Hydrurga Rocks, Antarctica - travel experience, post, guide, blog and photos

Antarctica: The Expedition, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage, Halfmoon Island, Rocas Hydrurga with Cuverville Island, Palmer Station with Lemaire Channel & Petermann Island, Brown Station with Neko Harbor, Brown Bluff with Esperanza Station, Whalers Bay with Yankee Harbor, Drake Passage

Antarctica Expedition - Day 4:
by Prakash Bang, Editor in Chief

Tuesday, January 12th
Rocas Hydrurga
Lat. 64º 08' S, Long. 61º 37' O
Cuverville Island
Lat. 64º 41' S, Long. 62º 38' W
Morning Temp.: 2ºC
Winds: 19 knots NE
Evening Temp.: 0ºC
Winds: 5 knots NW

Zodiac Cruising, Cuverville Island, Antarctica

In the morning, we landed at Hydrurga Rocks, a tiny island in the Gerlache Strait full of Chinstrap penguins - most of them with their chicks. Also hovering above and stationed were Kelp gulls with their chicks, Skuas and several Weddell seals resting on the snow and rocks.

In the afternoon we landed at Cuverville Island, at the north mouth of Errera Channel passing between Rongé Island and the Antarctic Peninsula.

Cuverville is a rocky island with considerable moss covering the high elevations although covered by snow this time of the year. After landing we went for a walk to both sides of the beach, taking care not to step on any of the many penguin highways. The island was full with Gentoo penguins. The penguin gates were amusing reminding me about cartoon animations.

At Rocas Hydrurga, Antarctica

Since the wind and the weather were permitting, we spent an hour cruising on Zodiacs. I am at a loss for words to describe the experience of being at touching distance of icebergs with intriguing shapes, sizes and hues of blue. Since all good things need to come to an end, we had to return to our ship.

At dinner time we celebrated birthday of a fellow passenger. After dinner we watched the movie "The March of the Penguins". I had seen this film umpteen times before. Today, it made a special impression.

Fact file:
There are 4 South Poles. Here goes:

Geographic South Pole

•	Intersection point with the axis of the Earth's rotation
•	Nearest to Amundsen-Scott Station
•	2,900 km from magnetic pole

Magnetic South Pole

•	Location where the magnetic field is vertical
•	Moves about 5 km per year
•	Approx. at 65ºS, 38ºE
•	Currently moving northwest

Geomagnetic South Pole

•	Intersection of the surface of the Earth with the extended axis of a magnetic dipole which is assumed to be located at the centre of the Earth
•	Approximates the source of the Earth's magnetic field

Pole of Inaccessibility

•	Point furthest from all coasts
•	Located at 84ºS, 65ºE

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