Hope Bay is the home of
the Argentine Esperanza Base.
The old British Base D
was established here in 1945, partly burned in 1948, and closed in 1964.
The Argentine Base was
established in 1952, with an extensive military presence by the Argentine
Navy. The first Antarctic human birth was here in 1978, all part of
Argentine efforts to claim this area as theirs no doubt.
Hope Bay is also
'famous' for the first shots fired in anger in Antarctica, when in 1952 an
Argentine shore party fired a machine gun over the heads of a British
Antarctic Survey team.
The Argentines later
extended a diplomatic apology.
Having said that the
Argentines at Esperanza were quite a pleasant lot, having set up a table
with food and drink for us all, along with a souvenir shop and a chance to
send a few postcards home. Our guides said that they sometimes aren't
too keen on guests, so either we were very lucky or they were desperate for
some company!
As you can see from the
photos, there are thousands of penguins around. These are Adelie
penguins, and some of them just love to be photographed. |
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A view of the ship and the penguins partying on the icebergs at Hope Bay
These Adelies are preparing themselves
for a plunge into the sea
The Argentine Esperanza Base taken from
the ship as we approached
Jamie and I pose for the cameras once
again
A well groomed Adelie ponders the view
This Adelie penguin was begging to have a
photo taken
These two had obviously forgotten their
VIP pass for the
penguin party on the iceberg in the background
The penguin party in full swing at Hope Bay
A leopard seal (I think) takes a nap on a berg after a tiring penguin party
My first Antarctic continent photo, with
the Multanovskiy behind me.
Patrick, a fellow passenger and Brit
(currently living in Papua New Guinea) promised not to eat the penguins.
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