Garibaldi Glacier, Chilean Fjords. . . . . . . . .

Garibaldi Fjord, Chile

March 10, 2018

58F Cloudy skies with scattered showers 

One of Chile's newest and largest national parks, Parque Nacional

 Alberto de Agostini (5,600 sq. miles), is also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

 because of its swathes of distinct ecosystems and special landscapes. 

Centerpiece of the park is the Cordillera Darwin, whose slopes drop precipitously

 into the sea. Valleys not filled by the sea are covered by glaciers which also

 occupy small high plateaus.

The Garibaldi Fjord is a narrow passage in the Chilean Fjord system strewn

 with floating ice of all shapes and sizes. Ribbons of waterfalls snake down

 the steep mountainsides and a rich ecosystem of plants and wildlife has evolved. 

Early mornings on board an expedition ship usually mean late nights are

 out of the question! One needs to be up, preferably at dawn, on deck to

 experience the exciting arrival to a place where you'll soon be experiencing

 nature from water level once the Zodiac boats start loading.  

This Zodiac cruise was Bob's first ever! He was a little nervous but soon got the

 routine down pat and, like everyone who experiences these amazing boats, 

enjoyed being able to get to special places otherwise unapproachable from larger

 cruise ships.

 Here the Garibaldi Glacier tumbles into the sea. . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . Bob with our dear friends Kim and Rob and one of the larger icebergs we passed,

 and by then the weather had taken a turn for the worse, sea began to get a bit choppy.

Sea ice and kelp.

 

Bob braving the elements on his first Zodiac ride. . . . . . . just another 700 miles

 south and he would have made Antarctica!!!

Returning to the Hebridean Sky after an hour long cruise. . . . . . the always 

waiting hot drink and warm towel was welcome.

Next time: those adorable birds we all seem to love so much, penguins.

You don't have to go all the way to Antarctica to see them!

Sailing to Chile. . . . . . . . .

Cape Horn, Chile

March 9, 2018

51F Cloudy, rain possible

Our embarkation on the Noble Caledonia "Hebridean Sky" went very smoothly with luggage awaiting in a spacious cabin maintained by Ms. Andy, who kept us neat and tidy and replenished the tissue boxes often when I came down with the beastly cold! After the welcome briefing, usual lifeboat drill and Zodiac briefing, we set sail for Puerto Williams where we anchored for clearance into CHILE and took our two Chilean Pilots on-board---they stayed with us the entire voyage to keep us safe. After formalities were completed we continued towards Cape Horn.

"The evening was calm and bright, and we enjoyed a fine view of the surrounding isles. Cape Horn however demanded his tribute, and before night sent us a gale of wind directly in our teeth. We stood out to sea, and on the second day again made the land, when we saw on our weather-bow this notorious promontory in its proper form - veiled in mist, and its dim outline surrounded by a storm of wind and water."

Charles Darwin's journal description of Cape Horn

Charles Darwin, in The Voyage of the Beagle, a journal of the five-year expedition upon which he based The Origin of Species, described his 1832 encounter with the Horn.

Early morning arrival - thankfully a beautiful day with quite calm sea and sunshine - how lucky we were.

The cape lies within Chilean territorial waters, and the Chilean Navy maintains a station on Horn Island, consisting of a residence, utility building, chapel, and lighthouse. A short distance from the main station is a memorial, including a large sculpture by Chilean sculptor José Balcells featuring the silhouette of an albatross, in remembrance of the sailors who died while attempting to "round the Horn". It was erected in 1992 through the initiative of the Chilean Section of the Cape Horn Captains Brotherhood.The terrain is entirely treeless, although quite lush owing to frequent precipitation. 

On arrival off Cape Horn, our Captain, in cooperation with the Chilean Pilots and 

our expedition leader Jane, assessed weather and sea conditions for Zodiac landings.

Above shows expedition team members heading ashore to determine all is OK

 for a safe landing. . . . . . . the beautiful Albatross memorial visible on the hill. . . . . . 

. . . . . and preparing for the 167 stair climb up the cliff!

View as we climbed the stairs, the ship at anchor, water quite flat, and a beautiful sunny morning to explore.

More steps to the memorial. . . . . . . 

We met the Chilean lighthouse keeper and his wife - the children were studying.

When asked if the children liked living there he told us they have already requested he 

sign on for another 2 year posting when this one is completed!

- The Chapel -

This first stop on our expedition voyage to the Chilean fjords  was going to be

 hard to beat - such a pleasant day as the strong winds and 

big sea swells stayed away. . . . . . 

. . . . . and we sailed away to dress up a bit for the Captain's Welcome Cocktail Party

 followed by an excellent Welcome Dinner.

Next day we would be cruising through the majestic sea, ice and landscape of 

Garibaldi Fjord.