From Helena Sierakowska , 3rd Mate.
27th January 1997
My name is Lena. I am the 3rd Mate on the "Arctic
Sunrise" which in lay terms means that I am responsible for
navigational watches twice a day between 12 and 4. I have
been sailing with Greenpeace for just over 6 years and this
is my third voyage to Antarctica.
On Saturday (25 Jan 97), I went ashore to the Polish base Arctowski which is in Admiralty Bay, King George Island. The bay is quite breath taking; high, craggy, volcanic peaks protruding through smooth sugar coating of glaciers which flow down to the waters edge. Every now and then a roar like thunder echoes through the bay as pieces of ice blue glacier crumble and crash into the water.
Nestled on the south side of the bay are the yellow painted, wooden huts of the Polish Station. The major reason for our base visits is to check that they are adhering to Antarctic Protocol relating to such subjects as waste and sewage disposal, fuel storage and general environmental impact. I last visited this base two years ago and I must say that I was extremely impressed with the improvements that the Poles had made during that time. They had got rid of an old incinerator and shipped out boatloads of ashes and scrap iron which used to litter the beach. All that remains now is a rather incongruous bus stop sign propped up on the beach amongst old whale bones.
Whilst the rest of the team were busy with the base inspection, I was assigned to look after the ITN camera team. We headed out of the base along a shingle beach to take a look at elephant seals and stray Adelie penguins who wander down from the rookery for a swim. We encountered two groups of seals(about 20), all mothers and pups lazing in the sun. They are fun to watch, big brown eyes follow you up the beach; occasionally they roll over for a yawn and a scratch as they are moulting at this time of year. Their table manners leave a lot to be desired as lots of long raucous belching shatters the tranquillity of waves lapping on the beach. A Polish scientist Katarzyna Salwicka accompanied us. She explained that there were no males in the group because they stay behind in South Georgia for a few weeks to feed up ready for the long swim across the Drake Passage. She was expecting them to arrive in a couple of weeks. This beach in Admiralty Bay is very important to the elephant seal population as it is one of their first stopping off points in Antarctica.
Katarzyna explained to us that great increase in tourists visiting from Cruise ships is becoming a problem. Last year they had 3500 people land on the beaches of the Polish base. Human footsteps crush the fragile mosses and lichens which take years to regenerate. She also told us of a cruise ship which came in a few weeks ago landing over 200 people in inflatables on the elephant seal beach. People were stepping on the seals to pose for photographic trophies; the net result was that almost half the population (of 80) left the beach, although they are now starting to return again.
O.K. well that's all from me today, time to get some dinner and a short sleep before my night watch- if that is possible - we have a ship load of excited people running around the deck spotting seals and whales and penguins and fantastically shaped icebergs.
Later: In the evening, a small group from the climate campaign team and the journalists returned to the polish station. We had made arrangements to meet Sue Trivelpiece, who has, together with her husband Dr. Wayne Trivelpiece, studied the penguin colonies at Admiralty Bay for many years. Between 1989 and 1993 the penguin populations have been dramatically reduced in size. The Trivelpieces blame this phenomenon on warmer winters, which leads to less sea ice. And this is where the chain reaction starts - on the underside of this very sea ice sit algae, which are being eaten by krill. Krill is the penguins food. Little ice means few algae means less krill means little food for the penguins. In a world of global climate change with warmer winters in Antarctica, penguins will have a rough time.