17 Feb 2025

Historic Huts and Wonderful Wildlife

Today was another truly memorable one. We were now directly In the Wake of Scott and Shackleton as we explored historic huts built by both explorers. Our first visit was to Shackleton’s Hut, constructed in 1908 at Cape Royds. Inside, it looked like the residents had just left, with a large stove, beds, food stores and personal belongings giving it a homely feel. It was a wonderfully evocative experience of a bygone age.

The hut was nestled in a sheltered spot amongst a stark volcanic landscape dotted with frozen lakes. Nearby, the large Adélie Penguin colony had begun to thin out, with remaining birds regularly departing to sea. As we watched, a patrolling Leopard Seal caught unsuspecting penguins in spectacular style, jaw-dropping moments of animal behaviour.

We then visited Scott’s Discovery Hut, which Scott built during his first expedition, at Hut Point. It provided only basic shelter and was used by several expeditions more for refuge and storage than as a home. Its dark and relatively bare interior evoked the harsh conditions experienced by the explorers of the heroic age.

The day climaxed with a spectacular display of wildlife along the edge of the McMurdo Ice Shelf. There seemed to be Orca everywhere! Some swam beside Heritage Adventurer, and others spy-hopped or flipped their tails. We also spotted many Emperor Penguins in the water and on the ice, Crabeater and Weddell Seals, and some rare Arnoux’s Beaked Whales. Finally, the sea began to freeze, with new pancake ice sparkling under the midnight sun. What an incredible end to another sensational day of our expedition!

Images © K. Sutherland & S. Bradley