Chile Fjords-Patagonia Day 12
Chile Fjords-Patagonia
OAT Day 12 - Tuesday, December 11, 2007 - Patagonian Fjords & Southern Ice Field - Calvo Fjord - El Brujo Glacier
Our overnight’s sail brought us to the Calvo Fjord. It was raining hard when we woke up and even harder at breakfast.
After breakfast the captain announced a special excursion on the Captain Constantino, a larger craft built specially for the Icefields. The trip into the fjords was about 4 hours, sailing in and out of the icebergs and the thick slush that clogs the frozen inlet.
We were fortunate to be accompanied by a pod of porpoise who followed our icebreaker. These playful creatures brought out the photographers and the “ooohs” and “aahs” from all of us.
About two hours into our trip the sailors treated everyone to a glass of glacial ice topped off with a few inches of Black Label or Chivas Scotch. That warmed everyone up!
In addition to all of the porpoise we saw a few ducks and gulls. The captain sailed into a secluded passage where we saw the whole cliff side inhabited by nesting cormorants. Two species were identified; the Rock and Imperial Cormorant.
A 2003 study led by researchers at the U.S. Jet Propulsion Laboratory found that the Patagonia glaciers of Chile and Argentina are melting so rapidly that they are making a significant contribution to the rise of the sea level.
They determined that ice has been lost at a rate equal to a .04-millimeter rise in ocean water each year between 1975 and 2000. The team combined date from the ground study of 63 of the largest Patagonia ice fields and data from a 2000 space shuttle mission.
In addition to a general increase in melting, the team found accelerated ice loss—about .1 millimeters per year—between 1995 and 2000.
Researchers believe that a number of factors have combined to change the environment here: a rise in air temperature, a decrease in precipitation, and the unique nature of the Patagonia ice fields, which are dominated by “calving” glaciers, like the Calvo Glacier which we saw today.
We sailed through the fjords for another hour and then went back to the ship. Lunch today was Chilean cuisine of cazuela or beef stew and empanadas.
At 3 PM we departed for El Brujo Glacier. It was no longer raining but the skies were still gray. By the time we reached this new glacier, the last we would see today, there was a downpour of sleet and freezing rain. The captain announced we would not be able to get into the tenders for a closer look because of the bad weather.
Maria Elena did a presentation on Argentina’s national drink, the chá matte. She covered the origins of the tea, its preparation into the beverage and then how it is served. Most found the taste to be bitter and unpleasant. It is a beverage that one must develop a taste for at an early age.
The remainder of the afternoon was spent anchored in this fjord sharing stories and reading. For the very serious card players there was an international game of bridge!
The ship hoisted anchor at 7 PM and we were on our way to another area for tomorrow’s excursions. The lounge was a focal point as the bartenders were liberally pouring libations to the guests.
At 8 PM we were all called to dinner. Another wonderful salad appetizer and then a delicious piece of hake fish with king crab sauce and a corn cake.
After dinner, Ruben and the photographic crew presented the video compilation of Day 4 of our expedition. He has been videotaping all of our experiences and then editing the High Definition videos on a Mac computer. It will then be burned on to DVD for sale to the guests.
I had seen parts 1-3 yesterday and it was very professionally done. The camera work is outstanding and the sights that are captured really do justice to this part of Chile.
We returned to our room at 11 PM and as we had pre-typed our journal, it was just a matter of finishing the last couple of hours before we could go to bed.
Accommodations: Skorpios III Ship - - - Meals: B, L, D
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Comments
Post a Comment!i have been following your trip and it looks amazing my greetings to everyone and take care of yourselves
Calvo Fjord and Glacier (1:20)
Iceberg at Calvo Glacier Fjord
Porpoise
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Imperial Cormorant
Part of Calvo Glacier
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