Rhod Lloyd our antipodean correspondent, formerly of North Wales sent us a cracking tale of his visit to The Southern Ocean, spread across several emails here is a composite of it, I've not quite included all the amazing photos and might have slotted some into the wrong order but it's well worth settling down with a brew and reading it!
Thanks Rhod!
The Great Southern Ocean
We had been instructed to meet at the Kelvin Hotel Invercargill ( five minutes walk from my hotel) at midday for a briefing and for a coach to Bluff where our ship was waiting, we were a right old mixed bunch, mostly retired, but also five under 30 and the rest between. I think the eldest was 74. Our luggage was all organised with our cabin number chalked on the outside of each piece, and then on to the bus for a 20 minute ride to the port. We had been warned that passports or other photo ID was required before boarding and this was done by the port security, and so to our ship PROFESSOR ZHROMOV (sorry I cannot get the Cyrillic alphabet to print on here, see the photo) otherwise known as "The Spirit of Enderby".
She is a Russian registered KM ice class (ice strengthened as she does trips to Antarctica and as far as Wrangel Island in the East Siberia sea), 72 meters long, 12 Knts on 2 engines or 10 on one which is how they usually run it, and caters for 50 passengers in suites, singles, doubles and Quads with the best on the upper deck (5) below the bridge. I was sharing in a 2 berth with Rex a retired civil servant, we were probably put together as we had both requested a non snoring companion. The 2 low bunks were aligned across the ship, so less chance of being thrown out, with plenty of cupboard and storage space, and a hand basin, shared shower and toilets across the gangway.
Apart from crew quarters, the engine room and the Bridge when anchoring or with the pilot, we had free run of the ship, and as long as we did not stand in front of the helm we were welcome on the bridge, a great place to watch in wild weather.. Over the bridge, an open viewing platform open to the weather and apart from a fence around the outside not much to hang onto, good people watching as the brave timed the rolls for a dash across. We sailed at 2-30pm and as a nasty cold front was due that evening we were glad to be in the shelter of Stewart Island on our way to the first stop The Snares Islands.
After we had left harbour Rex and I sorted our gear in the cabin and tried to get used to the layout of the ship, The library/bar/cafeteria area was a good place to meet fellow passengers one level up from us with tea, coffee and biscuits always available. After the evening meal, our tour leader advised us to come to the bridge to see some wild weather.
There was 60Knts plus blowing from over Stewart Island, ripping the wave tops into the air.
Great to look at but very glad we were in shelter.
The ship stayed in shelter until the cold front passed and at 2-30 am headed out towards the Snares
A bit of a rough night, with weight alternately on head and feet, but with the help of 2 sea sick pills I actually slept a few hours. After breakfast I was out on the upper deck watching as we arrived at the Snares Islands, 2 large Islands and a number of outlying rocks all with a total area of 330 Ha. They are said to have more nesting seabirds than the whole of the British Isles. Penguins, Albatross, and millions of Shearwaters, Petrels and Prions that nest in excavated burrows which honeycomb the islands under the tangled scrub cover of tree daisies.
There are no introduced predators there, and the only landings allowed are scientists monitoring the wild life.
It was still blowing hard, but Don the expedition leader thought the shelter of the island would allow us to get into the Zodiacs for a closer look.
The Captain put the ship as close as possible to the island and we all kitted ourselves with warm waterproof gear and the first zodiac was lowered on the lee side with Rodney Russ the Heritage Expeditions owner at the helm. I was at about the middle of the line waiting to board.
For safety reasons we had all been given a number on a black metal disc which hung on a board near the disembarking door, whenever we left the ship you had to turn the disc over to a red side, and turn it back when you returned. Someone remembered they had not turned their disc which reminded me---. By the time we returned we were at the back of the queue, and one zodiac had boarded and another was loading from the steep gangway which at times ducked its platform into the sea and then was 4 feet above the side of the zodiac. When 10 were on this one Rodney who had been supervising from an empty boat directed the captain to take the ship back inshore, the wind had pushed us a kilometre out to sea. Now we all had seen how things went the last 3 boats loaded quickly, and luckily I was on Rodney's one, only 8 of us as sea sickness still held some back. The zodiacs were held against the gangway by 2 crew holding ropes and to get on or off they held you in a 2 handed hand to wrist grip and said when to step onto the side of the boat then sit down quickly on the inflated side.
And so our first close up sight of the main island as we followed the other 4 boats into a small rocky cove with a group of 18 inch Snares crested penguins swimming in the middle, suddenly they all took off for the rocks porpoising out of the water, then joining many others on the rocks, occasionally a leopard seal or sea lion will take one which explains the mad dash.
Every bay and inlet had its hundreds of penguins in the water or on the rocks making their way to nests high inland while all around us birds of all sizes from albatross with 9 foot wingspan to fairy prions not much larger than a slim sparrow whirled around us, with the occasional seal asleep on the rocks or looking out from the kelp that lined the coast.
Rodney who knew the coast well took us through some narrow gaps with swells surging through, quiet scrub lined inlets and in to caves and passages in the cliffs, and always an inquisitive seal or two watching. The most impressive place was a steep rock face "penguin slide" with lines of birds going up to nests and coming down, their claws seem to keep them safe on rocks.
And so, back to the ship after a truly fantastic expedition, turned my tag over and down to lunch while still in the shelter of the islands.
We then headed for the Auckland Islands, Enderby Island being the third largest and with the northern end of the main island makes Port Ross a protected anchorage and breeding ground for Southern Right whales, (The right whales to hunt as they floated when dead and gave whale bone for corsets and more blubber for oil than other species)
An advert from Invercargil museum for corsets, well worth a closer look
We were due at Port Ross early the following morning, so the afternoon was spent in the lecture theatre for a talk on going ashore where there are strict biosecurity measures, any outside clothing, socks, boots, backpacks, camera cases or walking poles had to be minutely examined for seeds or soil, and checked by the leaders or a Department of Conservation ranger who accompanied all landings.
We also had a talk about interacting with the wildlife, basically stay at least 10 m away from anything and if they appear agitated back off. Now this was fine in theory, the main problem was no one had told the wildlife this rule!
The following morning we were asked whether we were opting for a long (around the Island) or short walk across the island and watching sea lions on the beach, I opted for around the island as did most of us. We were landed on some rocks wearing gumboots (wellingtons), and walked to an old castaway depot above the beach where we left our lifejackets and gumboots. There were a number of listless looking young male sea lions lying on the grass near the hut, I sat down to get my walking boots from my pack, and had one half on when suddenly 2 young males decided on a test of strength, and galloped over from different directions and faced off right alongside me for a barking snarling argument, I could have touched them both. We had been told to hold our rucksack between us if this happened as with us, they are merely curious. I was a bit unsettled at this point not wanting to become "collateral damage" so early on the trip, however they soon became bored and wandered off. Warning, they can move faster than you can!
The two combatants
The walk around Enderby was said to be the highlight of the trip, and while it was very interesting, I found it very tiring, could have been that while going for a pee in the night I had tried to kick the surround of a watertight door, and my big toe came off worst, all black and painful. It was ok on the flat, but there was no track, mostly pushing through vegetation with occasional sea lion tracks.
The walk was around 8 km, and quite varied, from low southern rata forest, exposed cliff tops, herb fields, short grass, quaking bogs and rocky outcrops, but mostly tussock grass where you could not see where your foot was going. and everywhere sea lions popping their heads up so our progress was as much as possible between
This led to my second close encounter of the day, I was walking across some short grass when one suddenly galloped up to me and sat up on its flippers. So I did as instructed and stood there not making eye contact for what felt like 5 minutes (but was only 4 minutes 50 seconds) I did not want to take my pack off as I did not want to annoy it, so I stood there and the sea lion alternately looked me in the eye and bent down to sniff my boots.
He obviously was bored by now so I was advised to take a step away, and as he was not interested I walked on. Only one person has been bitten, and he stepped on a sleeping one.
The whole Southern Ocean trip was weighted towards bird watching, I knew this but was not as passionate as some on the trip. the Islands are a bit like the Galapagos Islands with some birds which are common to the different island groups have started adapting to different conditions and are now seen as different species, for example the snipe have different length beaks on the three places.
After an interesting detour through the rata forest we emerged at the other end of Sandy bay to where we had landed, and we walked back above the beach to the hut past the many harems of female sea lions each guarded by a huge beachmaster male.
The sex life of Hookers Sea Lions
Sorry no fish, but apparently there is only a scruffy type of cod in shallow, and they are all reserves anyway.
Creche and mothers
The sea lions spend most of the year at sea eating small fish and squid usually alone, but before Christmas the males start to claim territory at the breeding sites, fighting for the favoured spots, they are the "beachmasters". The pregnant and first time breeding females turn up shortly afterwards, and have to get past the younger and weaker males to get to the relative safety of a beachmasters territory, once there, they let the males do the fighting over how large their harem is, usually 5 to 20. The males will fight off other males, but do not seem to stop females leaving.
About new year the females give birth in the harem, a week later the females come in to season and the males will mate with any they can get at or catch, which is why females are safer in the harem. straying females can get killed by the amorous attention of groups of males. The pups are left in a crèche and are suckled for a few weeks, then the mums have to go to sea to feed, sometimes 150 km if food is scarce. returning every week or so for several months until the young are weaned.
Some of the old females who do not want to get pregnant again will have their pups inland in the Rata forest, for such ungainly creatures on land, they can be found in odd places, top of cliffs and top of hills sometimes kilometres from the sea and 500 m up.
The next day was in Carnley harbour at the south end of the Auckland Islands, and we had a morning on shore to visit one of the Coast watch stations from the last world war. Three stations were set up under the code name "Peninsular Expedition" prompted by a German coal powered ship the Erlingen which left a NZ harbour a few days before war was declared.
The ship disappeared, but the NZ authorities knew it did not have enough fuel to get to S. America, the nearest friendly ports. so a navy ship was sent to the Auckland Islands as being the most likely place for them to cut wood for fuel. The Erlingen was there hidden up an arm of Carnley harbour, but because of poor visibility was not found.
The Erlingens engineer had to make axes and saws to cut the very hard and dense Rata trees, and after trying to ferry the wood in a ships boat it was found to be too slow so the captain beached the bow and then used the ships derrick to load from the shore. Still very slow and after 300 or so tons of a hoped for 450 they left before bad weather.
She eventually reached safety after burning nearly everything on board that would fuel the boilers and then jury rigging a sail for the last bit. The patch of forest cut still stands out against the untouched trees behind
The Coastwatchers were picked for their skills as geologists, botanists and naturalists so that in their downtime they could add to the sparse knowledge about these islands. A woman on the trip was born while her dad was at Carnley harbour, and he received a radio message that his father had died and he had another daughter!
We climbed up a ridge to their living accommodation then to the lookout hut overlooking the narrow harbour entrance. If an enemy ship was seen, a radio message was sent and because this would have alerted the enemy the coastwatchers had an emergency hideout nearby where they could wait for rescue.
After returning to the ship and having lunch we left for Campbell island, 300 km SE. to arrive breakfast time.
And so in to Perseverance Harbour Campbell Island. We were presented with 3 options the evening before, but owing to strong winds the zodiac cruise around the harbour was cancelled this morning, just too wet and cold, which left a boardwalk trip across the island, with plenty of time to look at things or a 10 km tramp around the south of the island. I opted for the long walk as there was the opportunity to do the short walk quickly the next morning.
So again just over half the group headed over a hill and across a tidal inlet, plenty of mussels on the rocks, and a surprise lug worm casts on the sandy mud, I know them from UK, tropical Cape York in Australia, and all around NZ. The track climbed through Dracophyllum scrub, technically not trees as they do not get to 5m height, mainly because they get flattened by the weather!
Then across a raised dome shaped bog with 5m deep stream gulleys filled with scrub We soon learnt not to step on the bright green moss patches but on grass clumps, the only walk I got my boots wet. The bog had many different plants, from the scrub to tiny orchids growing from the moss. All the way across we were screamed at by Arctic Terns that nest there.
The track climbed up an avalanche track from 18 months earlier, already plants starting to colonise the raw earth, and at the top exposed to the wind the herb fields, the track wandering through bright Queens daisies in yellow Maori onion fields sadly past their golden prime with the occasional Royal Albatross on it's nest. They are huge, nearly a meter long and 3m wingspan, they make a cup shaped nest out of plants and soil from around the nest site.
The nests are in, or close to sites exposed to the wind as they have to take off into the wind.
From the cliff above NW bay we walked down a ridge watched by a sea lion across a valley at least a km from the beach. To get down to sea level the track turned in to a deep gully with overhanging grass and ferns, not much water in it, but it was obviously a sea lion highway. We were met at the bottom by a rather large male sea lion who did not want to share his beach with us, one of our guides kept him at bay while we all snuck past. Lunch on the rocks, then up to the scientists holiday cottage on the way to our track back to Perseverance harbour and the ship.
On the higher ground there were always Albatross gliding around in the stiff westerly wind, and as we had been told, in the late afternoon The young ones gathered in groups and practised their courting and greeting "dance", fencing with their bills and stretching to call.
Even though they are not breeding this year, they still return to their "home". To see them flying up close is awesome..
And so back to the beach and a radio call to the ship to send the zodiacs. Once again this beach was occupied by a large male sea lion, and as he was trying to see off another one he did not take kindly to us as well, after a bit of snarling and posturing, he set off in the water in pursuit of the other male, It is amazing the bow wave they can push, after a bit of a scrap the interloper left.
This meant we were center of attention again, and as two of us had walked 100m up a stream to see the "loneliest tree in the world". (Guiness book of records, a Sitka Spruce planted about 1907, Still healthy and fresh green shoots, more a shrub in growth habit, but probably 1m diameter at the base then many leaders.) This male followed us, so we had to detour away from the stream to get back, always watching for others lying in the long grass. This 10 km walk I found easy, I think my sore toe and not much sleep made the other walk hard.
The next morning was our last before the 40 hour trip back to the mainland NZ. The weather was expected to worsen for the morning then moderate for our trip home, so the options for the morning were an early start to climb Mt. Honey across the harbour in wet and very windy conditions, and probably no visibility. (A group of 7 went, and decided the wind was too dangerous to make the summit, and no view)
I opted for the boardwalk across the island, it was hard keeping on the boards with the wind, wet at times, very windy but exhilarating, more flowers, albatross and a snipe I was trying to photograph, but it did a vertical take off and disappeared.
The trip back to NZ was long and boring through 3 m swells, but I never felt sick at all even without the pill
The Rakaia river is a typical South Island braided river which starts as glacier melt in the Southern Alps, but frequently floods with heavy rainfall on the mountains, many of which are bare rock so runoff is fast. These rivers frequently change course and have over millions of years formed the Canterbury plains.
A truly fantastic trip, we were really lucky with the weather, with only the last mornings walk damp rather than wet, the 2 long walks would have been unpleasant if wet, restricting the views and very slippery. The open sea crossings could have been very unpleasant if winds had been stronger, even with what we experienced, taking a plate and cup from the breakfast bench to a table was interesting to do and watch, sometimes one at a time was prudent. I don't think I would do a cruise like that again, but very glad I did this one.
I think the best part of the trip was the zodiac cruise at the Snares Islands, for a number of reasons, even after we were in the shelter of the islands the leaders were not sure whether conditions would allow boarding the zodiacs, and as this was to be our first trip, to get it done was great.
To see the huge numbers of birds, especially penguins on land and in the water was spectacular, to see it on TV is great but to be there awesome. The interaction with Sea Lions was amazing, they were just curious or defending their patch, and most of that was bluff. I love their facial expressions, from sleeping to aggression.
I hope you have enjoyed the trip,
Rhod
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