March 8th. A day cruising in the fjords. Lectures by Damon on Why is it so windy; by Chris on the Ecology of Tierra del Fuego; and by Mila on Charles Darwin in Chile . Sailed through the Straits of Magellan, good scenery but not outstanding in our minds - David´s Pooh sweater was greatly admired . A pleasant cocktail, canapes and dinner, followed by coffee in the Explorer lounge.
March 9th. A day in the Montana fjord. We had a windy zodiac ride to shore near the Bernal Glacier, then a 20 minute easy walk to get a good view of the glacier. Then a more tricky walk over small boulders to get even nearer
click on a thumbnail to get a bigger photo
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Glacier Bernal is a structure that has reached its final glaciological stage as its ice no longer reaches the sea; it lies on rocks and a lagoon created by its melting ice. This place is an open air classroom which shows us the advance and retreat of glaciers, and the formation of their frontal and lateral moraines, together with observing the strength with which they shape their environment When we look at the hills and stones that flank it, we see how nature and its moss and lichens, have slowly colonized the place and generated life. On disembarking, we see a forest of coigues and lengas. We continue along our hike, coming to a turquoise lagoon whose colour is the result of glacier sediment and the crushed stones that lie in its bed. Glacier Bernal, a Giant on the way to extinction.
Montañas Fjord is a highlight of the Chilean Fjords, cutting a narrow alleyway northward between two rugged mountain ranges, the Cordillera Sarmiento on the west, and the Cordillera Riesco on the east. The so-called “fjord of the mountains” runs for 60 kilometres , and presents a scene so vast that your ship pales into insignificance. Bands of southern beech, Winter’s bark and Patagonian cypress grow along the shores forming a tangled barrier that blocks entry into the interior. As the slopes rise the vegetation becomes increasingly stunted and sparse until finally it stops altogether, leaving bulging slopes of exposed rock. It seems as if it was only yesterday that these slopes were scoured clean by the mighty glaciers that once carved the main channel. Behind the swollen slopes, rugged peaks tower and disappear into swirling clouds. Amid their mysterious and lofty heights are the sources of those glaciers that still reach down to the fjord’s waters, like cracked and crumbling ice-fingers.
Then an hour back aboard ship before a very wild zodiac cruise: Damon was our driver and was not amused by it, a fact that he repeated in his lecture on Chilean birds in the late afternoon.
A really super lunch of roast duck and yummy vegetables. A talk by Jackie on the culture of the Yagan people- this the tribes around Thomas Bridges in his book The Uttermost Ends of the World. During the afternoon the ship passed by the Herman, Alsina and Paredes glaciers and also some hanging glaciers.
We passed through the Kirke Narrows in the late afternoon. The Kirke Narrows are one of the most complex channels that exist for navigation in Chilean Patagonia due to the adverse hydro-meteorological conditions that converge in this area, so much so that over the past 10 years it has been the scene of several major maritime accidents.. At its narrowest there is only 50 meters of navigable width. This narrowness and the strong 10 knot currents experienced in it are the main difficulties for navigating this channel, which must be navigated with a regional pilot. Assess is limited to a small tidal window each day, it has to be done in daylight, and ships have to be below a certain size. The Explorer sent a zodiac ahead with 2 of the ship´s officers to monitor conditions.
We went through the Kirke Narrows in the Explorer in 2015, the light was better for photos
The Explorer the anchored off Puerto Natales for the night.
click on a thumbnail to get a bigger photo
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |