Sea-kayaking
nearDamoy
Point.Right:
kayakingguide
Yann Lemoine.
All 28 mensurvived.I readsomeofShackleton’s
accountswhiletuckedupina warmbedaboardLe
Soléal, feelingmoreincommonwiththeWeddell
sealsthanthesuperhumancrewoftheEndurance.
Themorningsunis blazingwhenwelayerup
(thermals,high-techwoollens,waterprooftrousersand
gloves,twopairsofthicksocks,scarletPonant-issued
waterproofjacketandrubberboots,beanie,lifejacket,
sunglasses,sunscreen)andpileintoZodiacs.The
temperaturehoverscomfortablyaroundzero.Weexpect
tospendthemorningpokingaroundtheWeddell’sicy
fairground.Instead,ourguidessmileconspiratorially
andruntheZodiacsagroundona floe.Notjustanyice
floe.Thisonehasa pop-upChampagnebarandsofas
strewnwithfaux-furthrows,soimprobablewelaughand
throwsnowballsinthesunshineandtoastthecrew.
BackonLeSoléalthatafternoonwe’reroused
frommadeleinesandtea.“Dearguests,thisis your
captainspeakingfromthebridge,”saysCaptainDaher,
firstinFrench,thenEnglish,ina tonethatcommands
attention.“Thisis notimetonap.Putdownyour
desserts.Comeoutside.Wehavedesbaleinesportside.”
There’sa podofkillerwhalesonthehunt,and
Adéliepenguinsandpetrels(cape,giantanda
snowstormofsnowpetrels),uglybrownskuasand
prettyAntarcticterns.Bytheendofthedaythree
kindsofwhaleshavebeenspotted:humpback,finand,
exceedingly rare, a blue whale, the largest creature onEarth.Theshatteredplatesofpackicewesawthis
morninghavesupersizedintobergs.Thelargestof
them,knownastabularicebergs,havethegravitas
andheftofmonuments(thelargestonrecord,spotted
in1956,wasbiggerthanBelgium).Theafternoon’s
show-stopper,however,is anadolescentemperor
penguin,smallandaloneonhisfloe,slidingaround
aimlesslyonhisbelly.Thepenguinspecialistsare
agog.“He’sa longwayfromhome,”saysChristophe
Gouraud,a Frenchseabirdspecialist.Thenearest
emperorcolonyis some 60 kilometreseast,onan
inaccessibleislandcalledSnowHill.Gouraudmade
it thereafterseveralyearsandthreefailedattempts
byhelicopter.It’shardtoimaginehowour lone
emperorwillmakethejourneyhome.Latitude 63°53.99’ S
WedropanchorforbreakfastinMikkelsenHarbour,
alongthewestcoastofGrahamLand.Thebayis
concretegreyandutterlyforbidding: 20 kilometres
wide,flankedbyicecliffsandblackmountainsfissured
byglacialsnouts.Everyhalfhourorsoa thunderous
cracksplitsthesilenceandsomewherenearbya glacier
losesweight.TheZodiacsdropusontinyD’Hainaut
Islandandwewadeshin-deeptoa beachcoveredby
polishedblackrocks.A pileofbleachedwhalebones- hugejaws,anarcofribs– sitsbesidetheremains
of a timber whaling boat. It’s our first unforgettable