MS National Geographic Explorer
Maxwell Bay and the Bases on King George Island
Friday, February 11, 2011

    After completing my journal last night, some major changes in our plans became necessary. One of our shipmates was diagnosed by the ship's doctor to have a life threatening condition that will required emergency medical evacuation. Just before midnight, we travelled south the short 25 nm to Port Lockroy to drop off our two visitors from that location. We reversed course and sailed north at flank speed, or as the Captain calls it, Somalia Speed. The nearest evacuation point is the Chilean base on King George Island at Maxwell Bay in the South Shetland Islands, about 13 hours away at top speed. We travelled all night and all this morning. We arrived at the base about 13:30 this afternoon.

    During the night, the crew was busy on radios and satellite phones with the Chilean base, emergency evacuation insurance companies, and the home offices in New York and Seattle. While we waited in Maxwell Bay for permission to land, and for the insurance company to approve dispatch of an evacuation plane, we listened to some interesting lectures on penguins and polar ice.

    On King George Island, there are several bases, including the Chilean base right next to a Russian base. We were invited to visit both of the bases, which was an interesting diversion while we waited to hear if the evacuation plane was to be sent. Just about 9:30 pm, we got word that the evacuation plane would arrive in the morning and the ship was given permission to transfer the patient and her travelling companion to the medical facility at the Chilean base. We were also given leave to depart the station. If ice conditions permit, we now plan to move to the Antarctic Sound overnight and land at either Brown Bluff or Devil Island.