotic, intersecting waves.Sailors and expedition cruisers divide the crossing into two distinct extremes, though you can’t choose which you’ll encounter:
- Drake Lake: When weather systems align favourably, the passage can be remarkably calm. Small swells and soft winds create a smooth 2-day sailing experience.
- Drake Shake: When winds combine to produce waves of 8 metres (26 feet) or more, the crossing becomes an intense, rolling motion that tests the balance of even well-stabilised expedition ships.
Despite its fearsome reputation, modern expedition cruising has made the crossing much safer. Most ships utilise advanced stabiliser fins, ice-reinforced hulls and real-time weather tracking to navigate around the most severe storm systems.
Eight Humpies today, and a number of seabirds, but the highlight was probably the 4 ‘beakies ‘seen – Southern Bottlenosed Whales, unfortunately too swift to get shots.
Despite being the most sighted species of beaked whale in the Antarctic, the southern bottlenose whale is one of the least well-studied species in the family Ziphiidae, a large, robust beaked whale. It has a bulbous melon head, which becomes larger as the males age. The forehead is steep, and the stubby beak is well defined looking like the beak of several dolphin species. Two small conical teeth erupt at the tip of the lower jaw in males although these are not always seen outside of the jaw. The body is pale tan or olive brown in colour with extensive scarring, especially on older males and whitish spots on the belly and flanks are likely to be scars resulting from the bite of cookie cutter sharks. As with other species of beaked whale, they have 'flipper pockets' for when they dive, and a small, pointed, triangular or falcate dorsal fin set well back on the body, at the ‘hip’ joint. Squid eaters and elusive, this was another great record for the trip.
In terms of records, it is worth mentioning that although we were having a fantastic voyage and sharing quality times and banter with passengers, deep down we were rather concerned with two thoughts that we couldn’t get away from –
· It was too hot
· There weren’t as many ‘things’ ie biodiversity issues
Let me expand -I spent an absolute fortune on ‘cold weather gear’ probably because I read a book about some dude in an Emperor Penguin colony in minus 40!!! But throughout the trip I was astounded by the temperature on deck six and how comfortable it was – no balaclava, no hand warmers etc, very strange! A quick conversation with a mate back home – erstwhile Blackpool lad and fellow OWE bod Dave Mc confirmed my suspicions -we were within a period of extreme sea temperatures – see image below –
We had discussed the scarcity of seabirds further South, previous trips undertaken had showed a lot more Albatross and Petrel species – even ‘our’ Great and Sooty Shears didn’t seem to be in the numbers we would expect.
It was especially noticeable in the lack of Alberts – although my favourites – in the form of Light-mantled Sooty put in several appearances – more of which below – but on the whole one to watch and slightly disappointing.
Did somebody mention Light-mantled Sooty Albatross – oh go on then!
Light-mantled Albatrosses have a dark grey head and a light grey body. They have a distinctive white crescent surrounding most of the eye. With a wingspan of approximately 2.2m, this makes them one of the smaller albatrosses in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic. Occurring in the maritime Antarctic at 62°S to breed on King George Island.
Except when breeding, its habitat is entirely marine, and it will forage from the edges of the Antarctic pack-ice to about 40°S. When foraging during the breeding season, the birds will remain closer to their nest sites. The principal diet of light-mantled albatrosses consists of squid and krill, though other crustaceans and fish are taken as well as seal, penguin and petrel carrion. They sometimes feed in association with pilot whales and southern right whale dolphins and occasionally follow ships. To me they are the most beautiful of all, I have been lucky to see them previously on another trip along the South American coast and I can never tire of seeing this magnificent seabird.
A late edition on the day was this Southern Royal Albatross.
Cape Horn
Cape Horn, a rocky headland on Hornos Island in southern Chile’s Tierra del Fuego archipelago, overlooks wild seas off the southern tip of South America where the Pacific and Atlantic meet. The albatross-shaped Cape Horn Monument commemorates the thousands of seafarers who perished attempting the perilous journey around the cape. Nearby, a secluded lighthouse and the tiny Stella-Maris Chapel offer further historical insight.
And as we get closer to land, we are greeted by an old friend – 20,000 plus Sooty Shearwaters!
One of the most widespread and numerous of all pelagic seabirds, the Sooty Shearwater is an unassuming, dark brown bird with stunning silvery flashes in the underwing. With stiff wingbeats, flying low over the ocean ("shearing" the water), using wind power to glide long distances. They often pursue prey deep underwater, flapping their wings for power. Sooty Shearwaters nest in the Southern Hemisphere and migrate in vast numbers to the Northern Hemisphere, tracing a figure-8 journey that covers about 40,000 miles in a single year.
Meanwhile on the Starboard side of deck 3 we were treated to around 30 tail slams from a Humpback!
And Imperial Cormorants telling us that land is ahead!
3rd March Beagle Channel
And so, to the last day spent with Mikey and a lot of new friends, rising early, fully breakfasted and on into the Beagle Channel, a 150-mile (240 km) strait in Tierra del Fuego, connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans at the southern tip of South America. It serves as a natural border between Argentina and Chile and is named after the HMS Beagle. The channel is famous for hosting Charles Darwin’s scientific expeditions in the 1830s.
It wasn’t long until the first cry went up at the stern – Humpback!!!
The first of 15 throughout the day.
200 plus Black-browed Albatross and 100’s of Giant Petrels – for me this was now familiar territory having done the Beagle a number of times including my first trip aboard Boudicca in 2017.
Lots of Chilean and Brown Skua and a search to find a Magellanic Diving Petrel in amongst the Magellanic Penguins for Mikey to tick off on his list, ably assisted by Margaret and Steve.
Tricky things to photograph but here’s one I prepared earlier in true Blue Peter fashion!
Wild and windy on the front of six – I even had to hold down Steph our onboard Soprano who had underestimated the weather and sensible footwear options!
So finally, I got sight of the bird I wanted to see last on the trip as I knew we were in ‘El Condor Pasa’ – a couple of false alarms with early bird Turkey Vultures
- and then the one we all wanted to see – the magnificent Andean Condor graced us with their presence – what a stunning end to a stunning trip!
As usual I would like to thank the following for sharing our experiences and looking after us – the staff of Fred Olsen and Borealis, passengers who shared the experience and bonded over laughs and facts, my mate Mikey who I met for the first time in Manchester Airport – when he offered me a chip from his Burger snack – good start! his enthusiasm and knowledge was a great asset to our shared experience as we explored the vastness of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Thanks to all who contributed images and a shout out to the OWE Team Members who supplied photographs - please let me know if any have been misidentified or don't carry the correct credits
Anno was sponsored by 0.5 Ghost Ship Ale, Thom Kha Gai soup, Marmite, Classic Rock and Eddie and Lynne’s secret Estee Lauder 'Sensuous'
Great write up a memorable couple of week, in perfect company - so knowledgeable, with that northern humour! Can’t wait until S2801, when many will just have to do it all again!