28 May 2025 / leggypeggy

A snowy welcome to Hope Bay and Esperanza Base

Argentina, Esperanza Base, Gentoo penguins, Hope Bay, penguins, SH Diana, snow, Swan Hellenic, Zodiacs

Esperanza Base on a snowy day

As the world’s windiest, coldest, iciest and driest continent, Antarctica gets less than 17 centimetres or about 6.5 inches of precipitation each year.

I reckon about one-third of that fell as snow on our second day in the Antarctic.

We woke to a good covering of snow on the decks, the promise of a zodiac cruise around Hope Bay, and a viewing of Esperanza Base.

Zodiacs were our ferries—they were used to take us ashore for landings and allow us to ‘cruise’ an area when landings weren’t possible. Our ship had 12 Zodiacs stacked in the open at the back (stern) of the ship.

Passing an iceberg on the way to Esperanza Base. Photo by Werner Kruse

This day, I think our Zodiac must have been on top of a stack. It was covered in snow and we soon realised that our waterproof pants weren’t as waterproof as they used to be.

Nevertheless, we made the most of the outing—seeing loads of gentoo penguins (geez they are tough critters) and getting a sense of the difficulties faced by those who live year-round at Esperanza Base.

Poor John realises his waterproof pants aren’t so waterproof

Yes the pool was closed. Crane in the background hoists the Zodiacs

A bit about Esperanza Base

Esperanza Base is unique. While it is a permanent, all-year-round Argentine research station in Hope Bay, it is also the only civilian settlement on the Antarctic mainland.

It was built in 1953 with the main purpose of giving Argentina a strong claim to Antarctic sovereignty. To that end, and in 1978, Emilio Marcos de Palma Morella was the first person born in the Antarctic (try to remember his name for a trivia night). Back then, his father was head of Argentina’s army detachment at the base. His mother, then seven months pregnant, was airlifted to the base to complete her pregnancy.

A closer look at Esperanza Base. I wonder where the tourist accommodation is. Photo by Werner Kruse

Imagine having penguins in the ‘front yard’. Photo by Werner Kruse

Wow, the extremes people use to prove a point.

These days, the base is home to about 56 inhabitants, including 10 families and two school teachers. A civil registry office records weddings and births (there have been 10 births since Emilio, but no information about how many weddings). There is a Scout troop. I wonder what badges the children can pursue—maybe shovelling snow.

Obviously, we didn’t go ashore (weather too severe), but I’ve read that there is tourist accommodation and about 1100 people visit each year.