| Revisiting South Georgia (8) - Ocean Harbour to Larsen Harbour |
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Ocean Harbour to Larsen Harbour - Blog 8
In the afternoon we entered Drygalski Fjord and could again appreciate calmer water and light breezes. Drygalski is the most Antarctica-like part of South Georgia I am more than willing to take cold over high wind, rain and rough seas. We cruised up Drygalski to the face of Risting Glacier. The calm water and great light resulted in exceptional reflections of the surrounding cliffs.
Larsen is a small, beautiful little harbour filled with wildlife; the most conspicuous today were Weddell Seals. Drygalski and Larsen Harbour, I understand, is the only place outside of Antarctica itself that Waddell’s breed and raise their pups. Larsen and by extension, Drygalski, are the continuously the coldest places on South Georgia and this may account for the presence of the Weddell Seals.
It was quite pleasant to gently swing at anchor into the evening and after eating to look up at the incredible night southern sky. I went to my bunk satisfied with the day and
Shortly after turning in I could hear an initial, muted soprano-like voice singing and then followed with a chorus of notes, chirps, clicks and trills coming through the steel hull of the Golden Fleece. The first voice was faint and at first we dismissed it as a strange engine sound, wind or something Jerome might be doing.
When you are in your bunk and the hull of your small boat begins vibrating and transmitting the most incredible array of notes and sounds…and like me you have never heard these sounds before…my imagination and spirit rose in a kind of wonder and gladness. We were in one of my favorite spots of South Georgia and suddenly there were “singing” seals in the water serenading our late evening. The “songs” continued most of the night. They would come nearer and then be far off and faint. There must have been a dozen or more singers. I can understand how sailors long ago may have believed in mermaids or perhaps the original
There was no singing in the morning that we could hear. We went ashore in the snow and cold to take group and individual portraits of our singers, the Weddell Seals and their pups. There were a few Shags on the cliffs, but they were generally quiet. In fact it was very cold and we soon returned to the Golden Fleece.
There are many sites on the web that produce Weddell Seal sounds and describe the seals themselves. Here are few you might enjoy. http://www.antarctica2000.net/wildlife/weddell.html http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=229 A Music Video of the Weddell Seal by HunterJohnson Music: http://www.youtube.com/v/wI3qqByvx4A&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0
Revisiting South Georgia: Previous Blog : Blog 7 < > Next Block : Blog 9 |
The waters were calm in Ocean Harbour in the morning. Jerome was able to deliver the needed supplies to Kicki and Thies without difficulty. “Thank yous” and “Goodbyes” were exchanged along with lots of happy smiles. 
The satellite weather station reported heavy weather coming with storms and high waves to be the rule for the future and we decided to make the five-hour run straight to Drygalski Fjord. The rising winds assisted our passage and we had a clear view of the magnificent, rugged South Georgian coast all the way. 
A large number of Arctic Terns were circling and diving. Other than their calls and splashes there was not a lot of other background noise. We returned toward the mouth of the Fjord and pulled into Larsen Harbour.
prepared to sleep soundly through the night. But this was not to be!
It grew and grew and the voices became distinct and our conversation turned to humpback whale singing but this was much different. There were clicks and trills and all sorts of unworldly vocal acrobatics. We were hearing the October sounds of Weddell Seals! October, according to the literature, is the most common month to hear these “territorial or mating” arias that were first described by Weddell himself in 1825.
It is believed that the Waddell’s are the most vocal, though Hooded and Leopard Seals are also known to “sing.” The first phonograph recordings of Weddell Seals were made in 1934 in the Bay of Whales in Antarctica. In 1964 Thorpe first described this singing to be “a series of notes, generally of more than one type, uttered in succession and so related as to form a recognizable sequence or pattern in time.” Thomas and Kueckle made the first stab at scientific analysis of this “singing” in 1982. 
Golden Fleece crew felt they had to protect themselves from the “Sirens” of the sea. If we had gone up on deck we would have seen nothing and the sounds may have not been as distinct. This is an event that belongs below the waves and swims literally with the fishes. It was a unique privilege to just lie there hour after hour listening to an opera without super-titles or knowing the libretto. We just had to go with the music of the night.
Jerome began looking at satellite weather maps and pointed out how raging storms were surrounding our safe little harbour. He made the decision not to brave whatever was surrounding our calm anchorage. We baked bread, relaxed, cleaned our gear, talked animatedly about the singing the night before and hoped we would get another night of the singing.
