From the Field: Bill Buck in Cape Horn 2013, Day 19

Posted in Bill Buck, From the Field, Science on March 15 2013, by William R. Buck

January 28, 2013, Prov. Antártica Chilena, Comuna Cabo de Hornos, Isla Navarino, Puerto Williams, 54°56’S, 67°37’W

The engines start up again at 6 a.m. and quite soon we arrive at Caleta Piedras on Isla Pictón. We knew ahead of time that today would be an early day of collecting because we need to also get back to Puerto Williams to gather up the specimens we left behind there. What we didn’t know was that there would be a substantial metal dock at this site, and a house flying the Chilean flag, too. The house is empty now, but presumably occupied seasonally.

The harbor is appropriately named–piedra being Spanish for rock–because there are large outcrops very close to shore. We disperse ourselves across this landscape in an effort to cover as much ground and collect as many samples as we can. This is our second stop on Isla Pictón, and we are hoping that it will give us a better idea of the island’s bryoflora. Fortunately we are informed that this part of the island was never land mined. Even had it been, the physical evidence left behind by grazing cows makes me think that they would have triggered the land mines long ago.

We have only 2 1/2 hours to collect here, and the low morning light makes the collecting difficult. In my hurry to get into the field I soon realize I do not have enough paper bags. When I run out of bags I return to the ship (which is made easy by the existence of the dock) and grab another handful of bags. With only a half an hour left to collect I concentrate my collecting to the shore. To my surprise, this is better collecting than on the rock outcrops in the forest, and what I find is certainly new to the island. I am once again let down to not find the Pottiaceae from the other side of the island. By 10:30 a.m. we are all back on the ship and underway to Puerto Williams.

We arrive in Puerto Williams about 1 p.m. under very windy conditions. The port is actually closed due to the wind, which means that no boats may depart but that we are able to dock. However, we hope that the port will reopen by morning so that we may continue our journey toward Punta Arenas. By night, under a bright, almost-full moon, the winds subside and we begin to feel confident that we will be able to leave as scheduled in the morning.

When we were last in Puerto Williams we met a couple who had been living on their sailboat for 22 years, and had recently been chartering it out for scientific trips. We had hoped at the time to meet up with them to see their boat, and to show them around the Miguel, but time did not allow for it. This time though, we are able to. Turns out, I’m really glad we’re on the ship we’re on! The sailboat would never be large enough for our group and equipment. Our collections would quickly fill up the smaller space on the sailboat, and there would be little room for our microscopes. However, they are considering purchasing a larger ship in order to expand their scientific expeditions, and so we agree to keep in touch.

And just like that, we’re down to our last two days in the field, and most of that will be occupied with our transit back to Punta Arenas.

Ed. note: NYBG scientist and Mary Flagler Cary Curator of Botany, Bill Buck has just returned from his annual expedition to the islands off Cape Horn, the southernmost point in South America, to study mosses and lichens. For the past two years he was able to file stories from the field, but this year’s locations proved so remote he was forced to wait until his return. We will be publishing them over the course of several days. Follow his journeys on Plant Talk.

Bill Buck’s Previous Reports From the Field:

2013

January 27, 2013, Prov. Antártica Chilena, Comuna Cabo de Hornos, Isla Navarino, Puerto Toro, 55°05’S, 67°04’W

January 26, 2013, Prov. Antártica Chilena, Comuna Cabo de Hornos, Isla Lennox, Caleta Lennox, 55°18’S, 66°51’W

January 25, 2013, Prov. Antártica Chilena, Comuna Cabo de Hornos, Isla Navarino, Seno Grandi, 55°14’S, 67°46’W

January 24, 2013, Prov. Antártica Chilena, Comuna Cabo de Hornos, Isla Hoste, Canal Canacus, 55°13’S, 68°21’W

January 23, 2013, Prov. Antártica Chilena, Comuna Cabo de Hornos, Isla Navarino, Puerto Inútil, 54°59’S, 68°12’W

January 22, 2013, Prov. Antártica Chilena, Comuna Cabo de Hornos, Isla Navarino, Puerto Williams, 54°56’S, 67°37’W

January 21, 2013, Prov. Antártica Chilena, Comuna Cabo de Hornos, Isla Navarino, Puerto Williams, 54°56’S, 67°37’W

January 20, 2013, Prov. Antártica Chilena, Comuna Cabo de Hornos, Isla Navarino, Puerto Williams, 54°56’S, 67°37’W

January 19, 2013, Prov. Antártica Chilena, Comuna Cabo de Hornos, Isla Hoste, Bahía Navidad, 55°24’S, 68°12’W

January 18, 2013, Prov. Antártica Chilena, Comuna Cabo de Hornos, Isla Hoste, Bahía Tekenika, 55°18’S, 68°39’W