September 1: Marine debris collection haul

The latest haul from the monthly marine debris collection at Bauer Bay.

Hard plastic chips washed up on the west coast. Photo: Jacque Comery

Green string. Fishing waste, collected from Bauer Bay beach. Photo: Jacque Comery

July 4: Memorials and more marine debris

Today is the anniversary of the death of Charles Scoble on the posthumously named Scoble Lake. Mr Scoble broke through the ice on the lake whilst skiing in 1948.  I decided to go and pay my respects on behalf of the 68th ANARE, on this suitably icy and cold day.
Having left so much marine debris uncollected at Bauer Bay, I further decided to walk on to Bauer Bay again and spend my weekend completing the beach clean up solo.
I arrived at Scoble Lake in a snow storm, to find the Lake partially frozen. Had it looked like this in 1948 I doubt that the party would have attempted a crossing.
Onwards to Bauer Bay, and I embarked on the 'treasure' collecting immediately to make the most of the light. Another 215 lengths of green string, 60 plastic fragments and 12 bottles later, I prepared a dinner of miso soup, cheese and pickled vegies, had a read of my book, practiced some Spanish did my Sched with VJM and dried my gear.  All cosy in the hut, I was asleep by 1930hrs.

Charles Scoble memorial. Photo: Jacque Comery

Scoble plaque. Photo: Jacque Comery

First view of Bauer Bay. Photo: Jacque Comery

About to drop down into Bauer Bay. Hut is centre of frame. Photo. :Jacque Comery

Footprints on the beach. Photo: Jacque Comery

Plastics from Bauer Bay. Photo: Jacque Comery

Green string. Photo: Jacque Comery

Marine debris. Photo: Jacque Comery

Hooray for hut dinners. Photo: Jacque Comery



Drying off my gear. Photo: Jacque Comery



Tucked in for the night. Photo: Jacque Comery

July 2: Bauer Bay to Station via the Northern Featherbed Special Management Area

Today rather than return to Station via the plateau and retrace our steps we thought we'd go around the west coast and see if we could collect some more storm debris. This route crosses over the breeding grounds of the Giant Petrels, and so is considered a Special Management Area (SMA). The access to the SMA ends at the end of July, so it was wonderful to experience this part of the coastline, especially as there was little wildlife to disturb. We were still investigated closely from the air by a number of Giant Petrels squawking like pterodactyls, who call this part of the island their home.
We picked up plastic bottles, fishing marker buoys, another 130 pieces of green string, and many pieces of rope.
We carried what we could, and the rest, especially the buoys were left at caches along the way for collection at resupply when we can get a helicopter.
We took a small detour to visit Eagle Cave where the survivors of a shipwreck once spent an entire year before being rescued!
It was a great day of walking along beaches and the featherbed, a floating peat and moss bog that bounces up and down as you walk on it. We had a few near bogging events with both Andrea and I stuck up to our knees a few times.
We arrived back on Station tired, but no too late to tuck into hot soup and shortbread. (Thanks Chef!)A huge thanks to Ranger Andrea Turbett, for showing me this part of the island, and allowing me to join in on the marine debris action. A great day.



A fishing buoy and piece of boat that was washed up. Photo: Andrea Turbett



Taking photos at Eagle Cave. Photo: Andrea Turbett



Looking towards home. Photo: Andrea Turbett

Thanks so much for the pics Andrea (Turbo) Turbett!

July 1: Marine debris survey at Bauer Bay

This morning I headed out with Ranger-in-Charge, Andrea Turbett to Bauer Bay on the west coast to assist with the monthly Marine Debris Survey. The route to Bauer Bay takes us up onto the Plateau via the Doctors Track and then over onto the Island Lake Track (the ILT), a fast and easily navigable route, to drop down into Bauer Bay. The lakes were frozen, and the entire landscape was a picturesque blending of shades of grey. We danced over the icy track, and arrived at the hut around lunchtime. After dropping our packs at the hut and taking on board some hot blackcurrant juice,(known here as BCJ), we hit the beach, buckets in hand.
We were most excited to see what had washed ashore in the big seas. As well as loads of kelp our haul included  approximately 10 plastic bottles, 60 pieces of hard plastic, 40 bits of rope, and 165 pieces of  'green string'.
The green string has been washing ashore at Macquarie Island and a number of other sub-Antarctic islands, and is thought to be used in long line fishing for Patagonian Toothfish.
One exciting find was a fine piece of plastic which  carried text with a please return if found instruction. The return address  was NIWA in New Zealand.
We searched until dark only covering a small portion of the beach, such was the amount of debris.  We counted weighed and photographed our load. Pre-dinner conversation was dominated by brainstorming what NIWA was and who would possibly expect such a small piece of plastic to be found, let alone returned!
We are such a small speck in the remote southern ocean, and yet still plastic lands upon our shores everyday.
After cooking a dinner of pasta and butterscotch pudding, and completing our  nightly Sched with VJM (the Station), we settled in for the night, happy with our efforts.

Blue hard plastics collected at Bauer Bay. Photo: Jacque Comery

Frozen shore of Island Lake. Photo: Jacque Comery

Island Lake. Photo: Jacque Comery

Icicles at Island Lake. Photo: Jacque Comery

Jacque at Island Lake. Photo: Andrea Turbett



Green String! Photo: Jacque Comery

Collecting marine debris. Photo: Andrea Turbett

NIWA tag. Photo: Andrea Turbett

Hard Plastic haul. Photo: Jacque Comery

Green hard plastics. Photo: Jacque Comery

Caps and Lids. Photo: Jacque Comery

June 29: Heritage artefacts and beach treasure

We have had high winds and big swells overnight, and the Ranger-in-Charge, was headed out to check on some of the heritage sites that are now particularly close to the waters edge. I jumped at the chance to tag along for a brisk walk down the west beach.
In 1917 under the oversight of Joseph Hatch, an Iron Boiler and Digester were established to produce oil from the blubber of seals harvested on the west coast. It was one of the smallest production sites, and it remained in operation for two years until 1919 ,when all sealing operations at Macquarie Island ceased.

In 2003, the boiler and digester was toppled in a huge storm and moved 50 metres from its original site. Following heavy rainfall in 2013 a landslide partially buried the site.  The digester now sits close to the waters edge and with wave action continually changing the shape of the beach, this heritage site remains in  danger of suffering further impact.

The Rangers here on Macca have a big challenge in maintaining these historical sites. An extremely corrosive sub-Antarctic environment takes it's toll on steel and iron work, and when artefacts are placed under threat by natural occurrences, there is limited access for machinery at most sites to assist in any recovery.

On the way back to Station we found an old metal flanged piece of pipe. On closer inspection it was filled with molten glass, and a partially intact ornate old bottle.  It has possibly been uncovered by the recent seas moving sand around the beach or has been dumped on the shore by the big surf.  With all of our strength the two of us could not lift it to carry it up above the wave line, so we photographed it, and took note of it's location to return with a GPS  to record its exact location.  It may be remnant from earlier station days, or even be debris from one of the many ships that were wrecked along this coast. Such fun to find treasure.
 
 


Digester on West Beach. Photo: Jacque Comery




The Digester and Boiler taken in 1975 by Archeologist E.A. Mitchener

Digester on the beach. Photo: Jacque Comery



The boiler. Photo: Jacque Comery



Treasure found on West Beach. Photo: Jacque Comery

 

Jacque checking out the glass inside the pipe. Photo: Andrea Turbett



Ornate glass inside the pipe that we found on West Beach. Photo: Andrea Turbett