is amongthoselivingoversummerat thehistoric
BritishresearchbaseofPortLockroy,caretakingthe
world’smostsoutherlypostoffice,souvenirshopand
museum– andcountingpenguins.Sure,there’sno
runningwaterorWiFi,saysDeRémacle,andprecious
littleprivacywithsome18,000cruise-shippassengers
visitingthesiteeachsummer,butit’s“anamazing
adventure”,hetellsme.Andhelovesthepenguins.
“JustaswellI nolongersmellthem,”hegrins.
Wepokearoundthemodesttimbercottagebuilt
in 1944 ina Britishwartimemissioncodenamed
OperationTabarin.Thebaseclosedin 1962 butit’sas
thoughthebeardsneverleft,theirwoollenlongjohns
hanginginthebunkroom,Gordon’sginbottlesand
tobaccotinshalfempty,naughtymuralsofscantilyclad
starletshandpaintedbesidetheoldcoal-burningheater.
AttheominouslynamedDeceptionIsland,the
memoriesofhumanoccupationarelessbenign.At
dawnonourlastdayontheAntarcticPeninsula,we
sailthroughthenarrowpassageofNeptune’sBellows
intothecalderaofanactivevolcano.Thesceneinside
at WhalersBayis post-apocalyptic:scaldedgunmetal
mountains,a shorelinesteamingwithfumaroles,and
theruinsofa Norwegianwhalingstation.“Canyou
imaginelookingoutat a bayfullofwhalecarcasses,”
sayspolarhistorianDmitriiKiselev,asweshelter
behinda rustedboilerusedtorenderoilfromwhale
blubber.“Thousandsofwhaleseveryyear,strippedand
lefttorot.”After 25 yearsthestationwasabandoned.
DuringWorldWarII theBritishoperateda research
baseinthewhalers’digs,untilaneruptiondestroyed
everythingin1969.Witha coupleofreconstructed
crossesmarkinggravesandtherubbleoftimber
buildingscollapsingintothegravel,it’sa damned,
desolatesite– a reminderofhumancrueltyand
folly.Kiselevspiesa coupleofkelpgullsraisingtheir
chicksina nestwedgedintothetopofanoiltank.
“Naturefightsback,”hesays.
Backat PortLockroy,I’mstandingwithgentooson
anicybeach,stuffedintoa dry-suitandreadytopush
offwitha paddle.It’sthefirstseasonPonanthasoffered
Antarcticsea-kayaking,andthey’verecruiteda couple
ofprostoguideus.YannLemoinegrewupinBrittany
buthasspentmuchofhislifeinGreenland,where
kayakinghasbeenanessentialpartoflifefor 3500 years
anditspracticeelevatedtoanartform.Lemoinebuilds
Greenlandickayaksandleadsexpeditions,andwhen
hetravelshepacksseveralwoodenpaddleshe’scarved
intheGreenlandicstyle– theonehe’scarryinghasslim
rectangularendsthatlooknothinglikeourconventional
blades.“Itis beautiful,no?”hesays.“Youcanreallyfeel
thewater.”Kayaking,hetellsme,“ispureemotion”.
“Itis nota sport.It’sa wayoflife.Formeit’sa way
ofbeingwithnaturethat’sveryemotional.”
Thewinddrops,likea blessing.Thoughwepaddle
slowly, my heart beats fast with something like the➤126 GOURMET TRAVELLER