Around the Scotia Sea

The Scotia Sea is a body of water almost the size of the Western Europe, a part of the Southern Ocean. Its borders are marked by Falkland and South Georgia Islands in the North, South Sandwich Islands in the East, Tierra del Fuego, Drake Passage, and South Shetland Islands in the West, South Orkney Islands and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula in the South.

Mountains of South Georgia.

South Orkney Islands.

Iceberg, off South Georgia Island.

The Antarctic Convergence - a well-defined borderline between the cold Antarctic and relatively warm South Atlantic waters - crosses the Sea, while constant western winds create strong upwellings along the shores of its islands. All that, combined with dramatic relief above and below the surface, makes the Sea and its islands one of the most productive and scenic parts of the World's oceans.

Iceberg, off the Antarctic Peninsula.

Sunrise, Scotia Sea.

Icebergs, South Georgia.

Black-browed albatross (Diomedea melanophris), Scotia Sea.

It is also known for bad weather. Fierce storms roll over almost nonstop, but you can also get a sunny day once in a while.

Light-mantled sooty albatross (Phoebetria palpebrata), Scotia Sea.

Sunset, Scotia Sea.

Sunset, Scotia Sea.

High-altitude clouds, Scotia Sea.

Most of the islands and their offshore waters are protected as either British territory or areas covered by the Antarctic Non-exploitation Treaty. However, Argentina consistently tries to undermine the Treaty by claiming huge chunk of the Antarctic (some of it British or also claimed by Chile) as its own.

Sunrise, Scotia Sea.

Iceberg, off South Georgia.

Iceberg, Scotia Sea.

Iceberg, off South Georgia.

To substantiate this totally unreasonable claim, Argentina has shipped pregnant women to its "scientific" Antarctic stations to have children born there. The stations are "Potyomkin's villages", where cruise ships are greeted by women pretending to play snowball with pale-faced little kids. Personally, I find such use of people as pawns in dirty political games disgusting. Argentina was also the first (and only, so far) country to bring war to the Antarctic. Its 1982 invasion of the Falklands, the South Georgia and the South Shetlands had left 891 dead, thousands wounded, and serious environmental damage. Despite the sound defeat by UK forces, Argentina hasn't dropped any of its claims, and the propagandist hysteria inside the country is still intense.

Iceberg, off South Shetland Islands.

Weddell's seal (Leptonychotes weddelli), Hope Bay, Antarctic Peninsula.

Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella), Grytviken, South Georgia.

Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonairensis) is the species currently targeted by Japanese whaling industry. Off South Georgia.

Another country threatening the ecological integrity of the Antarctic is Japan. It uses a legal loophole to conduct large-scale "scientific" whaling in the Southern Ocean. More a chauvinistic political show than a commercially sound operation, this assault on the environment is also surrounded by lies, propaganda and corruption. It is accompanied by a nationwide campaign aimed at developing taste for whale meat in young kids by serving it in schools.

Southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) is still recovering from near-extermination by whalers. Off South Georgia.

Antarctic king crab (Lithodes antarcticus).

Emperor crab (Peltarion spinosulum).

Tractor crab (Peltarion spinosulum).

Well, so far the Antarctic Treaty stands; Britain is doing a good job of protecting its fisheries, islands, and all the creatures inhabiting them. The spectacular wildlife of the Scotia Sea is still there. Getting to see these wild and beautiful places isn't easy or cheap, but it is possible.

Antarctic spider crab (Eurypodius latreillei).

Cruise ship Marco Polo in Hope Bay, Antarctic Peninsula.

A small yacht navigating Bransfield Strait, off Antarctic Peninsula.

Cruising Cumberland Bay in a zodiac, South Georgia.

The Scotia Sea is the most accessible, and certainly the most visited, part of the Antarctic. Each year, thousands of people visit it on board cruise ships and fishing vessels. A few travel by yachts, fly to the Falklands or to the hotel at one of Chile's research stations. There are 15 stations around the Sea, and a tiny village at South Georgia. Tierra del Fuego and the Falklands have sizable resident population and a few cities.

The Marco Polo in Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego.

Summer days at South Georgia can be warm enough for snorkeling.

Visiting Adelie penguins colony at Hope Bay, Antarctic Peninsula.

Three meter-long nemertine (giant predatory marine worm), Hope Bay, Antarctic Peninsula.

In 2005, I had a chance to travel to Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, the Falklands, South Georgia, the South Orkneys, the tip of the Peninsula and some of the South Shetlands. The photos are in the following pages (except for most mammal pictures, which are in Marine Mammals page).

Three meter-long nemertine (giant predatory marine worm), Hope Bay, Antarctic Peninsula.

Visiting Magellanic penguins colony, San Julian.

Part 2: Penguins

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