Orcadas

The wind and sea were favorable for a landing at Orcadas research station. This was the 1st research station established in Antarctica and the longest in operation. Last night we found out that it was founded by a Scot in 1903, William Spiers Bruce. Bruce was an intelligent and serious researcher. He didn't have the press appeal of Scott or Shackleton and he didn't have exciting survival tales as he had foresight to plan appropriately for the polar climate. He skied and trained his men to ski. The other explorers tended to rely on dog sleds and in Scott's case, ponies. Bruce's expedition clothing was based on what the Inuit wear instead of the canvas and gabardine that the other explorers sported. His men didn't suffer from scurvy as they brought the right food. Shackleton himself almost perished from scurvy.

Bruce didn't have much support from the Royal Geolographical Society. The president was backing Scott's bid for the south pole and didn't want Bruce to detract attention from it. So Bruce arranged private funding for his Scottish National Expedition and established the base on Laurie Island in the South Orkneys. While they were iced in over the winter they conducted field work. When they freed their ship from the ice in the spring, Bruce sailed north to Buenos Aires while a few scientists remained behind to monitor the penguin colonies. Since he didn't have the support of the Brits, he persuded the Argentines to maintain the station. They agreed and continue to do so today.

The researchers were very welcoming and gave us a tour of the site including a very nice little museum in one of the original buildings as well as the very forlorn looking graveyard.

They had coffee and cookies for us in their recreation room complete with souvenirs and postcards laid out on the pool table for consideration. We all had our passports stamped since we were technically in another country - more for a souvenir than anything else. I took some time wandering around the site photographing some of the many penguin carcasses and skeletons.

I found some cute little plump Adelie penguins by the shore and parked myself on the gravel watching them until the inevitable camera tripod got plunked down infront of me. It's hard to resist sticking out my foot to trip the offending tripod operator. However just then the ship's horn sounded calling us back to the landing as the wind was on the rise.

We are underway now, surrounded by icebergs - they really are spectacular sculptures. Tomorrow is another day "at sea" I beleive. Fingers are crossed for calm seas for landing at Deception Island the day after.

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