voyages/antarctica — Anne Lydiat

Antarctica

February - March, 2019

I boarded the Hurtigruten ship MS Midnatsol from the port of Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego. I had chosen to voyage with Hurtigruten, as I had sailed with them on a previous voyage to the Arctic, and had been impressed by their excellent record on sustainability.

We set sail across the notorious Drake Passage to Antarctica. My artistic intention throughout the voyage was to continue with the series ‘ship drawings’, and to photograph and video through the various, portholes and windows, or the eyes or lens of the ship. Whilst on land in Antarctica I photographed the various wireless/research stations we visited both active like Browns Station and Arctowski Station, or abandoned as in Whalers Bay where the absence of presence was particularly poignant.

Day 1: 27 February 2019, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina. 54.8019° S, 68.3030° W

Ushuaia is a resort town in Argentina. It's located on the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, the southernmost tip of South America, nicknamed the “End of the World.” The windswept town, perched on a steep hill, is surrounded by the Martial Mountains and the Beagle Channel. It's the gateway to Antarctica.

Port of Ushuaia, Argentina. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Day 2: 28 February 2019, Drake Passage.

Drake passage, named after the 16th century English explorer Sir Francis Drake, is the body of water between South America’s Cape Horn, Chile, Argentina and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It is considered to be one of the most treacherous voyages for ships to make as it, meets no resistance from any landmass waves can top 40 ft (12 m)

At sea onboard the MS Midnatsol, Drake Passage. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Wake of the ship MS Midnatsol, Drake Passage. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

At sea, Drake Passage. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Day 3: 1 March 2019, Half Moon Island. 62.5884° S, 59.9215°W

Half Moon Island is a crescent-moon piece of land formed by long extinct volcanoes lying 1.35 km north of Burgas Peninsula, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands of the Antarctic Peninsula region. It first attracted whalers and sealers in the early 1800’s. ‘Camara’ Base is the Argentine Antarctic base and scientific research station name after Frigate Lieutentant Naval Aviator Juan Ramon Camara.

Half Moon Island, our first landing place welcomed by walrus. Photo: © Anne Lydiat. 2019

Half Moon Island, cobbled beach with remains of a whaling dory, type of shallow, planked boat. Photo: © Anne Lydiat. 2019

Heading to the Argentine Antarctic summer research station ‘Camara’. Photo: © Anne Lydiat 2019

Day 4: 2 March 2019, Whalers Bay, Port Foster, Deception Island. 62.9594° S, 60.6451° W

Whalers Bay is a small bay entered between Fildes Point and Penfold Point at the east side of Port Foster, Deception Island, in the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. The bay was so named by the French Antarctic Expedition, 1908-10, under Charcot, because of its use at that time by whalers. Whalers Bay is Historic Site and Monument no 71 (Antarctic Treaty) including the remains of the Norwegian Hektor Whaling Station - the site of the Whaler’s Cemetery and other whaling remains.

Whalers Bay, Deception Island. Photo taken from onboard Midnatsol: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Whale Oil Silos, Whalers Bay, Deception Island. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Whalers Bay, Deception Island. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Whalers Cemetery, Whalers Bay, Deception Island. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Remains of Hunting Lodge, Whalers Bay, Deception Island. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Aircraft Hanger, (side view) Whalers Bay, Deception Island. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Aircraft Hanger, Whalers Bay, Deception Island. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Aircraft Hanger, (Front View) Whalers Bay, Deception Island. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Remains of building and whaling dory, Whalers Bay, Deception Island. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Remains of building, Whalers Bay, Deception Island. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Remains of a whaling dory, Whalers Bay, Deception Island. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Day 5: 3 March 2019, Brown Station. 64.8954° S, 62.8706° W

Almirante Brown Antarctic Base or Brown Station, is an abandoned Argentine research centre located near Paradise Bay, Antarctica, named after Admiral William Brown, a man born in Ireland, known as the father of the Argentine Navy. It is located on Sanavirón Peninsula along Paradise Harbor, Danco Coast, in Graham Land, Antarctic Peninsula.

Brown Station, Antarctica. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Artist’s View, Antarctica. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Antarctic Peninsula. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Day 6: 4 March 2019, Neko Harbour. 64.8331° S, 62.6664° W

Neko Harbor is an inlet of the Antarctic Peninsula on Andvord Bay, situated on the west coast of Graham Land. Neko Harbour was discovered by Belgian explorer Adrien de Gerlache during the early 20th century. It was named for a Scottish whaling boat, the Neko, which operated in the area between 1911 and 1924.

R/V Laurence M. Gould, American IIce Breaker and Oceanograpic Research Ship, Neko Harbour. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Neko Harbour. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Underway. Antarctic Peninsula. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Day 7: 5 March 2019, Damoy Point, Dorian Bay. 64.4904° S 63.3015° W

Damoy Point is a headland 900 metres (980 yd) west-northwest of Flag Point, the northern entrance point to the harbour of Port Lockroy, on the western side of Wiencke Island in the Palmer Archipelago of Antarctica. It was discovered and named by the French Antarctic Expedition, 1903–05, under Jean-Baptiste Charcot.

Damoy Point, Dorian Bay. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Damoy Point Hut, Dorian Bay. Closed 2006. Now designated as Historic Site No. 84 under the Antarctic Treaty. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Damoy Hut, Dorian Bay. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Argentine Emergency Shelter, Damoy Point, Dorian Bay. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Wake, Antarctic Peninsula. Photo: © Anne Lydiat, 2019

Day 8: 6 March 2019, Arctowski Station. 62.1599° S, 58.4690° W

The Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station is a year-round research facility managed by the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of Polish Academy of Sciences on King George Island, off the coast of Antarctica.