On this small island in the vast expanse of the Southern Ocean, it never ceases to amaze me that so much rubbish is washed up on these beautiful coastline and beaches. Every expeditioner on Macca has a duty to pick up any bit of marine debris that they see.
In my last two posts
A Walk in the Park Part 1 and Part 2 I took you on a journey down the west coast to be part of the Bauer Bay cleanup. In late August I teamed up with Clive and Chris to once again take part in the monthly Bauer Bay cleanup. As you will see we did this task and very much more.
The first picture is a the results in part of our combined efforts.
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| Clive and I at Bauer Bay hut with some of the marine debris that we picked up from the west coast |
The photos in this post will not only show our efforts but also show some more of the amazing scenery of Macquarie Island.
On the previous clean up we made our way to Bauer Bay via the west coast featherbed. As this area was closed (Aug 1 to May 31), because it is a major giant petrel breeding area, we had to travel over the 'top' plateau.
It was overcast with low cloud accompanied with steady rain and drizzle. Because of the weather I secured my SLR camera in a dry sack and packed it deep within my pack (which weighed around 18kg) and used my compact video camera (which I could tuck into my weather proof jacket).
The first part of the walk (the hardest part) was to negotiate the steep slopes of the Doctors track up Perseverance Bluff.
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| Just leaving VJM - you can make out the wooden stairs up Razorback Ridge, we then followed a track up to the top of Perseverance Bluff on the right |
Once we were up on the plateau, the walk was in cloud, fog, rain and drizzle.
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| Following Clive along the muddy, wet track on the plateau |
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| Around 4km into the walk we came to a small sandy causeway that splits Island Lake. |
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| Just after Emerald Lake the track descends down into Bauer Bay - we were finally out of the cloud and fog |
After nearly 3 hours of walking in the rain we arrived at the beautiful Bauer Bay hut. After switching on the power and the gas we soon got out of our wet gear and savoured a nice hot cuppa.
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| The welcome sight of Bauer Bay hut |
After settling in I got my camera, including a wide angle lens and went out to take some photos. Whilst out on the beach Chris arrived. He had travelled across the west coast featherbed, performing his bird count (giant petrel census) and also replacing track markers on the way.
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| Timber stash near Bauer Bay hut - over the years any timber found on the beach was left in a couple of piles |
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| Skull of a large elephant seal on the sandy valley at Bauer Bay |
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| Beautifully coloured plant life around Bauer Bay |
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| Chris the ranger arrives at Bauer Bay after walking the west coast - loaded with old track markers for repair or disposal |
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| Some of the other bones of the large elephant seal at Bauer Bay |
That night, after dinner, we played scrabble, which Clive won.
After a restful sleep in the Bauer Bay hut we were all charged and ready to go. We had a big day planned - to pick up marine debris on a section of coast south of Flat Creek. We left the hut at 0915, each carrying several newly painted track markers.
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| Preparing to leave Bauer Bay hut |
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| Heading south across the beach at Bauer Bay, loaded with new track markers. The Labyrinth is in the distant right |
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| The start of the Labyrinth - looking north |
At this point Chris realised that it would be wise to go back to the hut and pick up a can of orange paint to mark stakes already on the track. Clive and I proceeded south through the Labyrinth and would meet up with Chris later in the day.
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| Clive in the Labyrinth |
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| In the Labyrinth - Clive just about to negotiate a creek crossing |
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| The stunning scenery of the Labyrinth |
Just after taking the above photo, I tucked my camera into my jacket for protection. As I was pulling up the zip, the tag broke. I then had to pull it up with the jagged metal tag. Unbeknown to me, in doing this I took a big gouge out of my finger. I only realised a little later when I felt sticky on my right hand. It was then I noticed blood dripping from my hand. It was all over my fingerless glove, walking pole and jacket sleeve. Clive at this stage was about 200 metres ahead of me, upwind so he couldn't hear my shouts.
I finally attracted his attention on the featherbed when he was downwind and could hear my calls. The Doc expertly patched me up and we were soon on our way again towards Flat Creek.
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| The Doc with his first aid kit, sheltering out of the wind behind a rock stack on the featherbed. He had just dealt with the cut on my finger |
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| We stopped to assess a rubbish cache. |
The rubbish cache on the featherbed had several fishing floats and a rusty fire extinguisher. We planned on relocating this cache to one near the Coast at Cormorant Point - seen in the previous photo behind the rocks.
We finally reached Flat Creek at 1030 and the two of us systematically scoured the coast south of the creek for marine debris.
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| The coast south of Flat Creek - Clive picking up marine debris |
We dropped our pack around 150 metres apart and worked towards each other. I walked back and forth form the tide mark to just beyond the tussock that bounded the rocky beach.
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| We covered about 1.3 km of coast south of Flat Creek |
Chris finally caught up with us at around 1330.
Interesting Fact - Every year an estimated 10,000 shipping containers are lost overboard from container ships.
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| There was a huge 5 metre swell that pounded the coast |
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| Parts of the coast we were working on are quite stunning |
Plastic waste makes up most of the debris we collected - included plastic drink bottles and caps, plastic sheet, containers and numerous pieces of 'micro' plastic, mostly pieces broken from larger items.
Interesting Fact - this pollution harms an estimated 100,000 marine turtles and sea mammals and 1,000,000 other sea creatures each year.
I had counted every item of debris I picked up - ranging in size from the smallest piece of plastic (only a few millimetres wide) to a 4kg fishing float and pieces of rope that were many metres in length.
The total for that part of the beach was 398 pieces. I am sure that both Clive and Chris picked up similar amounts.
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| Clive and Chris loaded with all the marine debris we picked up from a 1.3km stretch of coast |
We made our way to a cache Chris had set up north of Flat Creek at Cormorant Point, where we placed all the rubbish we had collected that day into a big bag (about 1 cubic metre). We then made our way back to the Labyrinth, via the coast, and arrived back at Bauer Bay hut at 1645 - a good days effort.
My camera stayed inside my pack with my video camera tucked inside my jacket. It rained, snowed and drizzled all the way back to the hut.
That night we played scrabble, and enjoyed freshly baked apricot 'pull apart' scroll (courtesy of Chris). This time the game was won by Chris. A fitting end to day 2.
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| Bauer Bay hut day 3 - snow had fallen overnight |
Day 3 dawned bright, cold and windy (see above). It had snowed overnight and there was good coverage on the ground. The original plan was to cleanup Bauer Bay, but with the snow cover it would have been a difficult task.
The changed plan was to transfer the rubbish cache on the featherbed (south of the Labyrinth) to Cormorant Point then cleanup the the two small bays north of the point. We would then make a decision of what to do next (dependent on time).
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| Bauer Bay - snow showers approaching from the southwest |
Off we went again through the Labyrinth and again I had both cameras protected form the snow and rain.
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| Transferring the rubbish cache from the featherbed to Cormorant Point - You can see the rusted fire extinguisher in the top of Chris's pack |
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| Clive and Chris at the Cormorant Point marine debris cache |
We then spent a few hours picking up rubbish in two small bays just north of Cormorant Point. Many pieces, particularly plastic bottles, were found in the tussock and wallow area adjacent to the rocky beach, while bits of fishing twine were the main find on the beaches.
It was a typical post frontal weather day, with frequent snow and hail showers mixed with bright sunny breaks.
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| Snow shower passing over our cleanup area near Cormorant Point |
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| After the showers - bright sunshine |
Again I carried out a count of pieces of rubbish that I picked up. The first little bay (100 metres wide) yielded 250 pieces and the second bay 150 pieces, though most of that was bigger pieces amongst the tussock and wallow. Clive and Chris probably picked up similar amounts.
While Clive and I remained to finish the cleanup of the second bay, Chris made his way back to Bauer Bay hut, so he could paint and prepare track markers while there was still enough daylight.
The snow eventually formed a blanket over the area, making it difficult to see the small plastic and twine, so Clive and I decided to make our way back to Bauer Bay.
On Chris's suggestion we made our way back as near to the coast a was safely possible, picking up rubbish on the way. This took us along the coast side of the Labyrinth.
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| Looking for rubbish somewhere coast-side of Duck Lagoon. The colabanthus (cushion plant) was amazing |
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| Stunning view of the western side of the Labyrinth |
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| Another spectacular scene in the Labyrinth |
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| Abundant plant life returns to the Labyrinth, though there is still signs of the devastation by the rabbits |
On this part of the coast marine debris had collected for years so we had plenty of rubbish to fill our bags. In small protected coves it was not uncommon to pick up a dozen plastic bottles. I also picked up two, fully intact glass bottles.
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| Looking north - Beautiful meadow in the Labyrinth - in this small area we found around 120 pieces of rubbish |
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| Another stunning view of the Labyrinth |
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| A little beach just south of Bauer Bay |
Eventually we couldn't travel along the coast anymore because the rocky outcrops were to steep, so we had to return up into the Labyrinth and finally made our way back to Bauer Bay hut at 1700. It was another very successful day out on the coast.
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| Making our way back up into the Labyrinth |
My final count for the day was 516 pieces of rubbish - that is a lot of bending down, sometimes whilst carrying a heavy pack.
That evening we played another game of scrabble. This time I won, so it was one game each. We also blitzed all the other field huts, winning the nightly radio sched quiz. It pays to have a doctor on your team.
Again we hadn't completed our main task - the monthly Bauer Bay cleanup. There was always tomorrow morning.
Day 4 dawned bright and sunny, but there had been a lot of snow overnight and the ground was frozen. This resulted in a change of plan. Go to the rubbish cache at Boiler Rocks and bring what we can back to the hut.
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| Day 4 - The wintry scene just north of Bauer Bay |
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| Returning to the hut with rubbish from the cache at Boiler Rocks - It is easy to see why we couldn't do the BB cleanup |
After returning to the hut loaded with bags, floats and other assorted rubbish from the Boiler Rocks cache, we were on our way back to the cache to cut up and return a very thick (6cm diameter) hessian mooring rope. On the way there Clive discovered a enormous coil of tangled and twisted nylon rope (2.5cm diameter).
It was just after 10am when we made the discovery and for the next 3.5 hours, we sorted, untangled and cut our way into the big pile, finally ending up with many shorter more manageable pieces. This was a very messy process as the coil was on top of and embedded in a large pile of rotting kelp.
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| Clive and Chris sorting, untangling and cutting the rope |
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| After a while we didn't smell the rotting kelp |
After the last piece was cut, we each loaded our packs with as many of the pieces that we could carry. We then made our way back to the hut, happy with the knowledge that we had cleared the coast of another big piece of marine debris.
Upon reaching the hut we consolidated all the rubbish into a couple of big 'bulker' bags. Thes would be flown out by helicopter during the next re-supply.
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| Clive and I with part of rubbish collection - as you can see we were pretty dirty after our rope collection |
After a quick cuppa we packed our gear and Clive and I were on our way back to station. We returned via the same track, that we came in on. The climb out of Bauer was tough but not as tough as the climb up the Doctors track on the way in. Once on top of the plateau the ground was completely different from when we walked in.
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| The climb out of Bauer Bay. |
Chris came with us to about half way up the hill, that is where he ran out of new track markers.
The walk across the plateau was mostly over frozen snow covered ground. This made walking a little easier as we did not sink into the mud. In the lee of hills the snow collected in drifts and in some places we walked through knee deep powder snow.
Also we did not have the low cloud and fog, so we could see all the lakes and high peaks on the way. It all looked incredible with all the snow cover.
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| Clive just crossing the causeway at Island Lake |
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| We encountered several skuas sitting by the lake |
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| Some of the new boardwalk that Chris (with the help of others) had been building over the last few months |
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| The shore of Scoble Lake |
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| Nearly home - North Head and the station in sight |
In the thick, deep snow we actually headed down the wrong track. We were heading towards Gadgets Gully, But realised before we were to far down the slope. We headed cross country to the right track, then slowly made our way down the snow covered, icy Doctors track, arriving back at VJM at 1720.
It was so nice to take the pack off and head off to have a nice hot shower.
All up we covered 42.6 km and I picked up 914 pieces of marine debris (most of that . The rope we found is estimated to be somewhere between 500 and 700 metres in length.
It is estimated that 10 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the oceans every year (10% of the total plastic produced -
Greenpeace)
It would be great to think that every time you go to the beach that you bring a bag along to collect any unwanted rubbish.
An interesting link on the subject of marine debris can be found
here and
plastic pollution
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| What was inside the remains of an albatross chick (Forest & Kim Starr (USGS)) |
Until next time......
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