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album: "Port Jeanne d'Arc (2)"
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The
day at Port Jeanne d'Arc proceeds with the exploration of the neighbourhood,
then there are the preparatives for the dinner and the night. The next day we
take another walk. Later, the barge comes back to fetch us. We sail towards isle
Haute. There we collect a few hunters, the barge had landed the previous day.
Finally we sail back to Port-aux-Français.
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Not far from Port Jeanne d'Arc, we
sight a beautiful waterfall. Obviously, water doesn't miss in this place! |
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We explore the waterfall.
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Even during our walks the
French-Soviet cooperation never lose its rights, because on the photo we
have, from left to right: myself, a Soviet, Jean-Claude Koenig (a
colleague from GRI) and another Soviet. |
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A skua, pushed by curiosity, has
come near our group: maybe it thought it could find some food?
Downwards, in the background, we can make out Port Jeanne d'Arc.
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Later in the afternoon, we help
other friends to collect mussels, on the rocks of the beach. We go back to
our lodging with an abundant harvest in the caldron carried by two of our
friends. |
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While the diner is cooking under a
member of the CNES team's attentive eye, some Soviets are playing cards. |
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As for the French, they are doing a
survey of the premises. |
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The night falls over Port Jeanne
d'Arc. |
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How are the bedrooms? Genuine
antique furniture, of course, and the rats went away when we arrive. The
night will be cold because there is no heating, fortunately we brought our
sleeping bags. |
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The next day we encounter two
gentoo penguins walking in the acaena. |
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On the hill, facing Golf of
Morbihan stand the crosses of the graveyard of Port Jeanne d'Arc. The four
people buried there were members of the Norwegian team of whale hunters. |
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Our stay at Port Jeanne d'Arc is
finished, the barge has come back to fetch us. We are sailing away from
Port Jeanne d'Arc. The Soviet cineaste we see, sitting at left, was part
of those who spent the night in the cabin of Port-Bizet on isle Longue. |
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The barge threads its way through the islets to arrive to isle Haute. |
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As we are drawing near, we perceive
the cabin on isle Haute.
About the animals which have been introduced on this island.
They evolved two ways: the mouflons have remained on the island because
they cannot escape, thus their impact is limited (one can say the same
thing about the sheep on isle Longue); but things are different with the
reindeers because they can swim, a part of the herd has therefore migrated
on Grande Terre where nothing can prevent them from multiplying. |
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High cliffs rise on the other bank
of the channel which divides isle Haute from Grande Terre. |
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We retrieve a small group of
hunters the barge leaved the previous day. We don't land for a long time.
As we can see, the name of the cabin on isle Haute is "Mas
Robert". |
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We sail around isle Haute to fetch,
on the other side, a reindeer killed by one of the hunters. |
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The hunters carry the reindeer to
put it down onto the barge. |
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I am not a hunter and seeing this killed animal wrings my heart. But the
cook of Port-aux-Français' talent will somewhat sooth my sadness when
I'll find it in my plate at lunch. |
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On the way back, dolphins are
following the barge. |
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When we arrive a bright sun
illuminates Port-aux-Français. The first building you can see at left of
the photo is the marine biology laboratory (Biomar), an important field of
research in Kerguelen.
Those two days have made a pleasant interlude in our sojourn after nearly
four months of uninterrupted work. |
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