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[antlering]

Weekends are for spirits and Sobek-Ra

Sharing some of the typical shenanigans I get up to on weekends. This is my final semester of grad school, so I’m taking it as easy as I can. Weekends are the time I mainly get to do my professional job, but it’s relaxing work (political science research) and helps me be productive spiritually as well. American alligator hide, legally hunted and acquired through trade with a family friend. Anyone…

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[antarcticabound-blog]

Rutland Water - Birdfair

Simon and John from Antarctica Bound had a great weekend at this year’s Birdfair at Rutland Water and thanks to everybody who visited our stand. It was good to see both customers who had been to Antarctica since last year and all those who are still looking forward to making the trip South.

It was especially interesting to see how many visitors were looking for itineraries including South Georgia and the Falklands. As anybody who has visited the region knows, South Georgia really is the jewel in the crown with amazing birdlife combined with other wildlife and scenery.

The Falklands too have so much to offer and as a destination in their own right, with regular flights via the RAF from Brize Norton or from Punta Arenas in Chile, ideal for combining with itineraries in Patagonia.

So, there was lots to talk about – and that was only Antarctica – we were also representing Arctic Bound with new options in the North, including exciting expeditions to the Russian far East.

Our next fair is the Adventure Travel Show at Olympia in London in January. Come and see us there too!

[antarcticabound-blog]

Rockhopper Penguin - Antarctica

The Rockhopper Penguin is a much-loved bird, due to its long eyebrow-like crests which give it a cheeky appearance. This appearance is borne out by its feisty and noisy nature.

Rockhoppers are the smallest of the polar penguins, weighing just 2.5 kg approximately, with a height of 45-58cm. They have white underparts with blue-black upper parts. Their distinctive crest, running from the eyes to end in spiky black and yellow plumes makes them easy to identify. Rockhoppers have red eyes, pinkish orange bills and pink, webbed feet. They are deep sea divers, feeding on krill, amphipods and small fish and squid.

These little penguins are wide-ranging and can be found on most of the islands in the Antarctic region. They have major colonies on the Falkland Islands.

Antarctic Bound's luxury vessel, LAustral, sails 04-19 January 2014 to take in the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica. 30% discount for early bird bookers; a chance to see Rockhopper Penguins up close. Call us for more information: 0800 678 5236

Rockhopper Penguins are so named for their chosen habitat of the rocks and crevices found on rocky shorelines. Rather than the typical penguin waddle, they bound and hop across the rocks where they nest – hence the name!

Rockhopper nests consist of small stones, maybe lined with dried grasses. Two eggs are laid, the first one usually being significantly smaller than the second. The smaller egg is generally lost to predators or fails to hatch. Both parents share the thirty-four day incubation period, after which the male guards the chick until it joins a crèche of other chicks. These crèches provide warmth and safety in numbers for the chicks until they are ready to go out to sea at around ten weeks old (in February/March).

Sadly, these appealing little penguins are currently listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. With their numbers in decline they may soon be on the “red list” as an endangered species. The usual suspects are generally agreed to be responsible for the decline in Rockhopper numbers: commercial overfishing and pollution, specifically oil pollution.

[antarcticabound-blog]

Antarctica Adventure - Last Days

STEVE’S ANTARCTIC TRIP BLOG MARCH 12

Day 10

Today we are heading back to Ushuaia the Drake Passage is being kind to us this morning. We are getting the chance to share our photos and swap email addresses. This trip has been a great success and my group of 10 has grown, we have adopted a few more recruits and already they are asking for ideas for a trip in 2013. The thoughts are a South Georgia only expedition or another Arctic trip. Watch this space

Day11 So this is the last day of the expedition, we are having a day of recaps of the landings we did and sharing our different stories of the excursions we all took. The divers seem to have had very productive landings and talking to one of my group members who took the dives I think a dive group may be something I look into. The expedition is a good way of seeing Antarctica and trying out different activities that you maybe never would have tried at home. I had never kayaked or camped on the ice before but I'm sure kayaking will be on my list of to do things when I get home. Overall I am very impressed with the concept although it has been hard for them to organise trying to fit everyone in on the activities I think everyone is going away happy with their experience. I have talked to my group and the feedback has been good.

[antarcticabound-blog]

Antarctica Kayaking & Zodiac Cruising

Day 9

Today we are heading to Cierva cove on the peninsular which has a beautiful bay surrounded by ice bergs, the activities today are kayaking and zodiac cruising and the divers may also get the chance to go out.

I took the zodiac cruise excursion around the impressive ice bergs, we came across leopard seals even killer whales and penguins. The kayakers came back very impressed with their experience, seeing the wildlife and being so close to the ice from there kayaks must have been special. They came across three leopard seals on their outing.

[antarcticabound-blog]

Swimming In Antarctica

Day 8.

This morning we were cruising to Neko harbour, the sun was shining and the expedition leader announced that we could take a hike and if we wanted, a swim! We left the ship on the zodiacs at 9am and we were issued with a pair of snow shoes as the glacier was covered. The view from the top with the sun out was perfect and gave us all some great pictures. Back down on the beach the swimmers decided to take the plunge, their faces were a picture. I had experienced this in the Arctic so I opted out of this one. A great end to a perfect morning.

After lunch I took the option to hike to Almirante Brown Station on Paradise bay. I had attended the photo workshop on board just before the landing and our task was to get an image which had an anchor or an abstract image. I wasn't sure I had passed today's assignment but it gave me something to aim for rather than just clicking away. Tonight the campers slept in just the bivvy bags on the ice and had the experience of hearing avalanches and ice cracks in the night.

[antheia]

I Am Not a Unicorn

Hi, my name is Kate, and I am Girl Who Loves Sports. I love hockey and baseball, and will happily watch football, basketball, and soccer. I am also a Geek Grrl: bring on the comic books, cartoons, fantasy and sci-fi novels, even the occasional video game.

I don’t want a cookie for this. And I don’t want your gleeful surprise at finding a “chick who digs dude stuff,” like you just found a unicorn in Manhattan. I’m going to let you in on a secret: you haven’t.

My life is full of women who are into things that are traditionally considered male interests – from sports to comics to sleeping with beautiful women. Every day, I encounter another woman who can do fifteen minutes on The Hulk and his history, or can offer a breakdown of Yankees pitching throughout the past fifty years; who can create a website from the ground-up; or who can outplay you in World of Warcraft.

We’re not freaks, we’re not weirdos, and we’re not mythological beasts; we’re real women with diverse interests. And our interest and understanding is not diminished by the fact that we often appreciate the physical forms of the male athletes and characters.

So the next time you meet a girl who games or watches baseball or reads comics, don’t get all excited and ask her how she could possibly have gotten into it; find out what games you have in common, whether she’s in favor of the DH rule, or how she felt about the time that Captain America and Iron Man were on opposite sides.

Treat her like a grown-up human, and not an animal at the zoo.

[antarcticabound-blog]

Hiking Antartcica Trip

Day 7. Today we took a hike on Peterman Island, it has a very dramatic landscape and has a colony of Gentoo and Adelie penguins. The guide shared a story about two researchers from Vernadsky station being stranded on the island in 1996 because the ice that surrounds the island had melted and it would be a least 2 months for the ice to form back so they could ice travel back to the research station. These guys were never seen again and vanished without a trace – a chilling tale in cold surroundings!

At the end of the hike and on my way back to the zodiacs I came across two sea lions posing on a rock. They were posing for the camera and I managed to get some good close up shots.

Today’s real heroes were the mountaineers. They went out early this windy morning to climb Mt Scott, one of the peaks overlooking Pleneau Bay and the Lemaire Channel. We saw them struggling up the snowy side of the 982 m high peak. When they were picked up in the afternoon they were all grinning, having successfully climbed Scott Peak on the centenary of Scott reaching the Pole

After lunch the winds became really strong and all the afternoon activities had to be cancelled.