Island Booth

Writes blogger uritsk:

Early in the morning "Akademik Ioffe" anchored in a quiet bay of Port Charcot, named after the polar explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot (the son of Jean-Martin Charcot, a famous physician and inventor of the eponymous soul), who at the beginning of the XX century, together with his band spent here the winter . Someone has a tradition of 31 December to go to the bath, and here I am this time decided on the last day of the year to set foot on the land of the last of the sixth continent, which had not been. Today we have the first landing on the beach - we will visit the small island Booth, located 10 kilometers from the mainland.

Preparation for landing is a serious - dress warm clothes, thermal underwear, red overalls, in which the guides are visible in scattered along the shore of tourists at a distance (I really wore red overalls only on this first landing, later putting ashore its ski resorts, much more convenient and warm), and the special rubber shoes that are before and after each landing supposed to clean and wash with a special solution that does not carry on the soles of pieces of unique ecosystems and, on the contrary, not bring foreign material in Antarctica.

1. The first board "Akademik Ioffe" leaving group kayakers - while all the sites they will be rowing in the one- and two local kayaking along the quiet coves and bays of Antarctica.

This option can be ordered in advance of the cruise. I thought about this: kayaking in Antarctica - it's interesting. On the other hand, a group of kayakers spends much less time on the beach - just half an hour on each landing. A kayak with my friends and so every summer rowing. So after weighing all the "pros" and "cons", I decided not to sign up for kayaking, and all the attention paid to coastal programs.

2. Sending paddlers conquer the water surface ice bays of Antarctica, it is time for us to ship in "Zodiac».

On board the "Zodiac" offers a good view "Akademik Ioffe" on the background of rocks covered with glaciers.

Ten minutes away - and "Zodiac" is moored in a quiet secluded coves of the island Booth. As comrade Neil Armstrong, landing on the moon - "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Antarctica is certainly not the Moon, and its people long ago thoroughly investigated - however, the first step on the land of Antarctica for any tourist is certainly a big event.

At first, when tourists see penguins, it begins an incredible hype - because most of them have seen only in zoos. And here you - thousands of penguins busily walking around at home on the Antarctic coast, no fear, and curiously looking at you. Over time, 13 landings to them, of course, get used to it - it was too many of them here. But anyway - busily roaming the beaten tracks penguins, I think for each remaining one of the main impressions from Antarctica.

Importantly, waddle and a little clumsy penguins walk along the shore.

However, tourists are dumped on the shore in the same red jumpsuits, hung with cameras and every minute knee stretching into the loose snow from the look much more awkward than penguins. :))))

To the left of the landing is a high rock, which offers an excellent view of the island Booth, Bay Port Charcot and surroundings.

We go on a pre-trodden trail guides. Sometimes we stop to make way for the penguins, reaching a meter in front of you across the path.

From the top of the hill is visible a significant part of the island, the bay, covered with thousands of small icebergs sea, "Akademik Ioffe" on the mirrored surface of the water.

Visible colony and clumsy "Red Penguin" at the bottom. :))

Meanwhile, our kayakers waving their oars slowly toward the island. We will hold on the ground for nearly three hours, and they were on the strength of a half-hour. And so on all landings. So I once again realized mentally for themselves what was right, not becoming recorded on kayaking - it is impossible to grasp the immensity, and even in Antarctica when visited! :)

On top of the hill a memorial sign polar explorers wintered here Charcot team.

Going down the hill, it is interesting to see the large nesting penguins on the shore and enjoy the incredible scenery of the Antarctic ice!

From this egg someone has hatched.

And then there's hatch.

Penguin waddle goes on the trail. Our American comrades jokingly call these trails «Penguin highway». :)))

In the vicinity of the penguin nesting gulls, skuas. In fact, I do not particularly strong in zoology - just like them in the wonderful cartoon about pingvinёnka Lolo called. On view are not so evil - even someone she gnawed bone in the socket still visible. :))

All the rocks of the coast are covered with a thick layer of penguin dung. The nesting area is a rather sharp smell. So if you're wondering what really smells Antarctica, I'll tell you - penguin excrement. I wanted to write a little differently, but in fact it can read women, children ... So be it - excrement.

On the coast, several species of penguins nest. That's a different kind, different from those of penguins with red beaks. Penguins with red beaks - a "Gentoo", and these - "Adele».

By the way, the eggs hatch alternately both males and females.

In the courtyard of December 31 - leaving her friends to hatch the eggs, the men went to the store. A penguin, who went last, all the while somehow stumbled suspicious. :)))

After wandering along the shore, it's time to return to the moored "Zodiac." We want to offer not just go to the "Ioffe", and before that to make additional small walk on the waters of one of the boats. I, of course, one of the first to join this group.