Chronic Negress

Tuesday was a day that didn’t proceed entirely as planned. After breakfast, we were told we had about 25 minutes to get into parka, boots and gear for the Zodiac ride to Petermann Island, a site of another colony of gentoos and a few Adelies as well. It’s also where French Captain Jean-Baptiste Charocot sailed his ship, the Pourquoi Pas, to overwinter. He also named a southwest cove on the island Port Circumcision because it was discovered on Circumcision Day. I would have been able write about Petermann Island in more detail if I hadn’t shut my eyes “for a minute” only to awaken to a PA announcement about two people not signing back in after the trip.

Anyway, after lunch we sailed to Port Lockroy and Jougla Point. Port Lockroy is home to Base A, which has been turned into a museum and the southernmost British post office with a gift shop whose proceeds benefit the Antarctic Heritage Trust. There are nesting gentoos all around the base buildings.

in the shadow of Port Lockroy

Also, there’s Goudier Island, which is also a gentoo rookery and has the remains of some whales during the mass slaughter of those animals.

Skua in wait for lunch on penguin chick

The trip was delightful and we were greeted by Rick Atkinson in his orange coveralls. He was spattered with paint from doing some repairs and greeted us warmly. Most of the tour ships plying these waters stop at Port Lockroy. They also stop at Verdansky, a base that the British sold to the Ukrainians for $1 rather than have to dismantle it and haul every bit of it away. Verdansky features homemade vodka and free drinks for any woman who will remove and leave behind a bra. I slept while some of our little band visited. I consider that drinking with the Estonians, which I had done with great success, was plenty for me and former Soviet republics.